Tan Kote? Resolene? Leather Sheen?

[cmdavis]

Hi Everyone! What is the best "finish" to use? I'm new to leather working and am primarily making gun holsters, although I've had request for a couple other things. I've used Tan Kote on the 2 holsters that I have done, but I noticed this time that it changed the look. I dyed the leather first using Fiebings Walnut, let that dry over night and then used Fiebings Tan Kote and then it changed. I would prefer a more matte-finish which is why I used Tan Kote instead of Resolene. Ideas?

[JLSleather]

Tan-Kote should do exactly that ... just a kote of very light tan.  Natural leather with tan kote ALMOST the same color as natural leather BARE.  If you had an issue, more likely it's with the leather limiting dye penetration.

In a jillion years of doing this I DID see one time where there was some tan-kote "gone bad".  Turned out it was allowed to partially freeze on a UPS truck (@!#$!).  So I use it all the time, but never ordr it over the weekend in winter.

Buff the dye before applying, and then it shouldnt' change much due to the tan-kote.

[wizard of tragacanth]

Which finish or top coat to use is a long standing debate.  The ingredients seem to be a secret and none of them have the degree of water proofing that we really would like to have. 

I use Satin Shene.  It is not as glossy as Resolene but you will have to do your own experiments to determine what is best for you.

Looking at that dauber in the top pic makes me think that you put the Tan Kote on too thick.  Thin coats work best with these products.  Air brushing seems to be the best method but I have never used it.  If you cannot use an air brush, probably the next best thing is a lint-free cotton cloth, like an old t-shirt.  I just wrap one layer of cloth around my fingers, trying to avoid over-loading the liquid.  Apply a thin coat of the product and wait for it to dry before adding another (if needed).  Buff.

Some people just use neutral shoe polish.  I have never tried it, thinking that it would not be a lasting finish.

BTW, the leather around the belt loops is looking rather thin.  I think I would want at least 1/4" or preferably, 3/8" around that area.  This is going to be carrying the weight of the gun and is therefore important to the integrity of the holster.  That is the wear point of the holster.  It must hold up to the tension of the belt.  This looks like it was made for a Taurus Judge, which is a big, heavy gun.  Keep in mind the size of the weapon when making design decisions.  It will dictate how thick the leather should be, and whether you might double-stitch it, etc.  You still need to bring your stitching in closer to the gun.  Look at other maker's work to get a feel for what you should be doing.

nick

Edited June 24, 2019 by wizard of tragacanth

[DJole]

Maybe a video by Ian Atkinson (of Leodis Leather) which covers this topic will help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyTg_hfpNUM

[YinTx]

I'm no holster expert, but I think you gotta move those stitch lines in closer to the gun so that it does not get loose over time and allow the gun to wobble around in the holster.

As far as dye and finish are concerned, you really need to experiment.  A lot.  On different leathers, with different combinations, different strengths (yes, you can and should experiment with diluted finishes:  tankote, resolene, etc can be thinned with water, other finishes require different thinners).  Cheap leathers sometimes have coatings and fillers that inhibit penetration and adhesion of dyes and finishes.  Adding leather conditioners before or after finishes affects things.  You kind of have to find the one combination that you like, and you may find you like different ones for different things:  you may want to do something different on a wallet than you would on a holster or a belt or a notebook cover.

YinTx

[garypl]

When I apply Tan Kote I dilute it 50/50 with distilled water and apply with sheepskin scrap.  Sheepskin allows you to quickly cover a large area and smooth it out before it dries.  When I apply Resolene I always spray with an airbrush and dilute it 50/50 with distilled water.  Several light coats better than a thick coat.

Gary

 

[farns005]

Where do you get your leather?  I ask because when I started out and got all my leather from Tandy, I had a terrible time with inconsistencies in dyeing and finishing.  I have since found a local saddle maker that will sell me Herman Oak dudes at a reasonable price , and most of my troubles went away.  Still no expert, but didn’t need to be handicapped with poor product to start with.  No knock on Tandy, but not all leather is equal.

 

Kelly

[cmdavis]

13 hours ago, farns005 said:

Where do you get your leather?  I ask because when I started out and got all my leather from Tandy, I had a terrible time with inconsistencies in dyeing and finishing.  I have since found a local saddle maker that will sell me Herman Oak dudes at a reasonable price , and most of my troubles went away.  Still no expert, but didn’t need to be handicapped with poor product to start with.  No knock on Tandy, but not all leather is equal.

 

Kelly

Hi Kelly, I order mine from Springfield Leather Company. The one I made my 1st 2 out of is a full grain single shoulder. I was hoping to achieve the look from the 1st picture (I burned the leather before I dyed it), but the tan-kote seemed to take away distinction between the dark and light areas. 

On 6/24/2019 at 11:28 AM, JLSleather said:

Tan-Kote should do exactly that ... just a kote of very light tan.  Natural leather with tan kote ALMOST the same color as natural leather BARE.  If you had an issue, more likely it's with the leather limiting dye penetration.

In a jillion years of doing this I DID see one time where there was some tan-kote "gone bad".  Turned out it was allowed to partially freeze on a UPS truck (@!#$!).  So I use it all the time, but never ordr it over the weekend in winter.

Buff the dye before applying, and then it shouldnt' change much due to the tan-kote.

Thank you! I'll try that next time!

[YinTx]

1 hour ago, cmdavis said:

Hi Kelly, I order mine from Springfield Leather Company. The one I made my 1st 2 out of is a full grain single shoulder. I was hoping to achieve the look from the 1st picture (I burned the leather before I dyed it), but the tan-kote seemed to take away distinction between the dark and light areas. 

I've had a piece of their import leather behave in similar manners to the Tandy leathers.  Also, I've never had Tan-Kote alter the colors of my leather project...ymmv of course, but it does seem unusual.

YinTx

[PigasusStudio]

On 6/25/2019 at 5:15 PM, farns005 said:

... I have since found a local saddle maker that will sell me Herman Oak dudes at a reasonable price ...

I can see the news headline now: "local saddle maker involved in human-trafficking ring".

~~~~~~~~

Back to the original question from the OP .... I second (third? fourth?) those that suggest experimenting to find what works for you and for your needs. Different products will react with different leathers in (yup, you guessed it) different ways. Even different lots of the same product can behave differently. The joy of small scale, hand-made, eh? Actually, I like it, it makes every product unique.

Regardless, experimentation is good so that you can learn what does what, such as the neatsfoot oil darkening the leather as shown in the first two swatches of each row in the image below of some dyeing trials I did. I expected this, though, being a long-time user of neatsfoot.

(Please do ignore the horrid cutting and stamping jobs; first time cutting, dull knife, slick surface, never stamped before, all sorts of excuses, learning experience, learning curve, nowhere to go but up, etc., and yes, won't be getting Leather Dye the next time I pick up dye products .. :0))

Edited July 27, 2019 by PigasusStudio

[chuck123wapati]

I usually just use a good quality waterproofing like sno seal ,or any  beeswax mink oil combo. Slightly darkens the leather. then a nice buff.

[Mel99]

I’ve had the same issues with tan Kote and what I have read in other forums is, tan Kote will lift color if you are using water based stains.