Vinegar black aka vinegarooon or how-to...

[Wild Rose]

...stain veg/bark tan leather in a period correct manner....
Folks who read Wick Ellerbe's thread on his PC English Scalper were asking about using this process so here's some more info...

Vinegar black aka vinegaroon goes back to at least the Ancient Romans and is IMO the best black stain for veg/bark tan leather since it NEVER rubs off when done properly....
An original recipe from a 19th Century harness making manual:
VINEGAR BLACK
For giving color to the grain of leather there is no blacking that will at all compare with the well known vinegar black. This may be made in various ways. The simplest, and, without doubt, the best, is to procure shavings from an iron turner (note: some folks get the turnings from brake drums) and cover them with pure cider vinegar; heat up and set aside for a week or two, then heat again and set in a cool place for two weeks; pour off the vinegar, allow it to stand for a few days, and draw off and cork up in bottles. This will keep for a long time, and, while producing a deep black on leather, will not stain the hands.

How I do it most times:
I use de-oiled 4/0 steel wool: dip in acetone, squeeze out the extra and hang to dry - then tear or cut into small pieces. Add one pads worth of the de-oiled steel wool to one quart of white or cider vinegar or wine vinegar (it's the acetic acid in the vinegar that does the work.
I use those plastic coffee "cans" and punch a single small hole in the lid to let of any gas buildup. Let it set in the hot sun which will speed the reaction. I let it set for about two weeks or until there is only a light vinegar odor left and/or the bulk of the steel wool has been dissolved. I also keep a new batch "cooking" all the time so I have a constant supply.
For the deepest black, apply a bath of strong black tea first (this increase the tannins) and let it soak in good, then apply a generous amount of the vinegar black. Let set for about a half hour and then rinse with a mix of baking soda and warm water, about a 1/8 cup soda to a half gallon of water, apply let set for just the count of 10 and then rinse off with clean water. While still damp apply a light coat or two of your favorite saddle oil. Dry while hanging in front of a fan or out in the wind - this will help dissipate any residual vinegar odor. Once dry top coat as normal
Experiment - I test a piece of each new side without using the tea bath or oiling to see how well it takes the blacking, if need be I'll do a second black tea/vinegar mix to darken, then apply the oil which also helps darken.

Instead of steel wool you can use chopped up bailing or fence wire or any other type of low grade steel or iron - the smaller the pieces better since it will dissolve in the vinegar bath faster.

 

[R. Mark Lee]

Thanks so much for the information on your technique. I hope one day to produce sheaths somewhere near as good as yours.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

I may have to try that if I ever get around to making a leather sheath. I have your sheath video BTW, and it's fantastic.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks for the How-To Chuck. :thumbup:

 

[S.Grosvenor]

:thumbup:

Thank you For Sharing this info.

 

[Rick Baum]

Hi Chuck,

Do you have any pic's of the finished leather? I don't get out much and this is the first I've heard of this process.

Is it intended to only darken/blacken the grain (as in an antiquing process) or does it work more like a general leather dye?

Rick

 

[amcardon]

This process will permanently blacken your leather, like a black dye would. It is really simple and gives awesome results.

Thanks for posting Chuck!

 

[Bigfattyt]

Thanks for the tips.

I will have to try this out!

what do you use for a traditional brown color?

My un died leather sheaths, I have actually just been using neatsfoot oil, bees wax.

On some, I apply a coat of dark brown shoe polish, then buff it off, then coat in the wax etc to get an "antique" look. For a brown sheath.


Another question.

Would the vinegar black application work for a two toned effect if you streaked the leather first with a wax etc to get a patterned or molted finish?

 

[JasonSCarter]

Thanks! I wonder if putting a few tea bags in the vinegar while it's "cooking" would make it slicker going on. instead of putting it in the black tea mixture first. Or do the tannins brake down over time?

Jason

 

[quint]

Had a question about using this with wood on knives. I use this stuff all the time for my leatherwork, as you said best black you can get. I am playing around with some experimentation for knife scales and dont want the scales to rust the knife steel. In leather work you neutralize the acid with a baking soda mix then finish as normal, when doing this I have not had any issues at all with rusting rivets or steel blades left in the sheath. With wood I was wondering if you needed the neutralization process, I am not sure if it is required due to the woods natural ph being thrown off or not. I guess as long as it has a epoxy barrier its a moot point anyways but just kind of curious overall.

Thanks.

 

[LRB]

Thanks! I wonder if putting a few tea bags in the vinegar while it's "cooking" would make it slicker going on. instead of putting it in the black tea mixture first. Or do the tannins brake down over time?

Jason

I don't think so. It is the tannens IN the leather that make it work. This will not work with any but vegetan leather. The tea adds tannens, but I don't bother. It does very well without, although extra tannens would be a guarantee of max results. Certainly cannot hurt, and Chuck is right. There is no better black for vegetanned leather. The only caveat I would mention, is that it needs to air out for a couple of weeks before leaving a clean blade in it. It has caused black rust on a few blades that I left in it and not allowed to air out well, but once well aired and oiled, no problems. Wick Ellerbe.