Dying Leather

[Lithril]

Ok you might laugh and this is probably a very basic questions, but when you're working with leather, do you make the product and then dye it or do you add the dye to the sections and then make it? Just wondering as I'm toying with the idea of making a pouch and just wanted to check which was the best way of doing it?

Cheers

Matt

[oetzi]

If you do a search here:
http://knifeforums.com/forums/showforum.php?fid/51/fp/1/
and look for a posting from MikeTea, whose sheats are simply awesome, you may find one of many methods.
Oh yes, and do tell about your experiences (as a novice), because i have to start this in the next weeks, too :rolleyes:

[Ahjno]

First make the product, than dye it ;)

If you dye it first and you scratch it :yikes: whilst making the product, you'll have to dye it a second time :( - making it darker, or giving it a deeper colour you weren't after.

A good example is to have a look at the posts Rapidboy post in the Makersforum: he first makes the sheaths, than offers them for sale, and the buyer can decide what colour he / she wants.

[pierre girard]

Make, then dye.

PG

[Willowbark]

Making, then dying can work well, but for more complex shapes I find I get more even colour if I dye first. That way, some bits don't get too much, whilst your trying to squidge dye into odd corners.

[Klenchblaize]

Cut leather to pattern then dye BEFORE construction.

Cheers

[ESpy]

Both. ;)
(no, not at the same time generally...)

Depends entirely what you're doing and what you're comfortable with.

[redcollective]

Yeh Mike Tea's sebenza sheaths are the Dogs proverbials and I seem to remember him describing dying them first. One advantage I can see from his work is he gets that nice two tone contrast between the dyed colour and his heavily sanded and finished edges.

I however would make a mess of it so dye last (and unevenly!). Does anyone dip? instead of painting it on?

[ESpy]

Mike soaks his leather in water, then sloshes the dye over the surface. The results speak for themselves :)

I dip dye some things; it is a very thirsty way to dye things (the leather absorbs loads), you need a sizable amount of dye to get the depth in the bath and there was another issue but I've gone blank on what it was :rolleyes: Probably that the extra solvent removes even more oils from the leather, so I feed it once it is dry to put som esuppleness back in.

Airbrushing gives a nice even coat - got to be a bit careful as the solvent likes to evaporate en route to the leather; I usually thin the dye down a bit for that. You can get some nice transitions between colours like that - usual caveats on airborne solvents!