Choosing a Dye

[BoyNhisDog]

In one post I saw that Chuck likes to use Fiebing's Pro dyes and then in another I think I saw that he does not like the Pro Oil dye. I am wondering if the Fiebing's Spirit dyes are the ones to get. They don't say Pro on the lable though. Which is your favortie dye to work with. Thanks.

[Chuck Burrows]

Glen-
Sorry about that. It's the Fiebings Spirit dye that I use and it isn't that I don't like the Pro Oil Dye, it's that they cost quite a bit more and I learned form an old timer how to make my own using the spirit dye and olive oil or the non-greasy Neatsfoot oil which I personally like better.

Depending how much oil you want in the dye here is the formula.
oil - 1/8 to 1/4 cup
dye - 1 quart
Mix it up in an old blender. (do half a quart at a time).
DISCLAIMER!!!!
Please experiment with this! I don't want any body cussing me out :confused: so try it on scrap leather first please. It's about a 1 to 8 ratio so try out the same thing with just the 4 oz bottles and see what you think. If the oil is not mixed thoroughly with the dye you can get some spots and streaks.

[MtMike]

From time to time I've seen some fun stuff over on the OutPost side of the Forum, including some neo-tribal dye recipes. One of them is a black dye made with steel wool and apple vcider vinegar. Take a pad of fine steel wool (about 3" by 3") and stick it in a quart of vinegar, and let it sit for a week or two. Then apply it to a PIECE OF SCRAP LEATHER (you've seen that disclaimer before?) and watch what happens. It goes on almost clear or grayish looking, but quickly stains leather a deep slate gray to almost jet black. It also penetrates well, so minor scratches on your leather won't show as easily.
After it dries, a single light coat of regular black dye, either spirit or oil based, pretty much finishes the job. No hours of buffing and polishing to remove excess black dye, which can be a mess on clothing long after everything has "dried" using regular black dyes and stains.
One other disclaimer: the stuff stinks like vinegar on steroids, and needs to be air dried for several days before it's safe to be in the same room with it.
I've seen other homemade recipes using walnut husks and others, but this is the only one I've tried
MtMike

[BoyNhisDog]

Thanks Chuck and Mike. I am really learning here. The tip on buffing the residue off before the Tan Kote is valuable. I have no more rubbing off later. The little black sheath I made is clean!