Dyeing leather

[Pattree]

All too often when I pull down my jacket hood after rain, my leather headband lifts off my head. This i don’t notice until long after it’s dropped somewhere.

So

I’ve ordered some veg tanned strap but it’s raw bright pink. Rather than just grab the old Kiwi polish tin, I thought I’d ask here. What can I use to dye the leather? Is there a suitable natural product that will produce a deep harness tan?

Edited to add:
Or a range of brown and tans.

 

[William_Montgomery]

Fiebing's pro oil dyes are pretty good. Bear in mind the original pink will affect the outcome. Or does the raw bright pink refer to the natural colour?

 

[Broch]

The leather dyes are not cheap for a one-off small project and, without a guarantee of the end colour, may be disappointing.

Natural dyes - there are many plant source dyes of various browns hues - here are just a few:

Alder - bark - red-brown
Alder Buckthorn - bark - yellow-brown
Bird Cherry - bark - yellow
Bramble - root - orange
Cleaver - root - red
Common Ash - bark - yellow
Crab apple - bark - yellow
Elder bark - black/dark-brown
Goat willow - bark - orange
Juniper - shoots - olive-brown
Oak - bark - brown
Oak - galls - black
Rowan - bark - black

It's worth remembering that when a natural dye is described as 'orange' for example it will not be the bright orange you get in a paint box - it will probably be a muddy brown orange

I've tried some of the above but by no means all.

 

[Pattree]

It in its natural veg tanned state.

 

[Pattree]

Thanks @Broch .
Would you use these in water or oil?
Is there the equivalent of a mordant preparation required?

Previously I’ve just used mixtures of boot polish colours in neats foot oil.

 

[William_Montgomery]

Ah, apologies, missed the 'natural' part of the question.

Personally, my favourite colour is natural undyed, oiled and darkened with use. For me it creates the richest shade of brown/tan.

These three are all undyed and naturally darkened with age/use.

 

[Toddy]

Honestly, leather dyes are stains, and they will stain untanned skin (you) just as easily as they will dye the leather.

Waxing or oiling helps gently mute a too light leather, but so does soaking it in something like strong tea....which is tannin rich and will darken the leather nicely if it's very pale. Walnut husks are more traditional, but a box of teabags can be pretty cheap

 

[Broch]

Good point; I was trying to be all "native foraging" - tea would work just fine; coffee too, red wine makes a nice burgundy colour etc.

 

[Pattree]

Thanks all.
I just happen to have a daily supply of coffee grounds.

 

[William_Montgomery]

red wine makes a nice burgundy colour

Would be quite interested to see the results of this. Do you have any examples on the forum already?

 

[Broch]

Would be quite interested to see the results of this. Do you have any examples on the forum already?

No I don't. I confess I only know this from an accident when working and drinking at the same time Next time I open a bottle I'll dab some on a cut-off (good excuse anyway ).

 

[Toddy]

Beetroot does the same...but because it's pH sensitive it shifts and eventually the pink ends up grey, sort of.

 

[Tantalus]

I was going to ask about some of the pigments and how to make them fast.

If anyone has a basic guide I would be interested. All very well saying "xxx Bark or yyy roots" but what do you do ?

Just steep in cold water? Hot water? Alcohol? Some grinding required? pH for best results? etc etc.

 

[Broch]

I was going to ask about some of the pigments and how to make them fast.

If anyone has a basic guide I would be interested. All very well saying "xxx Bark or yyy roots" but what do you do ?

Just steep in cold water? Hot water? Alcohol? Some grinding required? pH for best results? etc etc.

Research and personal experimenting is half the fun

 

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

You can use a vinigaroon to stain it darker that won’t come out in the wet but you can also just leave out in the sun and it’ll darken up quite a bit

 

[Pattree]

Thanks people. I started with fairly dark leather rather than the pink. The raw leather turned ginger.
The gouge cuts in the darker leather were too light. Coffee grounds in hot olive oil and allowed to cool darkened everything and toned down the cuts.