Dyeing buckskin bag

[Pierre du Plessis]

Hi there,

Does anyone know if the 18th century vinegar/iron filings leather dye will work on brain-tanned buckskin? Many thanks!

 

[Luke MacGillie]

Dont think so. The vinagroon needs to react to the tannic acid that is still in the leather from the tanning process. That is why that particular dye only works on veg tanned leather.

Walnut squeezins is a better choice for braintan. Or just let it age.

I will post a comparison of walnut dyed vs 20 year old braintan this evening if ya want. Not much difference.

 

[Pierre du Plessis]

Great stuff - glad I didn't attempt it yet :wink: ! Please, if you don't mind posting it, I'd love to see how the stained/aged braintan looks...

I suppose that I'll have to order walnut hulls in order to make the dye. Is there a place in particular that would be good to order from?

 

[Nifeman]

Under a tree :rotf: ... Seriously, gather some up, in the fall and boil the hulls in water, mash them up and add vinegar (as a mordant). Then you strain them off and the juice that's left is your stain. That's the way we do em.

 

[Ken Cormier]

I get my powdered walnut from a local basket makers supply place. I found that rain water works better than city water.

 

[Pierre du Plessis]

I checked 'round, and seems like Amazon has some... thanks for the suggestion!

Is it possible to dye it with black walnut bark?

 

[necchi]

Nope. The color is in the husk.

 

[Luke MacGillie]

Sorry I took me a bit to get this photo taken.

LH is deer that was walnut dyed after braining, but before smoking. Center is your normal braintan that has been smoked. The RH side is leather that looked like the center in 1998 when I made leggings out of it. Since then it was worn all the time, including being worn daily when I worked as a museum interpreter between Jun of 01 to Jan of 03. I never did anything to purposly darken it, just wiped my hands on it, made pine pitch for a couple canoes ect.

 

[tenngun]

food dye mixed with lard, or ground paint powders mixed with lard can be worked into the brain tan and give a dull color change. True pure white brain tanned is made by mixing white chalk with lard and working it in to the unsmoked skin making it white and water resitant with out being smoked, although if it gets soaked it dries hard. You have to use a hard round tool to work it in to the leather, so you don't end up just 'painting' the top of the skin. Its a pia...be prepared for sore hands and back by the end of the day.