crockett said:
Tall Hat: what are you trying to obtain? One trouble with dye is it might leach out on to your clothes if the bag gets wet.
That is an excellent question and a good tip on dyed leather leaching out when wet, if one does not use a proper finish coat over the dye. That's why I earlier mentioned using the Atom Wax finish over the dyed leather to keep from it leaching into your clothing.
When I made the black leather accoutrements for my AWI impression as a soldier in the Black Watch, I used modern Fiebing's black dye, but made sure I used the Atom Wax over it to keep that from happening. We wore white/off white shirts and waist coats and sure didn't need the dye leaching out on them.
However, had I known more at the time and used Vinegaroon to dye my leather black as Crockett mentioned, most everyone who uses it says it does not come off on your clothing and especially not when a finish coat is put on over it.
Personally when I'm not making black color Military Period leather items, I prefer a sort of warm brown color with a hint of red in it and that cannot be done with Vinegaroon, as far as I know.
An extremely popular, though the most expensive leather available in the 17th/18th centuries was "Russia Leather" and it was most frequently dyed red. Of course the average person could not afford this leather, but due to its popularity, many attempts were made to duplicate it and/or at least come up with a reddish color leather that would be a less expensive alternative.
Logwood was used here in the Colonies and in England as the red coloring agent for the dye and it came from South America. Though technically belonging to Spain, from the early mid 17th century British logwood cutters kept going back to Belize whenever the Spanish drove them out, because the logwood dye trade was so profitable for coloring wool and other things.
Sorry to go way off, but just wanted to let you and others know that a reddish color was/is quite correct for the entire period of the forum. I have actually seen three different Civil War Period Russia Leather sets of Belt, shoulder strap, hanging straps and sword scabbard for CS Infantry Officers. Two were in museums and one of them is at Gettysburg, though the third was in a private collection I was honored to view and handle.
Gus