Starman Report post Posted October 7, 2019 The look i'm after is a belt that's been well used, so the color on the surface has been worn down/worn off, but leaving the color in the deeper recessed areas. I thought about dying it, then just sanding the surface...but sanding leather doesn't seem like a good idea. Any suggestions on how to approach this? I've attached a really small, horrible pic, but hopefully it coveys what my works may not have. Thanks all! I appreciate the knowledge ya'll share! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJole Report post Posted October 7, 2019 Are you talking about antiquing techniques? That seems to be what you describe above. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LatigoAmigo Report post Posted October 8, 2019 6 hours ago, Starman said: I've attached a really small, horrible pic, but hopefully it coveys what my works may not have. If you really want help, you will have to post a larger and photo (maybe more than one) so some of us can better understand your question. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starman Report post Posted October 8, 2019 12 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said: If you really want help, you will have to post a larger and photo (maybe more than one) so some of us can better understand your question. sorry, that pic is the best I could find :/ 1 hour ago, DJole said: Are you talking about antiquing techniques? That seems to be what you describe above. Im not sure, tbh, maybe? Im wondering how you dye the deeper tooled areas while leaving the surface relatively untouched? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LatigoAmigo Report post Posted October 8, 2019 16 minutes ago, Starman said: Im wondering how you dye the deeper tooled areas while leaving the surface relatively untouched? Possibly by using something like Fiebings Antique Finish. This paste settles into the tooled areas, making them darker than the flat surface area which is wiped off during the application process. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
battlemunky Report post Posted October 8, 2019 Yeah, try googling "antiquing leather" or search it on YouTube, it sounds like what you are looking for. Maybe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starman Report post Posted October 8, 2019 (edited) 13 hours ago, battlemunky said: Yeah, try googling "antiquing leather" or search it on YouTube, it sounds like what you are looking for. Maybe? Thanks, I will! 14 hours ago, LatigoAmigo said: Possibly by using something like Fiebings Antique Finish. This paste settles into the tooled areas, making them darker than the flat surface area which is wiped off during the application process. Is the 'antique dye' a different dye than the normal dye one would use? This does sound like how this would be done... Thanks so much! Edited October 8, 2019 by Starman Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LatigoAmigo Report post Posted October 8, 2019 28 minutes ago, Starman said: Is the 'antique dye' a different dye than the normal dye one would use? This does sound like how this would be done... Leather dyes are liquid, but Fiebing's Antique Finish is not a dye, but is a paste. You would typically dip a soft rag into the jar, and rub the paste into the leather like you might apply car polish. It is not applied like a dye. I'm sure you could find something on YouTube that demonstrates the application process. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starman Report post Posted October 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said: Leather dyes are liquid, but Fiebing's Antique Finish is not a dye, but is a paste. You would typically dip a soft rag into the jar, and rub the paste into the leather like you might apply car polish. It is not applied like a dye. I'm sure you could find something on YouTube that demonstrates the application process. That makes perfect sense...thats gotta be what im looking for! Thank you SO much!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starman Report post Posted October 16, 2019 I wanted to follow up with you guys. I finally got the time to grab some antique dye, and tried it on a small sample I stamped to see how it works. Smoke black, I think. Now I understand how it differs from the regular dye. Its one thing to have it explained to you; its a whole other thing to actually experience it. For me anyway. I get it now. So, in a nutshell it works just like y' all explained it would! The flip side is that it doesn't dye as deeply or effectively as the regular dye, but I guess that's the trade off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dougfergy Report post Posted October 18, 2019 That is the trade off exactly. If you use one that is a little more liquid, like Eco-Flo hi-lite stain, it goes on with a dauber and I wipe it immediately with a folded paper towel and it highlights the impressions and stamping nicely. I also use it as a light stain sometimes. To me, it seems to be a little more permanent so you want to wipe it off quickly or the color will really set into the leather and darken your staining if you have some. I like the Briar Brown. On the last sheath I made I had stamped the front and stained it with an Oxblood stain, then did a quick wipe on and wipe off with the Eco-Flo and it colored the impressions nicely without darkening the rest very much. On the back the leather was smooth except for my maker's stamp. I wiped on the eco-flo and let it set for a couple minutes before wiping it off and it gave the leather a nice color that contrasted with the dark oxblood front and really darkened the maker's stamp to make it pop. Pick up a few different antiques and hi-lites and do some playing around with them. I think you will like using them and figure out what works best for you with some trial and error. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
