The Liquids of Leatherwork

[Redmeadow Knives]

What products and concoctions do you use on your leather work and how do you apply them?

I mainly use Montana Pitch Blend Oil & Conditioner followed up with Skidmores and then Tan Kote on sheaths. I'd like to get a hold of some wool shearling to apply things but I've just been using a cloth rag.

As far as leather glue goes I use Barge but with my kids doing more leatherwork I need to get a less toxic product so they can do their own glue up. I went to my local hardware store to get some and the contact cement shelf was completely empty.

As someone who's recently started tooling and doing more leatherwork I also realize I need to increase my knowledge of the antiquing process especially and try some things out.

When it comes to antiquing so far I'm not a fan of my results. I'm using tan kote as a resist and brown antique paste. It's working I'm just not a fan of how dark it is, I'd like to find something with less contrast. Also my resist isn't working well as it's discoloring the leather a little bit giving it that poo brown tint that doesn't float my boat. I'm sure part of the issue is my technique but after doing some research I'm gonna fool around with one of Dave's method of mixing Bag Kote and Hi Liter for a more subtle result.

On a side note, is there anything in the world that smells better than Skidmore's? They need to make a scented candle out of that stuff.

Anyways, what do you like to use?

 

[Horsewright]

What products and concoctions do you use on your leather work and how do you apply them?

I mainly use Montana Pitch Blend Oil & Conditioner followed up with Skidmores and then Tan Kote on sheaths. I'd like to get a hold of some wool shearling to apply things but I've just been using a cloth rag.

As far as leather glue goes I use Barge but with my kids doing more leatherwork I need to get a less toxic product so they can do their own glue up. I went to my local hardware store to get some and the contact cement shelf was completely empty.

As someone who's recently started tooling and doing more leatherwork I also realize I need to increase my knowledge of the antiquing process especially and try some things out.

When it comes to antiquing so far I'm not a fan of my results. I'm using tan kote as a resist and brown antique paste. It's working I'm just not a fan of how dark it is, I'd like to find something with less contrast. Also my resist isn't working well as it's discoloring the leather a little bit giving it that poo brown tint that doesn't float my boat. I'm sure part of the issue is my technique but after doing some research I'm gonna fool around with one of Dave's method of mixing Bag Kote and Hi Liter for a more subtle result.

On a side note, is there anything in the world that smells better than Skidmore's? They need to make a scented candle out of that stuff.

Anyways, what do you like to use?

Years ago I use to do my sheaths with oil first, then Skidmores followed by Tan Kote, pretty much as you described. After bunches and bunches or so I quit the conditioner at that stage cause I felt it wasn't really doing anything. After oiling did the leather really need conditioning before finishing? I said nope, so quit it cause thats what the oil is doing anyhoo. I switched to the BagKote a lil later. It just seems a lil more professional a finish, not quite as plasticky as the TanKote. Have a good buddy, also a professional leatherworker. He and his wife had a new baby and his wife was adamant about the baby not being in the shop with the fumes from the Barge. Now this was kinda tough for my buddy cause he was the stay at home dad but real tough making a living as a leatherworker if ya can't be in the shop. So he found the green can formulation of the Dap Weldwood so that he could work and watch his daughter at the same time. He turned me onto it and I wouldn't, don't, haven't ever, even begun to consider going back to Barge. Dap also makes a red can formulation but that stuff is as bad as the Barge. You're looking for the green can. I have since switching to the green can used enough to float the Queen Mary and its good stuff without the dang fumes. Was tough to get at the beginning of the supply line deal but last time I looked at the Depot they were well stocked.

John give my deal on the highlighting a try, I think it'll work for ya. I too didn't like how the paste would also change the color of the leather. Just wasn't my fav either. My lil deal works real well for us and has been the only thing we use for years now.

Just the tooled part has been hit with our highlighter and yet the leaf is very similar in color to the area where the slots are which wasn't highlighted at all. Thats what we were looking for, a subtle highlight without changing the color too much.

I recently switched to sheepskin as an applicator for my oil. I'm really liking it. I get a more uniform application seems like. Less spots with too much oil so the oil seems to set faster and more uniformly. I still keep a brush handy and use that on the edges or on a roughout project but otherwise I'm a hunk of sheepskin convert.

Skidmore's does smell great! My daughter makes candle. Have to see what she says!

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Most all of my leatherwork is based on the work/style/quality of the Swiss saddlers of old.

I mostly use waxes as a finish, I'm not a fan of sealers like clear cote, and fake shiny "shellack" type of products.

Neatsfoot oil, golden mink oil, but mainly snoseal.

 

[M. McCord]

When it comes to antiquing so far I'm not a fan of my results. I'm using tan kote as a resist and brown antique paste. It's working I'm just not a fan of how dark it is, I'd like to find something with less contrast. Also my resist isn't working well as it's discoloring the leather a little bit giving it that poo brown tint that doesn't float my boat. I'm sure part of the issue is my technique but after doing some research I'm gonna fool around with one of Dave's method of mixing Bag Kote and Hi Liter for a more subtle result.

For antiquing I use what was taught to me as the Sheridan method.
Two light coats of Wyosheen or ClearLac (I've found that minwax lacquer, available everywhere, produces the same results).
When thoroughly dry, apply antique and really work it into all the tooling. Wipe off any excess immediately.
Allow the antique in the tooling to sit for a few minutes then clean with tan kote. I use a small rag with the TK and clean it well.
Allow to dry and do a second cleaning.