dying a bag strap

Discuss technique for prolonging the life of your gear or giving it that aged look

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belle
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dying a bag strap

Post by belle »

I'm thinking of dying my bag strap and a thought had crossed my mind -will the dye run? I'm wondering if anyone has experienced the dye running at all once they have made the effort to change the color? I have a strap from MBA and feel the color is not dark enough.
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JAN
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Post by JAN »

No problem. A good quality leatherdye will do the job easy.

Best regards

JAN
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Post by IndianaJames »

Try
tandyleather.com and look at the dark brown dye, I used it on a couple of my straps, and It worked great!!

Good luck

I J
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belle
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Post by belle »

So when you guys dye your stuff, i.e. bag strap, gun holster, etc., you haven't experienced any problems with the dye running, especially if it gets wet from rain or sweat?
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

I've dyed shoes and canvas with leather dye. It doesn't run at all. Let it dry well before wearing it though, or you might stain your shirt or jacket.
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date_eating_monkey
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Post by date_eating_monkey »

I actually work professionally with leather. The Tandy leather dye is what I use. The dark brown or the british tan both turn out great. If you want to seal it so that it won't run, dye it first with your desired color then, when it dries, coat it with Neat-Lac Leather Finish (also a product of Tandy). It seals, waterproofs, and protects your leather from everyday wear and tear. Good stuff. :D
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Swindiana
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Post by Swindiana »

That's funny, DEM. I don't see the word 'Pecard's' anywhere in your post? I thought that it was a family brand. ;)

So, this Net-Lac... Does it give the leather a "glossy" finish, or is it more like a leather conditioner?

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Swindiana
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Sheffield Jones
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Post by Sheffield Jones »

Swindiana wrote
I don't see the word 'Pecard's' anywhere in your post? I thought that it was a family brand.
Don't you mean "Family Label"? :wink:
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Post by Swindiana »

Sheffield Jones wrote:Swindiana wrote
I don't see the word 'Pecard's' anywhere in your post? I thought that it was a family brand.
Don't you mean "Family Label"? :wink:
Oh, sorry about that. I sort of got into a "direct translation from Swedish" mode. Good thing people are getting to know my gibberish so well that they at least know the meaning of what I'm saying anyways... Or maybe half of it or so. ;)

Thanks.

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Swindiana
Last edited by Swindiana on Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

It is. She uses it more than I do!!! :shock: Regards. Michaelson
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Swindiana
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Post by Swindiana »

:lol: Imagine that... So you're not the only one to blame when they claim that they are 'temporarily out of stock' at the factory then? :wink:

Cheers!

/Swindy
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Post by whipwarrior »

I wouldn't recommend dying it yourself. I had my strap (made by a member of this forum who wishes to remain anonymous) dyed at my local luggage shop. I brought in my M.B.A. belt and asked them to match the color. It turned out perfect!
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Post by Forrestal »

I made a couple of bag straps from materials I bought at the local Tandy store. They told me NOT to dye the underside of the strap, and to be sure to seal the leather completely. I did it their way and have never had a dye rub-off or bleed problem.
Just FYI
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Forrestal
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Post by date_eating_monkey »

Oh yes, it is pretty much a family name....I just leave the 'Pecards' discussions to dad. He was the one who got me hooked on it in the first place. :clap: The Neat-Lac will give it a little bit of a glossy finish at first but it will wear in. It is not really a conditioner like Pecards, but it will seal, weatherproof, and keep the dye from running. It also smooths out and evens the color of the dye to keep it from looking splotchy. As you know, leather has grains in it depending on what section of the animal it came from. Some pieces dye unevenly, due to creases in the skin and what-not. Neat-Lac keeps those spots from getting darker than the rest and makes it all the same shade. ....But remember, it is only a suggestion. I work with leather on a daily basis. So, if you are not comfortable or as confident with doing it yourself, thats fine, too. There are places you can go to that will dye it for you. And if you are unhappy with the color, they have stuff that will strip the color safely so that they can do it again until you are satisfied. :wink:
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Post by Swindiana »

It's more fun if you do it yourself I believe, and usually that's the road I take. ;)
I'm gonna dye my holster in a darker shade soon, and I know the product for it. I might try something similar to Neat-Lac for the last part of the project. Thanks. :)

Regards,
Swindiana
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belle
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Post by belle »

Hey I'd love to see the finished product when you're done. I dyed my holster but I'm not so pysched on the color it turned out, still a bit to light.

Belle
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Post by Swindiana »

As it turned out I went with a method that I've tried already before to give it a more marbled look than what a total dye-job does.
I'll have pics up later if you'd like in the thread below:

viewtopic.php?t=9300

This time I used sandpaper all over to cover it even further with the shoe cream and I think it turned out great. More to follow in that thread...

Regards,
Swindy
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