How I Finish my Leather Projects (Oil, Dye, & Antique)

First and foremost, leather is a natural material and results can vary quite a bit depending on many different factors. Leather from one tannery may not react the same as leather from another tannery. Even different parts of the exact same hide can have different outcomes. I highly recommend doing your own experimenting with different products in order to find a method that you prefer to use. The products I am using are what I get the most consistent and reliable results that I prefer and enjoy, and I personally use products that I have built and see no issues with this process. I realize that some of these products are not available in some parts of the world and even in some parts of the United States; unfortunately, I don't have a perfect answer for that situation. Once again, I would just say to experiment with what you do have access to and try to replicate the results that you enjoy. I use Hermann Oak vegetable tanned leather primarily and feel as if I get the most consistent results with that leather. It can be expensive, especially for a hobbyist leather crafter, but it is the best veg tan option in my opinion. But even with Hermann Oak leather, there are still times that I struggle to get the exact results I am chasing. Leather craft is an art and it is impossible to achieve perfect results every single time. Keep that in mind and just enjoy the process as much as you can!
Here is the finishing process I use on almost every vegetable tanned leather project that I complete. This is not the only way or the "correct" way to finish leather products. There are many different products and methods out there, this is just what I personally prefer.
Step 1: Make sure the leather is completely dry after tooling, wet molding, etc.
Step 2: (Not covered in this video) If I am going to do any paint work then this is the first thing I do after the leather is dry.
Step 3: One light/medium coat of neatsfoot oil (or olive oil) and allow at least one hour to dry.
Step 4: Add 2 to 3 coats of leather dye or Pro dye and allow 30 minutes to one hour to dry (some colors require more coats than others)
Step 5: Add one coat of Tan Kote as a resist and allow at least 30 minutes to dry.
Step 6: Apply antique paste and immediately wipe off the excess, but do not buff, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 7: Buff the rest of the antique paste in order to clean any thick or clumpy areas and then allow 30 minutes to one hour of dry time.
Step 8: Add another coat of Tan Kote to clean and partially seal the leather.
Tan Kote is not a hard sealant and it will still allow oil to penetrate the leather over time. If you want to increase water resistance and completely seal the leather then I would suggest experimenting with leather sheen, Resolene, and other similar products. I do not have much experience with those products to speak on any of them.
Girty Leather Company Website : girtyleatherco.com/
Below are most of the products I use in this video and links to purchase them. These are not affiliate links.
Hermann Oak Vegetable Tanned Leather - www.springfieldleather.com/He...
Fiebings 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil - www.springfieldleather.com/Ne...
Fiebings Pro Dye - www.springfieldleather.com/se...
Fiebings Tan Kote - www.springfieldleather.com/Fi...
Fiebings Antique Finish - www.springfieldleather.com/Fi...
Sheep Skin Shearling - www.springfieldleather.com/Sh...
Wool Daubers - www.springfieldleather.com/Da...
#leather #leatherwork #handmadeleather #leathercraft #customleather #leatherbelt #howtoleather #howto #leathercare #finishingleather #tooledleather

[@rr2753]

Tip: When ever I bring a bottle of dye to the table, I will get a large roll of tape (2" painters tape or masking tape) and place the small bottle inside the hole of the roll of tape which is laying flat on the table. This will prevent the bottle of dye from being knocked over. This has worked for me quite well.

[@Girtyleatherco]

I’ve been doing this since I saw this comment, and just wanted to come back and say thank you for the tip!! It works very well for me too and gives me a little more peace of mind

[@dcharles74]

I noticed you apologized for being long winded. Please don't! As a new leather crafter I really appreciate the detail in your videos. Thanks for your content 🍻

[@Girtyleatherco]

That’s much appreciated, I hope you got some benefit from watching! Thank you for your time

[@Sgreubel]

What I like about your videos is that you are very thorough. You cover all the details. There are plenty of other videos on You Tube that are short. You are a good teacher. Thank you.

[@rr2753]

Beautiful carving!

[@robertgoforth8939]

I enjoy your detailed discussions. Your explanation of the antiquing process is the most helpful of any I’ve seen so far. Keep up the good work

[@Girtyleatherco]

I really appreciate that, I’m glad I could be of some help!

[@kenhouse8683]

How you explain your process is why we watch,if you don't explain we can't learn, so do it the way you do it .thank you for taking time to doing this .I personally appreciate it very much. I'm a 76 year old beginner Isreal having a good time learning. (You remind me of Don G ) and he it good to.

[@kenhouse8683]

Don't ya just love spell check

[@Girtyleatherco]

I really appreciate the compliment! Thank you very much for watching and for the feedback as well.

[@maddawgnoll]

10 coats of neatsfoot oil will give you a dark mahogany color, but it also softens the leather so much that you can't get good edge burnish. I've done a few experiments with it and after 3 costs the larger starts to get that oil tanned feeling. You don't lose detail in carvings but it gets harder and harder to get that nice finished look. I only give it one, maybe 2 coats of I didn't get it even

[@Girtyleatherco]

Yeah I can honestly say I’ve never put that many coats of oil on, but that can definitely be useful information to know!

[@JointerMark]

Thank you, I really appreciated your demonstration and clear explanation!

[@williammrdeza9445]

Nice job! Thank you for the detailed instructions.

[@Girtyleatherco]

Thank you, I hope it was helpful!

[@falconcrest78]

Ronseal Interior Varnish+ alcohol 70+ water = best sealer on all leather, you can do as many layers, it will never crack, i use it with an airbrush, sponge, and brush. still works great on oil-based and water-alcohol-based. i live where a 100ml of Resolene cost me almost 20usd. one can make you gallons of sealer.

[@Anothermachine]

I have a leather shoulder strap from a WW1 rifle i got at auction. The leather was dry, cracked and easily crackled and ripped with any minimal flexing. I soaked it in Neatsfoot oil for about ten minutes and it was strong and supple and I couldn't rip it at all after treatment😊

[@mattiecreates]

Beautiful work

[@Girtyleatherco]

Very much appreciated!

[@bobbyroberts5751]

I also burn my dobbers. I feel it keeps stray/loose fibers from getting in the product and it’s thicker material to hold the antique

[@Amapola454]

You don't babble. Thank you for the thorough explinations. I can't find this level of detail anywhere else. What kind of brushes are you using?

[@Girtyleatherco]

I really appreciate that! I just use whatever cheap brushes I can find at Hobby Lobby, but I’m considering giving the reloadable dye pens a try

[@timbriggs2918]

Nice work! What size bargrounders do you use? I’ve been using checkered but I like that look!

[@Girtyleatherco]

I have Barry King size 40’s!

[@jimmielynn]

Wow! ❤

[@Girtyleatherco]

I really appreciate it!

[@kcg3927]

Great instructive video! 👍🏽👍🏽 How long do you let your oil dry & absorb, before dying?

[@Girtyleatherco]

Thank you, I personally prefer an hour but 30 minutes would probably be just fine. That could probably change if you let it dry out in the sun or some other environment as well

[@amess6790]

Beau travail

[@thomasgreenwood4310]

Another 👍 for the detailed discussions. Question though, the resist, does that not also stay sat into the tooled areas? Or when you apply it are you really trying to just keep it up on the surface, on the parts you want to keep natural?

[@Girtyleatherco]

Thank you! Yes, the resist will also sit in the tooled areas. I’m sorry if I said anything in the video to confuse you

[@invictusbp1prop143]

See, that’s just it tho…why cover the whole thing in resist, then go over it with antique that you want to stick and stay put in your tooling…? Generally oil the leather with neats foot or some kind of multiple use conditioner prior to dying. Think it makes the dye take better and gives you better color. I like to airbrush dyes and finishes when possible. Airbrushing avoids streaky application and tends not to overapply the dyes, which can make many colors any too dark. I usually use super sheen as a resist, and just brush it onto the high spots that I want to stay mostly natural and avoid the tooled and burnished areas so the antique stays put in those areas. Then I topcoat with TanKote because it leaves the finish porous, so that you can still condition the product later on. Super sheen, as I understand it, is an acrylic or acrylic-like finish so it won’t allow conditioners to penetrate. Maybe I’m doing everything wrong, but it mostly makes sense to me and seems to work alright.

[@dpratte]

Nice job, sir! Do you follow the same procedure with a water-based dye?

[@Girtyleatherco]

The few times I have used water based dye, I followed this method and didn’t have any issues. But other types of leather may react differently as well. I mainly use Fiebings Pro Dye anymore, so it’s hard to say for certain.

[@SaltyMechanic]

Thank you for all the explanations. Question tho. Is sheen the same as resist? Can I use sheen in the same way? Thank you 🙏🏽

[@Girtyleatherco]

Yes you can, but sheen is a lot stronger than Tan Kote and the results may not come out the same. I haven’t used Sheen since I first started and I didn’t get the results I wanted with it so I switched to this method.

[@SaltyMechanic]

@@Girtyleatherco thank you!!! That helps a lot!!

[@jayplays568]

This was incredible, thank you! How long does something like this take you to complete i.e. cutting, tooling and finishing but not including the drying times? Do you sell these belts?

[@Girtyleatherco]

That’s a great question! There’s a lot of variables that can change the overall time, but I’d say on average, for me, is anywhere from 10-15 active hours. I do sell the belts, making custom tooled items is the main aspect of my business!

[@jayplays568]

@@Girtyleatherco thanks for the helpful response! I had a few questions about tooling which are probably a bit basic but I'm just a beginner leather worker so I'm not sure how it all works.. If I wanted to tool a wallet for example, should I be tooling the outside pieces first and then stitching it all together? Or should I stitch everything together and then tool it? Should I leave a gap around the border (for the stitch lines) or should I tool all the way to the edge? If I am supposed to leave a gap, does that mean that the border areas of the outside pieces will be a different colour to the tooled area of the outside pieces? If I shouldn't leave a gap, should I stitch and then dye or should I leave the stitching until after it is dyed and finished? Do you know of any good wallet patterns that are not western and/or floral themed? Is there a difference between dyeing and painting a tooled project and if so what are the advantages/disadvantages/why would you choose one method instead of another?

[@Girtyleatherco]

I will do my best to help! You would want to finish all of your tooling, coloring, etc. before you assembled the wallet and stitched it. Whether you leave a gap between your tooling and the edge is completely up to you. I would recommend not tooling beyond the stitch line placement, obviously to prevent sewing through the artwork. I, more times than not, have a border, but it’s all personal preference really. If you do have a border, that doesn’t mean that it has to be a different color from the tooling. I make many all natural colored products. When it comes to dyeing and painting, dye actually absorbs into the leather for a more permanent finish. Paint, even if it is thinned down quite a bit, still dries more on the surface rather than soaking in. It can be tough to get dye in a lot of the bright vibrant colors, so a lot of times if something is very colorful it was painted. There’s nothing wrong with paint if you do it the right way, but if not, it can rub off over time.

[@lorilopez4101]

What is the difference between tan kote and resoline? And why do you prefer what u use

[@Girtyleatherco]

Resoline is an acrylic product and more of a permanent finish. It adds some water resistance, where Tan Kote does not; however, it can also make it tough on oils and conditioners to penetrate the leather later down the road. I prefer Tan Kote because it can be a little more forgiving I think, and it’s just what I’m used to. Everyone has their preferences and tendencies

[@Mtan1446]

Question for you- I have been following this process, but have made a few belts that seem to have a big problem with the dye rubbing off on clothing. Is there anything you can do to seal them up so they won’t stain your shirts? Thanks!

[@Girtyleatherco]

I haven’t had that issue personally, but you could also try Resolene as a resist and finish. It’s a little more permanent top coat and sealant. You could also try using a soft cloth to buff the dye before sealing it up to clean up any stray pigment. I don’t know if there is a perfect solution but you might try those out!

[@bradleylarson2986]

Did you use walnut for all the dying in this video?

[@Girtyleatherco]

Yes I did

[@Azariel98]

Have you ever experienced any dye rubbing off? I’ve used Eco-FLO dye before and it’s ruined some projects, after applying resolene or resist it’ll rub just rub off

[@Girtyleatherco]

I personally don’t have any experience using that product. There are times when my Tan Kote will pick up a small amount of dye pigment, but nothing bad enough to notice or ruin a project. I’m sorry I don’t have a good solution off the top of my head

[@crazyycm3d]

Might be because of the resolene! I use Eco-Fo Hi-Lite and it works good. Resolene is used as a protective acrylic top layer and is far better than tan kote for giving leather protection against water and damage. I’d imagine trying to stain on top of that resolene is what’s screwing a project up. Try leaving resolene as the last coat on a project? Or just stain before you apply resolene, might turn out better for you!

[@Azariel98]

@@crazyycm3d When I finish dyeing with Eco-Flo I noticed a bit of the dye rub off when I oil it but it doesn’t ruin a project.. it’s only when I go to antique.. I use Pro resist, but when I’m applying it I notice a lot more dye rubbing off and it rubs off on my projects.. Idk if it’s the dye at this point, I’ve also tried letting it dry over night, I’ve tried rubbing any excess off with a rag and then rubbing more when I oil but it’s only when I go to resist 😓 ..thank you for suggestions!

[@WolvesandWhatnot]

Do you do any treatments to the backside?

[@Girtyleatherco]

You can add oil and tan kote if you wanted, but its not completely necessary!

[@user-jc9mk9ui8y]

✌

[@GianmarioScotti]

What percentage of your customers opts for the antiquing? Asking because I personally preferred the belt before the antiquing.

[@Girtyleatherco]

I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone request to not have it on a tooled project. I rarely see anyone that tools leather, finish a project without antique. With that being said, most customers don’t see it much either, and they probably don’t understand the process enough to know otherwise. That’s honestly the main reason I try to make content and share my processes, to help others understand the entire process more.

[@GianmarioScotti]

@@Girtyleatherco that's a very interesting point. Thank you for your content indeed. In my humble opinion, you should show the belt before antiquing because some may find it stunningly beautiful as is, saving yourself some work and resources, and getting your customers exactly what he/she actually wants.

[@rolliecoleman5922]

How do you finish the edges and the back?

[@Girtyleatherco]

I usually just oil and tan kote the back side. I have a full video on my channel now that covers my edge process if you would like to check it out!

[@rickwhetstone4687]

So when you put the tan Kate over the dye, does it remove some of thdye

[@Girtyleatherco]

There might be times when a small amount of dye pigment is picked up from tan kote; however, I have not personally had it ruin a project. It’s important that the dye has had plenty of time to dry before applying any other finishing products

[@nukydf2305]

Спасибо дружище очень полезное видео. Какое еще масло можно применять кроме этих двух ?

[@Girtyleatherco]

Thank you! Although I have never used it personally, mink oil is another option that is used by some people.

[@nukydf2305]

Thank you very much) I will definitely try your technique. Thanks again, from Russia with love ;)@@Girtyleatherco

[@architectleather]

Why you need to glue this blue tape on the belt back?

[@Girtyleatherco]

The tape helps reduce any stretch or deformation in the leather during the tooling process. I take the tape off before I glue the liner piece of leather to the back. There are other methods, but I still just use tape for the most part

[@architectleather]

@@Girtyleatherco thank you! It helps 😊

[@user-iw8wn6fu6h]

Хорошая работа ! Мне конечно, как русскоязычному, нихрена не понятно :) но очень интересно :)))

[@Girtyleatherco]

I’m glad you enjoyed it anyways! Thank you

[@darklordofapathy]

Olive oil will go rancid over time and start to smell fishy. It will also catalyze and start to get sticky.

[@outfitr9703]

I've heard this before but after using it for many years on hundreds of projects I've never personally experienced this whatsoever.

[@sabio2009]

@@outfitr9703, it doesn’t.

[@GasStationKnives4Ever]

“In the long run, neatsfoot oil is prone to oxidising, causing leather to crack and deteriorate. As such, it's wise to avoid using it on items that you've invested heavily in and plan on keeping for many years, like leather jackets and wallets.”

[@Girtyleatherco]

All oils will oxidize over time. Every product is different and will age different depending on many factors. There are a lot of different opinions on how to preserve them. To each their own, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with my process. I have seen products built very similarly that are many decades old and have nothing wrong with them.

[@philsullivan3679]

Choose your battles wisely.

[@jasonreed9233]

What is a better oil to use instead of neatsfoot oil?

[@jurassicjaws]

Ah, yes, the predictable "no, you're wrong" comment that offers zero alternatives to the thing they don't like. How tiresome.

[@kboleather]

Everything oxidizes over time. The only reason why leather becomes brittle and cracks is bc the leather was neglected. That is why you clean the leather item and apply oil at least once a year.