Question About Leather

[bleev3]

I'm making a strop and am wondering if I can dye the unfinished leather blank with wood stain...or maybe just linseed oil?

Thanks for any guidance you can give.

 

[sheathmaker]

Why????? You don't need to dye, or color in any way the leather used on a strop. No oil either. Just put the strop medium of your choice on the leather and go to work.

Paul

 

[logem]

I would think that staining the flesh side would unduly stiffen the "napp" of the leather, and may take away from the ability of the leather to retain polishing compound.

Similarly, the oil would tend to reduce the "nap" and make it lay flat, almost smooth, also taking away the ability of the leather to retain polishing compound.

You could stain it, then hit the flesh side with fairly course sandpaper, but IMO this is a lot of work for a strop.

Mike L.

 

[bleev3]

Thanks for the guidance guys.

I suppose I was just getting into the fun of a project with the creation of this strop. I got a 2 inch wide piece of leather and a block of red oak to serve as the backing. I stained the wood which came out nice and thought the light colored leather would look nice dyed. But after reading your posts I believe I will leave it as is.

I'm so glad I have a place to come to receive solid advice.

Thanks.

 

[flashlife]

Boiled linseed oil on leather takes approximately 1.67954 million years to dry!

It soaks into the leather, where air can't reach it (in your lifetime, anyway) and therefore it can't 'dry'/harden by oxidation.
Raw (unboiled) linseed will be the same, only slower.
And while it's drying ( and a new Ice Age is forming in Arizona), it will be sticky as all get out.

Bottom line, don't use linseed (or any 'drying oil') on leather...unless it's gonna be an heirloom for your great-great grandchildren.

Been there, done that...a piece of 1/16" thick leather I used for a tang-wrap took 9 months to quit being sticky.

Ther are, however, 'driers' for linseed oil...generally cobalt naphthenate ("Japan Dryer" at Home Depot) which can speed up the oxidation process by catalysis. They might work, but can turn the oil dark, and because they're oxidation catalysts, may cause the leather to deteriorate. Haven't tried them on leather....yet.

Shoe polish, thinned with lighter fluid, is a better 'poor-man's' leather dye...