Finishing questions.

[Tod Lowe]

Sup Dawgs.
I finished this sheath and it just looks rough .Where the stitching is looks cracked or something. I got some leather from a tannery and this black was already dyed by them. Its not like anything I have used. Its like a coating more then dye. Oil does not seem to penetrate but just sit on the top of it.
Anything I can do to improve the looks and any tips for using it in the future because I have more of this leather.

Thanks.

 

[leatherman]

It looks like the stuff I used to see a lot around here for tack. This leather is wax stuffed in a heated drum then pressure treated as well. Scratches show almost white, and any holes made in it looked like they cracked the surface.

I dont know if that is what you have, but it looks an awful lot like it.

 

[Tod Lowe]

Im not sure if thats what i have or not.
I guess i will try to burnish where the stitching is to clean it up.
No suggestions eh?
Thanks.

 

[leatherman]

Burnishing sounds like a good safe idea.

You might try to heat up a small scrap to see what comes out of the leather, wax or oil, that will get you on the road to figuring out whats in it. I dont think a hair dryer would get hot enough, a heat gun or an electric stove, or if you have a piece of metal for the leather to sit on and apply a low flame underneath.

If the leather does leech wax then you can take a hair dryer on high and melt the cracked areas back smooth again, don't use a high heat source for this.

Either way if the leather is impregnated with the stuff, its hard to work with. I was told by my leather supplier that oil tanned leather has some caustic elements that arent good for metal, so if its that you might keep it on the outside of the sheath only. Wax stuffed leather doesn't appear to have those issues.

Its most likely wax impregnated as you said it wont let oil soak in,

 

[Tod Lowe]

Burnishing sounds like a good safe idea.

You might try to heat up a small scrap to see what comes out of the leather, wax or oil, that will get you on the road to figuring out whats in it. I dont think a hair dryer would get hot enough, a heat gun or an electric stove, or if you have a piece of metal for the leather to sit on and apply a low flame underneath.

If the leather does leech wax then you can take a hair dryer on high and melt the cracked areas back smooth again, don't use a high heat source for this.

Either way if the leather is impregnated with the stuff, its hard to work with. I was told by my leather supplier that oil tanned leather has some caustic elements that arent good for metal, so if its that you might keep it on the outside of the sheath only. Wax stuffed leather doesn't appear to have those issues.

Its most likely wax impregnated as you said it wont let oil soak in,

Now thats what im talking about !
Great tips man. I will test a piece and try it.
Thanks.

 

[Paul Long]

I agree with Dwayne, it looks like hot stuffed leather and any finish you put on it will do just that ...STAY ON IT...it will not penetrate and the other finishes such as TanKote etc that should kind of stay on top...WON'T, they will rub off.

Next time you buy leather try two things:

1. try to buy from someone who has some knowledge of leathers and what works for what.

2. always buy Vegetable tanned leather for anything that will be tooled, carved, molded like sheaths for instance.

Finally, you did a mighty fine job considering the difficulty with the leather.

Paul