Club Obi Wan

Hey folks !
I've a question:
Is it possible to make black leather jacket to a dark brown one?

Umm... I have never tried but I am pretty sure the answer is no. Unless you can find a way to completely remove all colour from the hide and then redye it. You could try an acetone bath but even then I am note sure it would work

Ken

Removing all the colour out of the hide will require heavy chemicals, I guess ... and I'm sure that will also harm the leather itself.

So I would say "No way", too.


-- Jens

Ditto the above...

Perhaps Jesus could do this, but I doubt anyone else could.

I just had funny images of Jesus holding a Wested and being confused. haha

Well I have an old Harley black leather jacket in the A2 style. The leather on the sleeves are starting to turn from black to a dark brown - it's really just the black becoming somewhat transparent in a few areas and the under undertone showing through. This is all natural so I would say that's the color change you're talking about then maybe a few good rub downs with acetone. No guarentees but worth a try. I doubt you'd be able to get a nice even color of brown though.

Doug C

Come to think of it I had a black leather bag that I put acetone on once and it removed the dye and left the natural brown leather. Although it took many paper towels and scrubbings to do so, and that was with a tiny bag. I attempted to make a close enough raiders sandbag. BUT it may not work with jackets, and it will take... lots... and lots.. of time if it works.

There is no guarantee of revealing brown though. I distressed a black jacket a few years ago to make a Terminator jacket. It revealed blue underneath.

However adding bleach turned the distressed blue brown. Very strange.

Ken

Wow thats some weird stuff Ken. I just got lucky on the bag. I was thinking the same thing really once I posted. I would probably be terrified to put bleach on my jacket. I was hesitant to use it on my MKVII (which I accidently messed up one of my favorite pairs of pants in the process ).

Colby wrote: I was hesitant to use it on my MKVII (which I accidently messed up one of my favorite pairs of pants in the process ).

You and me both.

Acetone, hmmm! I'll try it one some black leather to test it!

It is a bad idea to try removing the dye from a jacket, the end result will be a jacket with blotches all over.
The acetone removes the top layer of the dye but some color will remain on and in the leather, the acetone
will make the dissolved dye penetrate in to the leather in some areas.
It's impossible to make it even.

The black color has either a blue or brown as a base so when you start to remove dye the base color will be revealed. You have to make sure that the base color is brown.
Should you decide to try it you will have to use a really big amount of acetone so I suggest you go outside.

-K

if it were me and I'm no expert, I might try to sand off the black and then add brown shoepolish to it.

George

I think shoe polish won't work, I'd need a leather-paint!

I think a "real black" leather jacket starts to look grey at the distressed areas. I don't think you should try to get a black colour out of leather

BreinederIndy wrote:I think a "real black" leather jacket starts to look grey at the distressed areas. I don't think you should try to get a black colour out of leather

Yes that's the only way. If you make sure to remove all dirt and grease from the jacker before painting it, you can get a good result. The surface should be very similar to "normal" goat skin.

-K

I have a russet colored horsehide that I wiped with Kiwi Leather Dye. I got it for $2.99. By wiping it on the jacket and then wiping it off before it completely dried, I wound up with a dark brown jacket.

If you try to dye or paint a jacket, what you have to watch out for is the natural distressing. As this happens, the black will show through. In my case, the brown gave way to reveal the russet-colored distressing, so it worked out perfectly. Keep in mind that once the brown wears off a bit, you will have black distressing showing all over your jacket.

it'd be much easier to just buy a new brown leather jacket =P

Maybe it's easier, but it's more expensive!

You might be surprised what you can find at your local thrift store, did you ever try there. I found a jacket witch I hope to post pics of soon as my federation deluxe arrives. It's a great brown leather bomber, much like a Wested. It has a fantastic dark chocolate color with a hue of red in it. I can only guess about the leather but It feels softer than cow, maybe goat but I'm not sure. two pockets like a Wested and a storm flap. It doesn't have the usual cloth wrist bands and waist bands, all leather. It's beginning to distress all on its own and nicely I might add in all the right places and here's the best part.....ready................I paid 20 bucks for it. and this is one nice leather let me tell you.It's a size 40 and I'm a 39 so it's a tad big on me but still looks great. So the lesson here is, go to a thrift store and look around, go to a few, you might wind up finding a great deal and a great jacket!

George

Pics soon to come..promise