Couple quick leather questions - thanks!

[greenfeet]

Sheath for a benefit knife I made. Luckily found a simple pouch sheath from tx knifemakers.

It's raw.

Couple of finishing questions.sorry I don't have time to research myself.

Dye. - I have some leather dye from Tandy. Once I wipe on, how long to typically dry, how many times should I dye it. Does it need to be sealed? How can I fancy it up some so its not the simple flat colored dye. I plan on pulling the stiches and redoing it so that it pops.

Rough leather.
On the belt loop that's flipped out the leather is the rough side. Is there a way to smooth that out and make it look good?

I know I should search and read up, I just don't have the time in the next few hours.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GrizzlyBear]

I hope this isn't too late.

Dyeing- Once the dye is applied in enough coats to give you a very uniform appearance, drying usually takes several hours to overnight depending on how much you saturated the piece with the dye. This can be accelerated by placing the sheath over a floor vent or in a food dehydrator on it's lowest setting (checked often!) or in front of a small fan. Make sure to buff the leather with a towel after the dye has dried to remove any residual pigment on the surface. If you do not, it can (and most often will) bleed, even through the seal coat.

Yes it needs to be sealed. A quick and easy finish can be had from Mink Oil paste, usually Kiwi brand at most places. Wipe on a fair amount then hit the sheath with a hair dryer...the heat opens the pores of the leather, melts the paste and draws it in. A few applications of this, then lightly buffed will yield a good, serviceable finish. You can also top this with clear Kiwi shoe polish then buffed for a little higher shine.

The rough leather belt loop can be burnished (as should the edges of the sheath). Lightly dampen the belt loop then rub with a very smooth wooden dowel, antler, brass rod, etc. Do your burnishing before your sealing, then go over it lightly afterwards to slick down any raised fibers.