Sheath not dying right

J

Jak Epp

Joined
Dec 27, 2023
Messages
204
So long story short, I wet molded the sheath, popped it in the oven at 150 for a couple hours, flipped it once, and then dyed it. It ended up looking something like this:
LZyPgeB.png

I figured that it must not have dried all the way, so I let it sit over night, and then tried again in the morning. It got a little darker in the mottled spots, but the dye still just sat on the surface and didn’t hardly soak in. I’m really not sure why its not dying like normal. For reference I’m using Fiebings Pro Dye.
Is there something about dying wet molded leather that’s messing it up? or is it an issue with my leather or dye?
 
Sometimes leather will come with a glaze on it which then can cause this. Fishing's actually makes a pre dyeing cleaner/deglazer (spelled acetone). I bought a whole gallon of it one time and then realized I didn't need it that often. These days I don't dye leather for numerous reasons.

Not the look you are looking for I know but I think it kinda came out cool. There'd be lots of guys that would try and get that look and miss.
 
I get a more even dye when I use a piece of t shirt instead of a daubber. I also dampen the leather before applying the dye.
 
Horsewright said:
Sometimes leather will come with a glaze on it which then can cause this. Fishing's actually makes a pre dyeing cleaner/deglazer (spelled acetone). I bought a whole gallon of it one time and then realized I didn't need it that often. These days I don't dye leather for numerous reasons.

Not the look you are looking for I know but I think it kinda came out cool. There'd be lots of guys that would try and get that look and miss.
Click to expand...
I’d like the look, too, if it was more even across the whole thing! The other side dyed fine, so that kinda ruins it as well. 😕
 
Jak Epp said:
I’ll have to try that! I would dip dye, but that much dye is expensive, and I like keeping several colors on hand for different projects.
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For those of ya that don’t know what dip dyeing is. Lot of holster makers will buy dye by the gallon and then dip their holster in a bucket full of dye. Leave it for a bit then pull it out and let it drip dry over the bucket so that excess is not wasted. The holster is suspended on a wire or string from a rod. Initial cost is high but very uniform coat and little waste of the dye. But dip dyeing is expensive if you are using lots of colors. Many holster makers stick to black.

I too never could get a uniform coat with a dauber when I was dyeing. I found it very easy to be uniform using a disposable foamy brush. The same brushes I use for glue application. I never tried a t shirt. I do like t shirts for finish application though and buffing items.

Jak Epp said:
I’d like the look, too, if it was more even across the whole thing! The other side dyed fine, so that kinda ruins it as well. 😕
Click to expand...
Yeah I think you had a glaze problem on your deal not an application problem. The glaze prevents a uniform absorption. Do you have any of that same leather left? You might try a lil experiment and see if you can get a piece to react like it did in your project. If so then wipe another piece of it down with a lil acetone and then dye it. Worth a shot. If you have more of that leather. What kind of leather was it?
 
Horsewright said:
For those of ya that don’t know what dip dyeing is. Lot of holster makers will buy dye by the gallon and then dip their holster in a bucket full of dye. Leave it for a bit then pull it out and let it drip dry over the bucket so that excess is not wasted. The holster is suspended on a wire or string from a rod. Initial cost is high but very uniform coat and little waste of the dye. But dip dyeing is expensive if you are using lots of colors. Many holster makers stick to black.

I too never could get a uniform coat with a dauber when I was dyeing. I found it very easy to be uniform using a disposable foamy brush. The same brushes I use for glue application. I never tried a t shirt. I do like t shirts for finish application though and buffing items.


Yeah I think you had a glaze problem on your deal not an application problem. The glaze prevents a uniform absorption. Do you have any of that same leather left? You might try a lil experiment and see if you can get a piece to react like it did in your project. If so then wipe another piece of it down with a lil acetone and then dye it. Worth a shot. If you have more of that leather. What kind of leather was it?
Click to expand...
I’ll try that! It was 7-8oz veg tan from weaver, and I got plenty left. I didn’t notice any glaze or anything on the leather, but I may have missed it.
 
I used to dye sheaths in batches. I use a 24" piece of 3" PVC pipe with a base on it filled with 2 quarts of dye (same type setup as I use for FC etching). That filled it up just past halfway. I used a J-shape stainless steel hanger wire that went up the blade cavity (sheath hangs upside down). I would dip the entire sheath in the dye tank and then lift out of the dye and let it drain for a minute while still in the tube. I then hung the hook and sheath on a clothesline I stretched between two trees where drips won't matter. It gives a very deep dye job. If a sheath didn't dye evenly or dark enough, I would just dunk it again and for a longer soak. I was only 2 quarts of Fiebing's Moccasin Brown, which cost me about $50, IIRC. I poured the dye back in the bottles using a funnel when done. I don't do that many sheaths anymore, but it worked well when I did them by the dozen at a time.

If I had got the sheaths dirty or thought I got oils or such on them, I cleaned with denatured alcohol before dying. The stain I used was alcohol based, BTW.
 
Update:
I made a new sheath, and before I dyed it I tested a couple of pieces of scrap from that section of the shoulder, but neither had the glaze on it. The sheath dyed well, except for one tiny little patch on the back of the sheath (not shown in the picture) that had the same glaze problem, but it was small enough not be a big issue.
iFYF9Dv.png
 
Jak Epp said:
Update:
I made a new sheath, and before I dyed it I tested a couple of pieces of scrap from that section of the shoulder, but neither had the glaze on it. The sheath dyed well, except for one tiny little patch on the back of the sheath (not shown in the picture) that had the same glaze problem, but it was small enough not be a big issue.
iFYF9Dv.png
Click to expand...
Good deal! Glad that worked out for you. Nice job!
 
I have found lately that a light application of neat's-foot oil before dying seems to help even application. I was using weaver 8/9 oz leather and Pro Dye also.
 
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