Questions / help on dying leather

[htredneck]

I have some 4 ounce goatskin that was vegetable tanned that is nice and soft, yet firm enough for perfect use for bags. The issue is that when dyed, it loses all of its softness and flexibility. The leather gets extremely stiff and even after being worked, it will loosen a little but never regains the softness or flexibility. I am using Fieblings liquid dye in both light and medium brown and appying it with the throw away sponge brushes. I get the same results if I dye it with the leather wet, damp or dry. I even tried using the Fieblings deglazer and it does not help, in fact I think it makes it worse. The light brown dye is the #201 and is labeled "Fieblings Dye" and the medium is labeled as "Fieblings Instituional Dye".

Am I doing something wrong or is this a normal, expected result? Is there something else I should be doing? This is driving me nuts and any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Robert Egler]

I don't know if it's the expected result, however I get similar results whenever I dye leather. Perhaps we're both doing something wrong.

Although I did once, just as an experiment, dip some buckskin in some oil-based wood stain. It came out soft and totally waterproof, but it still feels very oily after a couple years, and it stank for months! So clearly that isn't a great idea.

 

[BrownBear]

For soft leathers that are supposed to be soft, my wife kinda sorted it out for me. Dye the leather before cutting and sewing. Then toss it in the dryer for 20 minutes, heat off, with half a dozen tennis balls.

 

[htredneck]

Looks like I may have to go buy some tennis balls and give that a shot. Trying to figure this out has been driving me nuts!

 

[BrownBear]

Looks like I may have to go buy some tennis balls and give that a shot.

My wife bought a whole sack of them for chump change- something like a dozen of them. Got them at a big pet store if I recall.

 

[crockett]

I was at King's Saddlery in Sheridan, WY not long ago and discussed this problem with two of the guys working there (real nice people). I explained exactly what I was doing. First- I always get an uneven dye so I keep at it until the leather is soaked and evens out. I was told it is that excess dye that stiffens the leather. I realized I lack the skills- the guys there just did a single coat and it came out great. They then apply a coat of neatsfoot oil over the dye. Then a VERY LIGHT coat of one of the sealing products- that's for belts and holsters. On something really soft like goatskin- I'm not sure it would work.
I myself am still trying to figure out a workable answer. Maybe a water based dye?

 

[BrownBear]

...I always get an uneven dye so I keep at it until the leather is soaked and evens out. I was told it is that excess dye that stiffens the leather....

I found the solution from someone right here on the site. I spritz the leather real good with water before dying. Then I spray on the dye rather than brushing. Still somewhat stiff after drying, but an easy fix with the balls/dryer.

Always wondered about putting it in the dryer while still wet, but I must have been thinking out loud. My wife seldom resorts to foul language, but she got downright unladylike about my musings. :rotf:

 

[Curt]

htrdneck

After you stain the goat skin, wet it a little and then ball it up and work it around an just neede it like a baker needes dough for bread makin.Then work some Neatsfoot oil into it and it should soften up some , but probly not like before it was stained.Curt