leatherwork help

[dwardo]

Hi all Quick leather question if i may

I am just in the process of making a sheath for my knife and was wondering what if any natural/household dye`s there are that are easily obtained ? I have looked into the wire and vinegar ones but they take for ever to get going and i wanted to crack on with this one.

Either that or somthing easily available from the shops ie not a specialist leather shop.

PS dark brown or black

 

[Askdamice]

A few of the first sheaths I made. I used shoe polish to dye them walnut brown.(I used a hairdrier to melt it in and then seal it with beeswax) I've since used natural methods (boiled down acorns) but the shoe polish ones have held up quite nicely.
Rick

 

[dwardo]

Nice one !

I have not wetformed the knife yet but just playing with it and needing it with my fingers or hobbit like hands and they have been called seems to be making the desired shape

Should i bother with the wet forming or just get on with the polish wax all the rest...

Cheers

 

[Ogri the trog]

Dwardo,
The wetforming is a different process from dyeing - to do with shaping rather than colouring.

Ogri the trog

 

[bent-stick]

Hi dwardo,

I tried to reply to your PM but your mailbox is full.

My suggestion was shoe polish too. With some heat. And spit.

Finish it with furniture polish.

 

[dwardo]

Cheers for the mailbox full pointer dang they fill up quick and im always moaning at customers to keep an eye on their mail box sizes

I will give the polish a go and apologies on the wetforming thing as i confused things a little......

I was trying to say does a sheath need to be wet formed or can i simply "need" the required shape and it will stay lke that ? ish... lol

cheers again all.

 

[topknot]

Hi, dissolve a teaspoon of oxalic acid crystals in some water . Dip a sponge in and clean the leather .This will remove all oily finger stains,grease etc. This will help the dye not going patchy . (veg tanned leather). shoe shop leather dye is a start. cheers topknot.

 

[Askdamice]

Personally I would wetform it prior to waxing. Dry pressure forming is okay but you'll get better results from a wetform. That's just my humble opinion. Oh, and you can get creative with wetforming too. Press a coin or an object of your choice into the wet leather to give it a personalized monograhm. Don't use anything to speed up the drying process or you're asking for cracking probs.
Rick