brown leather dye

[shortbow]

Hey folks, I am trying to find a natural source brown dye for oak tanned leather. So far the walnut hull stuff i've made comes out much blacker than brown, possibley because i've used steel wool for mordant and vinegar for preservative. If I leave the steel wool out, will I get a browner brown? Any other ideas?

Thanks,
James

 

[jaxenro]

What I have been researching is that rust (ie. steel wool) mixed with vinager reacts to the tannins in leather and produces a black dye. Seems like you found how to do what I want. How black is the black?

 

[LRB]

Oak tan will most often turn a reddish brown if you just oil it.

 

[shortbow]

Jax, it's pretty black, not as black as a biker's jacket, but pretty black, I use it for ink, and there is a brownish tinge, looks nice and old timey, but it's darn black. There is, I believe a good deal of tannin in walnut hulls. I don't think vinegar contributes to the dye, just a preservative.

Yep Wick, it does, but I am looking for a chocolate brown.

 

[Harddog]

Shortbow,

First of all, you don't put steel wool in walnut dye. Use nothing but the boiled walnut hulls. If you intend to keep the prepared walnut dye for later use then add a bottle of rubbing alcohol not vinegar. Steel wool disolves in vinegar because vinegar is an acid. Steel disolved in vinegar is an old method to make leather dye that turns most leather black or nearly black.

Randy Hedden

 

[shortbow]

Thank a lot Randy, I suspected that was my problem. Am looking forward to making a new batch when I get hold of some more walnut hulls and seeing what I get.

j

 

[LRB]

It seems you are after a PC dye. This is not, but the active ingredients would be. Try Easyoff oven cleaner, wash well after about thirty minutes of setting time. I got a dark rich brown on my leather, when I tried it.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

It seems you are after a PC dye. This is not, but the active ingredients would be. Try Easyoff oven cleaner, wash well after about thirty minutes of setting time. I got a dark rich brown on my leather, when I tried it.

Wick, would that be the lye doing the work? How does it hold up over time, isn't lye a little rough on leather? How do you neutralize it?

 

Logwood will give from a medium brown to black depending on intensity.

Iron does work as a mordant with walnut, but on leather gives it more greys than browns. Even without the iron I tend to get a more gray brown than a brown brown with walnut.

The ferric acetate aka iron/vinegar aka vinegaroon gives s nice deep black - neutralize with baking soda and water which deepens the black then give it a few LIGHT coats of oil - the black will be nice and black....
regarding vinegaroon black here are some original recipes from the Mid-19th century'

VINEGAR BLACK (aka Vinegaroon)
For giving color to the grain of leather there is no blacking that will at all compare with the well known vinegar black. This may be made in various ways. The simplest, and, without doubt, the best, is to procure shavings from an iron turner and cover them with pure cider vinegar; heat up and set aside for a week or two, then heat again and set in a cool place for two weeks; pour off the vinegar, allow it to stand for a few days, and draw off and cork up in bottles. This will keep for a long time, and, while producing a deep black on leather, will not stain the hands.
Another method is to cover iron scraps with sour beer, and allow them to stand for a month or more ; then strain off the beer and bottle as before.
A third method is to boil sulphate of iron in vinegar; mix some brewers'yeast with beer and allow it to stand for twenty four hours, then skim off the yeast and add the vinegar.

Well known leather smith Will Ghormley says that just rusty water will give a nice brown...

 

[LRB]

I've only done my own sheath with the easyoff, but it is chocolate brown, and thus far there is no noticable damage, but only time will tell. I did wash it out very thoroughly after letting it sit for a half hour.

 

[Harddog]

Iron does work as a mordant with walnut, but on leather gives it more greys than browns. Even without the iron I tend to get a more gray brown than a brown brown with walnut.

Chuck,

Exactly, most people dyeing with walnut hulls are looking for a brown color. Iron is used as a mordant in many dyeing situations, but, in my experience, usually doesn't produce a nice brown color when used with walnut hulls. Anytime you have a dye bath with iron and tannic acid as contents you are most likely to get a dull grey to black color. Now if you introduce acid in the form of vinegar you shouldn't expect to get any other color than black. Of course this all depends on the amounts of iron and vinegar added to the walnut dye, but I wouldn't expect to get anything like a nice brown color.

Randy Hedden

 

[shortbow]

Thanks guys, good info!

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

I've only done my own sheath with the easyoff, but it is chocolate brown, and thus far there is no noticable damage, but only time will tell. I did wash it out very thoroughly after letting it sit for a half hour.

Thanks Wick, it sounds interesting, may have to try it.