In this video I show you how to take a large piece of natural veg tan tooling leather and turn it into a dyed and finished piece of leather ready to work with. It's generally easier and neater in most cases to prepare leather this way before starting a project rather than trying to make something and then dye it afterwards. This is a necessary process for most hobbyists or small businesses who are unlikely to have the space and money needed to keep a large variety of weights and colours of leather in their workshop.

Happy to see another long over due video and to welcome your return Ian...thank you for sharing...old South East Texas Man

You have been and will continue to be an indispensable resource of leather-craft throughout my journey. I just want to comment my appreciation.

Would you consider making a video on lining? I feel that a handful of my projects would have benefited from a liner (pencil cases/bags), whether made of leather or fabric, but there seem to be only few videos on the subject on KZread and none of yours address it directly. I'd be interested what your thoughts on lining are and if you have any useful tips, or alternatively if you could recommend a good source to learn it from. Thank you!

This is brilliant. I can now see why my dye jobs end up blotchy and uneven. The preparation matters!

Glad to see you post,I learned basically all my leather working skills from your videos along while back and I appreciate it.There has been many hides go across my bench in the last four or five years.thanks

For tokonole on the flesh side I use a glass slicker after applying it and you can get it almost glass like very easily.

Just the info I was searching for, thanks for all of the advice, it's very much appreciated x

Great Video Ian. This is exactly what I needed to see. I follow these same steps when I dye large items as well. The only difference is that I use a glass burnisher on the back of the leather to flatten and smooth the fibers before I apply any finish. I like to use Fiebings Neutral Leather Balm with Atom Wax on the back and then I use the glass burnisher once again after it has dried. Thank you very much for posting this detailed and clear presentation. Keep up the Great Work.

Best video on dying leather I've seen, thank you.

Great to see you back Ian. Thank you for these tip. Perfect timing as I am about to dye some leather for some journals. Hope all good with you. Stay safe.

Thank you for another great video. It is good to see you back. Take care

Really great video Ian, very informative. Thanks very much.

I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing. Some excellent points.

Awesome video! Thank you for this

Great! The wall paper and tape was a great tip! Thanks.

Ian! it's great to watch your new video!

Great advice as always . Some time back when I started making sheaths with your help in the old video's along with help from the late Lee . i was really disappointed with the color constancy so I started dip dying 20 seconds in and out and it came out perfect every time only one problem after some time in the sheath any knife with brass in the handle or any where else it turned green. from the Fiebing's pro dye so I am screwed . So I sprayed the dye on with my cap spray got the same even color and problem was solved . I follow the same process as you demonstrated, oil and sealer but I us Lexol for conditioner and snow seal for sealer . Once again Ian thanks from California for all of your help in the past in getting me going in the beginning with great demonstration's and clear explanations . Stay safe happy trails and great to see you back on KZread.

Very interesting!... Thanks for sharing 👍

Very helpful, thanks!

Hi Ian good to see you back, as usual a good video

I enjoy your skill and instructions. I hope your health concerns improve. You are a true craftsman. Thanks for sharing your talent! KANSAS USA

I use tokonole on the backside as well, but ill take a glass slicker to it and really pack it down

Do you get wool fibers remaining on the grain side when using the wool? I have to dye the grain side too. And so I'd use foam brushes to apply the dye, but you get streaking. So I finish it off with a wool dobber and do swirl pattern that hides most of the streaks, but it leaves behind fibers that seem like a pain to brush off the flesh side. How would you dye the flesh side if you had to do that too?

What would you use to apply neatsfoot oil on the flesh side of the leather that won't leave behind pieces, but will do a thin even coat? I recently tried using those foam blocks they sell at the leather shop to apply dye to the flesh side of the leather, and it ended up leaving behind little chunks of foam that I had to try and brush off. It ended up starting to fall apart. I guess maybe it would have worked better on the grain side.

When following that order, when do you feel is a good time to tool? After the full sealing then tool/antique, or before sealing?

Thank you for this but I have a question. Does the Mink oil affect any gluing at a later stage? I always thought that oil should go on the finished project but I always take your advice.

Once again, you show me critical, need to know information. For the past few years, I have been avoiding dying my leather because my method was not producing flexible leather. Very stiff. I thought it was the water based dye I was using. (one would think that anything Feibings makes is wonderful). It turns out I was using their Aussie conditioner and not their Neetsfoot oil right after dying. I will try a small test piece using the method you explain here. Other videos showed that the Aussie works. I did not find that. Have you ever tried diluted Resolene on the flesh side and then burnish it with a thick glass panel? It works just as good as the Tokenole. My humble thank you for sharing.

Hi Ian. First of all, good to see you are doing well. Secondly, I wanted to know who from and which type of hide do you buy. I know you have recommended some suppliers on your site but I wanted to know who do you usually buy your natural hides from. Thanks

Did you allow the leather to dry completely (from the water) before you started to apply the dye?

Have u ever used "Fiebings Leather Balm with Atom Wax"? Looks nice when I applied it, but after a while, the finish cracks. Not sure if I didn't do it right.

would you kindly send me a link to where to buy the sheepskin wool remnants bag in UK thanks

Another great instructional video Ian. Much appreciated. Question - Do you oil your pre-dyed leather? Just wondering. I just bought some oil tan leather for the first time and was wondering how to condition and finish it. I know being oil tanned, it has oils in it already but just asking about a way to finish that type of leather.

@burkhardt7372

3 жыл бұрын

Veg tan leather is unfinished, tool-able and can be formed. Chrome and oil tanned leathers are a finished leather.

I need your help in this matter. I got a leather sap made out of horse hide, which originally was dyed with fiebings oil walnut, and finished with resolene. Unfortunately it got a bad scratch so I asked someone to restore it for me. This person used fiebings deglazer, same oil dye colour walnut and finish it with resolene neutral, but unfortunately it didn't have the expected colour. Is there any way or change to strip of the second dye and re dye it again so it will be as close to the initial colour. First image is the original colour, the one on the scale, second one is the one I'm not happy with the colour. Thank you for your help in this matter. Chris

Hi How if the oiling process use olive oil ? Thankyou

OLD LEATHER SMITH here, Great Job Ian, Suggestions, I use large trays that restaurants use 2 dye and seal, I like the tape idea, 2 seal the back I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, God's BLESSINGS ✝️⚾🙃

Hello making first belt and dying it black. Not sure if I burnish the flesh back and then dye. Or can it even be dyed?

@Leodis.Leather

Ай бұрын

Dye then burnish

Will it be ok if I use a home made conditioner ( 2part beeswax, 1 part cocoa butter & 1/2 part olive oil) after dyeing? Neetsfoot oil is not available in my area 😭. Will the olive oil in the conditioner will destroy the leather? 🙏

if you have a motif in the center of the leather piece and you don't want to dye the same colour of the background, how to avoid passing the dye to it despite of using tape, there is any other cream or removal glue to use in that case?

@Leodis.Leather

9 ай бұрын

You can use what’s called resist but that more for antiquing gels than dye

How can i avoid dye stains on flesh side edges while dyeing ONLY grain side of natural veg tanned leather with dauber or sponge? I always cut leather for projects like wallets and card holders, then dye. Edges of flesh side get dye marks which looks , Advice me please 🙏🏽

@Leodis.Leather

2 жыл бұрын

dye first, cut after.