crockett said:
To my knowledge barge cement is pre-1840.
Sorry Dave but no way - Barge is nothing more or less than a contact cement and the company that makes it didn't open until 1916 so no way it's pre-1840.
In the pre-1840 period the only glues available that I'm aware of were natural - hide glue, glues made from plant material (mucilage), and good ole library paste aka flour (rye or barley most common) and water paste.
As for thicker leather - the vast majority of pre-1900 holsters were
A) Single thickness - lining shows up in maybe 10% of the existing pieces
b) Pre-1875 or so holsters, especially Slim Jims, were generally much thinner than seen today - usually in the 6/7 oz range. By the 1880's 8/9 oz veg/bark tan was the norm and continues so today One difference though is the leather of the time was plated/rolled (compressed) to produce a firmer leather than normally seen today. I now use the veg/bark leather from RJF Leather which is old fashioned pit tanned in Portugal, and is the closest thing to pre-1900 leather I've found. You can also plate smaller pieces to firm them up - case the veg tan leather as you would for tooling and then compress it as much as possible between two good thick boards faced with something smooth like melamine.
As for the OP's question re-dyes:
1) One can use natural dyes such as vinegar black as noted above
2) For brown - several "natural" ways:
a) Black Walnut - I use black walnut hulls (If they are not available locally - the fresh green hulls are best - you can buy them dried on line from various vendors - to find a vendor search for walnut dye, etc.) Put a pound or so of the crushed hulls in an old stocking and place in a pan of distilled water so that the water covers the walnut hulls about an inch. Cover it and simmer at a low boil for several hours and then let cool overnight - keep an eye on the water level. The next day boil again and let cool overnight. Again watch that the water level does not get too low, but you do want it to get fairly thick. Once it's cool drain off the liquid be sure to squeeze all of the liquid out of the bundled walnut hulls. Save the walnut hulls - hang them up to dry and you can use them a couple of times more. The liquid can go bad so either keep it frozen or add 3/4 of a cup of rubbing alcohol to a gallon of the dye. It will come out anywhere from a light brown to a dark brown before oiling (I use extra virgin olive oil a lot for oiling and then set it in the sun to darken) - the color will depend on the leather - every piece is different, how long you let it soak, and how strong the dye is. Also do not use an iron pot or add iron if you want a true brown - this "saddens" the color to a more grayish brown.
B) Leather Brown
Extract of fustic.... 5 ounces
Extract of hypernic. . 1 ounce
Extract of logwood... 1/2 ounce
Water.............. 2 gallons
Boil all these ingredients for 15 minutes, and then dilute with water to make 10 gallons of dye liquor. Use the dye liquor at a temperature of 110° F.
Mordant
Dissolve 3 ounces of white tartar and 4 ounces of alum in 10 gallons of water.
Fast Brown
Prepare a dye liquor by dissolving 1.5 ounces fast brown in 1 gallon of water, and make a 10-gallon bulk of this. Use at a temperature of 110° F., and employ the same mordanting liquor as in last recipe.
Bismarck Brown
Extract of fustic..... 4 ounces
Extract of hypernic. . 1 ounce
Extract of logwood.. . 1/2 ounce
Water.............. 2 gallons
Preparation
Boil all together for 15 minutes.
Method of Dyeing
First mordant the skins with a mordanting fluid made by dissolving 3 ounces tartar and 1/2 ounce borax in 10 gallons of water. Then put the skins into the above foundation bath at a temperature of 100° F. Take them out, and then put in 1 ounce of Bismarck brown, dissolved in boiling water. Put the skins in again until colored deep enough, then lift out, drip and dry.
C) For Brown.””Take a large pot, fill it with walnut roots and the bark of red oak, about equal parts, boil them until the strength is out, then take out the bark; strain the ooze through a cloth into a clean vessel;
To Make a Dark Brown.”” Walnut roots and the inside of pine bark, and copperas (ferric sulphate).
3) I also use aniline leather dyes (leather crafters first used it by 1860 or so). Brands: Fiebings (I generally use the regular spirit dyes) or Angelus.
When using commercial aniline dyes (which date to the 1860's or so and can be documented as being used that early, I suggest the following:
1) Starting with un-dyed leather (veg tan although the same method can be used on "chrome tan", which usage dates to the 1880's even though the process dates to the late 1860's. First deglaze the surface - this removes/evens the glaze of surface waxes/oils that can often be spotty and thus ruin a good job before you're started. I use plain old 70% rubbing alcohol, but on tough spots one can use acetone.
While still damp from deglazing (the water in the alcohol opens the pores, helping with penetration) I apply the dye - this can be done by dipping the entire thing in the dye or applying liberally with a cloth or piece of hair on sheepskin, or the cheap foam brushes. When I say liberally I mean just that slop it on so that it puddles on the surface - when doing a piece with inlays you can pre-dye before construction or use a brush to apply. Applying liberally eliminates streaks and light spots. Once the whole piece is dyed wipe off any excess.
PS - some folks will suggest pre-oiling which can help even the dye - this works fine if you plan on using a heavy acrylic/polymer sealer, but it is a lousy way when using an oil finish, because the oil will "lift" the dye back to the surface which promotes rub off.
2) Let dry thoroughly.
3) After drying take a CLEAN, dry rag and vigorously rub down the whole thing to remove the surface powder (note: commercial leather dyes are basically powdered dye in a carrier such as alcohol, acetone, etc.). Follow this by wiping down with a CLEAN rag soaked in alcohol, and then a good scrubbing with saddle soap (I like Fiebings PH balanced liquid saddle soap, but the good ole yellow stuff works fine too - just more work).
4) While still damp apply a good oil/conditioner - be careful TOO much oil is just as bad as too little. veg/bark tan leather should have an oil content of around 18-21%, more than that and the leather cells can be damaged.
5) Leave alone at this point or add a final finish: period finishes include beeswax, beeswax/tallow, and even linseed oil based varnish (the predecessor to patent leather). "Modern" natural finishes can also be applied: gum tragacanth (the Amish like this one as a harness top coat), Bag Kote, Tan Kote, and Neat Lac - all are based on natural products such as waxes and oils.
6) Based on over 40 years making and using my own leather in all kinds of weather (I'm originally from So Mississippi so I know about humidity - I have also worked as a cow hand/packer, and as a logger and fishing guide on the VERY humid/wet BC/SE Alaska coast - up to 144" a year in some places) as well as selling it to folks (pro hunters and military) who have used it all over the world in all kinds of conditions, if done properly commercial dyes should not RUB OFF no matter the humidity or wetness (well there's always an exception)
FIX-ITS: commercial black leather dye especially is always tough to get to quit bleeding, but here are some after the fact fix-it tips which may help:
1) Wipe down good on both sides with acetone (although acetone is a natural ketone which occurs in one's liver - wear gloves and a good mask when using - it absorbs easily into the skin and can cause liver damage, this can be a serious health hazard, but when handled properly the danger is minimal). This will dry out the leather some but generally not too much (no more than any dye). Do this two or three times - you will probably still get some rub off even after the third time, but it should be much less than the first time.
2) When dry, scrub well with saddle soap.
3) Let dry thoroughly.
4) Apply a good conditioner/oil - several LIGHT coats are better than one heavy saturation.
5) Apply a good top coat to both the flesh and top grain such as:
Fiebings Bag Kote ( a satin finish when applied in several light coats)
Tan Kote ( a heavier more gloss finish)
Neat Lac ( a heavy gloss finish)
The gloss finish can be cut some by rubbing lightly with 4/0 steel wool and then applying a LIGHT coat of oil/conditioner. Leave for a couple of hours and than apply a second coat. Dry again for several hours and then rub down briskly with a CLEAN dry cloth.
6) At worst use one of the acrylic top coats such as Fiebings Resolene - I'd use this on the flesh side and edges no matter what....
Hopefully this will help.....
But what if you want a chocolate brown sheath for outdoor use? I would buy latigo or some similar type oil tan leather because the dye seems fast and won't bleed.
Dave again I have to respectfully disagree about using modern latigo for holsters or sheaths since as made today it is a chrome re-tan leather today and chrome tan is just not a good idea when mixed with steel/iron - the only true commercially oil tanned leathers I know of for sure today are German Tan and chamois.
As for using the chrome tanned hides for bags - a good deal if you're not being PC/HC (if that matters) - as noted above the process was not used on a commercial basis until about 1880.
Ther are two veg tanned alternatives if you want to buy pre-dyed leather is the vat dyed veg tan saddle leather sides available from Wickett & Craig, RJF, or Herman Oak - these come in brown, black, and chestnut. You can also buy veg tanned harness sides in various brown colors from the same vendors - harness leather is heavily stuffed with fats and waxes to help weather the storm so to speak. Of course being vat dyed with aniline dyes such leather is only PC/HC for the post 1860's era, but again that may or may not matter.
