Did I ruin it?

[ImStupid]

I was given a medium brown Brighton purse that had stains all over it.  So I tried dyeing it.  Here are the steps I took:

1. cleaned it with Dove soap
2. brushed it with nail polish remover
3. stained it Angelus jet black

I didnt have enough dye to cover it completely so the dye was a tad splotchy.

4. used kiwi leather conditioner

This is where things go south

5. applied a liberal coating of black Kiwi shoe polish

I thought it would even out the color.  It looks nice but after rubbing it with cotton rags for 2 hours the polish is still coming off onto the cloth.  I let it sit for a day with the same result.  What should I do? 

[LatigoAmigo]

43 minutes ago, ImStupid said:

What should I do?

Toss it!

[SaintJoy18]

Post a couple of pics (before and after) if you have them

[CastleLeatherWorks]

Run it thru the washing machine with a load of whites.. then 2-3 heavy coats of black sharpie. Finish with your kiwi leather conditioner 

[fredk]

x

Edited August 7, 2020 by fredk

[ImStupid]

That sounds sorta of extreme and expensive.  I have a $2 buffing wheel and a drill.  I'm going in.

[ImStupid]

So I bought a magic eraser sponge from the dollar store to remove some of the excess shoe polish.  It seemed to work ok.  Then I hit it with the buffing wheel.  Still have the same issue.  I will try the resolene and report back.  Thanks

[chuck123wapati]

2 hours ago, fredk said:

x

LOL I know what you are thinking or pretty darn close I'll bet.

[fredk]

10 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

LOL I know what you are thinking or pretty darn close I'll bet.

naw, you missed it.

I wrote up a to-do but the o/p rejected it so I deleted it. 

[Dwight]

Resolene will seal it and it won't rub off any more . . . . at least where you will notice it.

It will rub off, . . . but in incredibly small amounts . . . you'll never know when it happens.

Takes a couple coats . . . thin it 50/50 with tap water.

May God bless,

Dwight

[ImStupid]

Thanks.  It's just for practice.  But I can't even give it away if it ruins someones wardrobe.

[GatoGordo]

2 hours ago, fredk said:

naw, you missed it.

I wrote up a to-do but the o/p rejected it so I deleted it. 

I wish you had not deleted it as I thought it was a good approach to resolving the problem. Who knows, the OP may have eventually given it a try.

[Alaisiagae]

I have the same problem with kiwi shoe polish on my shoes, lol. Got some on my pants when I crossed my legs when sitting. I've learned to apply it sparingly, if at all. Saddle soap and deglazer might have been more-fitting choices for your goals. Nail polish remover is pretty much acetone, that's going to strip oils from leather like crazy, so remember to apply some conditioner.

Yeah, you need a finish like resolene to seal the dye. Let us know how it goes!

Edited August 7, 2020 by Alaisiagae

[chuck123wapati]

4 hours ago, fredk said:

naw, you missed it.

I wrote up a to-do but the o/p rejected it so I deleted it. 

no i saw it lol knew what you were thinking when you deleted it.

[fredk]

41 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

no i saw it lol knew what you were thinking when you deleted it.

am I sooooo obvious?? 

[johnv474]

Start over and buy more dye.  That is the only correct answer.  

Dove: meh.  Dawn, castile, or Saddle Soap would be better (only because you are dyeing it and will then be adding conditioner to it after dyeing it.)

Nail polish remover: fine.  Acetone, deglazer or spot remover could have worked too.  It's debatable whether any of those would even be needed.

Angelus dye: excellent. Fiebings Pro dye is another good option.  Due to the situation skip any others.  If you must, buy any other dye that is not Eco-flo, so long as it is made for leather.  Kiwi, Lincoln, Kelly's, Hoffco, and at least a dozen other brands make one.  Do not use fabric dye.  Do not use vinegaroon (in this case).  Do not use watercolor paints or markers.

Magic eraser is not your answer.  At a microscopic layer they are extremely hard and abrasive.  The abrasive is mild but it can be hard enough to remove the smooth top layer of leather.

A buffing wheel is not the answer.  You are trying to make up for insufficient dye with polish with that.  Polish can be a stain but is not a dye.

A Sharpie is not the right answer.  Their black ink turns green in the sunlight.

If you really just want it black and wont listen to others, then buy a bottle of archival fountain pen ink (and no other kind), and slather that all over.  You won't like it but it will work.

Liberal amounts of shoe polish is never the answer.  It should always be applied in thin layers.

If saving money is the priority, do this: saddle soap ($3) for a good cleaning, then left to dry overnight. DO NOT SKIP.  If there is still a lot of polish, do it again but just wait an hour.  You don't need to remove all of the polish.  If you don't have saddle soap, just wipe the whole leather surface down with hand sanitizer and water until it is damp. Keep it damp while you dye.

Then apply the dye ($6), using a piece of damp kitchen sponge, using circular overlapping motions.  Considering this dye is intended to permanently stain skin, I suggest wearing gloves.

Let the dye dry at least an hour.  It would be better to wait until the next day because the color will still be setting up.  Buff with a soft cloth to remove any dried dye particles (or use saddle soap again).

After the first coat, repeat the process from getting it damp again and applying dye with the sponge and letting it dry and buffing.

If the color is not even, do it a third time.   Ideally then you would condition with Lexol conditioner ($8), two light coats.   When the dye is even, then use shoe polish ($5) in two light coats.  Wait an hour before brushing or buffing the polish.  Then apply a coat of diluted Resolene of diluted Mop n Glo (using Resolenes instructions).  Two light coats.

In fact, wait an hour after every step and it will go better for you.  Rushing will triple your chances of messing it up and I will ask how there wasn't time to do it right but there is time to do it over.

Do not use one heavy coat instead of two logjt coats.  The only time one heavy coat is better is when when you are frosting cupcakes.  Do not skip waiting an hour before each coat or step.  It can all be done in one day, besides the original overnight you didn't skip.

Ignore this advice at your peril.  I spent years as the person beginners and pros would ask for advice on how to dye, redye, undo, finish, or fix bad dye jobs.  I also have tried the solutions you have tried and hundreds of others.

If you continue using whatever you happen to have around you will wind up with something you throw away, because the damage caused will be impossible to fix unless you have the budget of a museum doing the restoration of an artifact.  It would ve better ti do that experimentation on a Goodwill buy and not something you need to turn out right.