wet fitting pouch sheaths

[camaroless]

When I wet my sheaths to fit the knife I get stains on the leather when it dries . I only mist them enough to get them damp enough to form. What am i doing wrong ? I dye them with feinbings pro dark brown. 8-9 oz shoulders
john

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Misting is uneven if you don't end up spraying enough water on the leather. I would suggest running the leather under the tap, and be sure to get the entire thing wet. Allow it to return to its natural color, then mold.

Horsewright saw an early pic of my construction work where I wet just a portion of the sheath and very correctly pointed out that it would leave a water mark.

As for dyeing, are you letting it dry entirely before dye? Dye can penetrate differently if parts still have moisture in the leather. You can't always tell by color if it's fully dry. If it's cool to the touch it needs to dry more.

 

[camaroless]

Thanks. I was afraid to over wet it and possibly make a mess. Is it ok to place it in front of a fan or is it better to dry slowly. I do wait till its dry to dye it. Can too much dye make the leather crack. I did a mahogany dye and put several coats on and it ended up cracking, mwasnt sure if the dye caused it or because I set it next to my wood stove to dry.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Thanks. I was afraid to over wet it and possibly make a mess. Is it ok to place it in front of a fan or is it better to dry slowly. I do wait till its dry to dye it. Can too much dye make the leather crack. I did a mahogany dye and put several coats on and it ended up cracking, mwasnt sure if the dye caused it or because I set it next to my wood stove to dry.

I made a thread a while back about using heat to dry leather. It wasn't pretty, but a lot of that was my fault. I think some guys use things like hairdryers, but I don't mess with heat anymore. A fan is a well accepted way to accelerate drying. Drafty window, mild sunlight (although leather does tan like skin) etc, all safe.

I'll let the more knowledgeable guys answer about dye/cracking. I've had leather craze, but I was never able to pinpoint why it happened.

I don't know that it's very easy to over wet veg tanned leather. A common practice is to submerge the stuff until it's fully saturated in order to let it even out and dry a bit before stamping.

Keep in mind, these (as is everything I write) are just my experiences and it's never an absolute because leather, by its very nature, varies as do the products and techniques that we all use.

 

[camaroless]

Your advise is appreciated. Being a newbie ill take all the help i can get. I will try a little more water on the next one. I do believe it got hot and dried out sitting by the fire. Do you have a preferred thread ? Im using a waxed nylon that seems pretty strong but I read a lot about linen.. is one better or is it more of what you get used to using. Also do you put a top finish or protectant on the leather when your done .

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Your advise is appreciated. Being a newbie ill take all the help i can get. I will try a little more water on the next one. I do believe it got hot and dried out sitting by the fire. Do you have a preferred thread ? Im using a waxed nylon that seems pretty strong but I read a lot about linen.. is one better or is it more of what you get used to using. Also do you put a top finish or protectant on the leather when your done .

I use nylon because it's super strong. I've got cotton, and possibly linen, but haven't used them. The kind I use is called Tiger thread. It's lightly waxed and braided flat. Excellent stuff. Search the name, you'll see plenty of people prefer it to anything else.

I use Fiebings Tan-Kote or Beeswax. This is definitely one of those things where people have a preference. I like beeswax with a bit of coconut oil blended in best. I emulsify them in a double boiler.

 

[elof_alv]

I'm no expert in any way, but I've learned so far that if I don't soak the leather piece completely and dry it slowly without any aid, it will shrink in some places more than in others during dyeing.

The first time I put completed sheath in melted beeswax after only wetting the bend, the sheath shrunk close to 25% (I know, I know... wax was too hot, I didn't work on the inside enough).
Since then I did it with 3-4 other sheaths and shrinkage would not exceed 2-3%, and for those leather has been water soaked and slowly dried 2-3 times before I started working on them.

 

[Icewind]

When I do wetforming I put my leather in tepid water for about half a minute. When the air bubbles got out I take it out of the water and form the project.

 

[camaroless]

you can see the cracks where the post goes through