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View Full Version : Can you dye leather?

CrazyKell
03-19-2010, 09:52 AM
I'm thinking about getting a jacket but it has some red bits on it that I don't like. Is it possible to dye those bits black? How is that done?
Krabill
03-19-2010, 09:59 AM
Can you dye leather? No, the guys at Kawasaki find green cows to make their leathers out of.








Okay . . . I have no idea how they do it, but yeah, it can be done.
AquaPython
03-19-2010, 10:02 AM
in mother russia, leather dye YOU!
shmike
03-19-2010, 10:04 AM
Can you dye leather? No, the guys at Kawasaki find green cows to make their leathers out of.




I was thinking the exact same thing except blue. :lol
CrazyKell
03-19-2010, 10:11 AM
:lol

I meant can I re-dye the leather bits on a jacket to a different colour!
Rider
03-19-2010, 10:17 AM
I've been wondering this myself. I have a black leather jacket(non motorcycle) that is the distressed look. I don't really care for it so I don't wear it much but if I could dye it dark black I'd probably wear it more often.
Krabill
03-19-2010, 10:17 AM
I really have no idea what kinds of dyes or special procedures are needed for dying leather, but I would think it would be awfully difficult to dye just a part of a garment. The only things I have ever dyed had to be soaked for quite a while in the solution. Not sure how you could do that to just part of a garment, no matter what it was made out of.
Rangerscott
03-19-2010, 10:17 AM
I doub it would come out completely black and look ok. The leather is already soaked with die.

I'm gona guess it'll be like dieing jeans. Looks and felt like wearing paper bags.
Krabill
03-19-2010, 10:19 AM
I've been wondering this myself. I have a black leather jacket(non motorcycle) that is the distressed look. I don't really care for it so I don't wear it much but if I could dye it dark black I'd probably wear it more often.

Dying the whole thing black would be a piece of cake, I'd think. Get a big ass bucket, some black dye, some hot water and go to town. If it works, great. If it doesn't, well, you weren't wearing it much anyway. No big loss.

Trying to do a piece of it like Kell wants to do might be difficult.
Rider
03-19-2010, 10:20 AM
Dying the whole thing black would be a piece of cake, I'd think. Get a big ass bucket, some black dye, some hot water and go to town. If it works, great. If it doesn't, well, you weren't wearing it much anyway. No big loss.

Trying to do a piece of it like Kell wants to do might be difficult.

Yeah but I don't want the cotton liner to get dyed black.
goof2
03-19-2010, 10:34 AM
From what I understand dying leather is a pretty rough process involving some serious chemicals.
Krabill
03-19-2010, 10:40 AM
Yeah but I don't want the cotton liner to get dyed black.

Well, then . . . there's your problem :lol:
the chi
03-19-2010, 10:45 AM
Sharpie.

:dthumb:
CrazyKell
03-19-2010, 10:55 AM
Well, it's not horrible, I just don't really like the red. :(

Thanks to Amber Lamps for finding me this jacket though. Pretty smokin' deal on a leather jacket! :dthumb:
Phenix_Rider
03-19-2010, 01:08 PM
Black Shoe polish? :lol:

I've heard of people trying different leather dyes to do the same thing, but they usually look like shit.
OTB
03-19-2010, 02:00 PM
Most good leathers for bikers are aniline or semi-aniline leathers, they are first dyed using aniline dyes, then top-coated with a lacquer-like substance unlike "corrected" leathers that are used in cheap garments that are all pretty much sanded, re-embossed and the coated with several coats of color and topcoat. Aniline dyed leathers are much softer than "corrected" leathers.

You not only pay more for good leather, but it retains it's suppleness, strength and structure much longer because the process of aniline dyeing keeps it that way. You can change colors of finished pieces, but it's only going to be topcoating and it will stiffen the leather and it will wear off more quickly.

In my "other" life, I do furniture repairs; I learned how to repair leather 20 years ago because leather-covered furniture scratches easily, owners pay a great deal for it; and they want to be able to have it fixed when Johnny sits on their $4000 sofa with a bunch of keys sticking out of his back pocket......
karl_1052
03-19-2010, 02:36 PM
http://tinyurl.com/yg9rkbn
CrazyKell
03-19-2010, 02:41 PM
http://tinyurl.com/yg9rkbn

www.iknowhowtousegoogle.com
Particle Man
03-19-2010, 02:41 PM
www.krylon.com
;)
karl_1052
03-19-2010, 03:22 PM
www.iknowhowtousegoogle.com

http://www.snapoffracing.com/forums/images/smilies/signsmilies/linksucks.gif

:lol:
OTB
03-19-2010, 04:06 PM
The issue isn't can you; yes, you can re-dye leather...if you take it apart. On a suit like that with multiple colored pieces stitched together, the only way to do it without ripping seams is to spry new color topcoat over the red......not good. Lotsa bleed through, meaning lotsa coats, meaning flaking, drying and stiffening of the leather......................

Just because you can doesn't mean you should..............
CrazyKell
03-19-2010, 04:11 PM
http://www.snapoffracing.com/forums/images/smilies/signsmilies/linksucks.gif

:lol:


I know. redflip

So does the red look that bad? Should I just leave it?
the chi
03-19-2010, 04:15 PM
It looks fine. Anytime you question it, remember how much $$ you saved and it will make you feel better!
derf
03-19-2010, 04:34 PM
I dyed a leather jacket last year, there were some pannels that were white, and some where black. I used black leather dye bought at walmart (high quality stuff dontcha know) After 3 dips over 3 days it came out jet black, then after it fully dried I washed it off with a hose then a trip in the washing machine. It stayed that way until the first time I got caught in the rain and it washed off. Now the Jacket is black with grey pannels.

I will say this, the black grey combo is better than the black/white combo and it was worth the effort I put in to it
OTB
03-19-2010, 04:52 PM
I dyed a leather jacket last year, there were some pannels that were white, and some where black. I used black leather dye bought at walmart (high quality stuff dontcha know) After 3 dips over 3 days it came out jet black, then after it fully dried I washed it off with a hose then a trip in the washing machine. It stayed that way until the first time I got caught in the rain and it washed off. Now the Jacket is black with grey pannels.

I will say this, the black grey combo is better than the black/white combo and it was worth the effort I put in to it

and where did all the black dye go that washed off???......................
derf
03-19-2010, 10:33 PM
Ruined a set of jeans, the rest off into the wind. Probably all over the bike too, but it was raining so hard that it would have washed off.
Gas Man
03-20-2010, 12:15 AM
I've been wondering this myself. I have a black leather jacket(non motorcycle) that is the distressed look. I don't really care for it so I don't wear it much but if I could dye it dark black I'd probably wear it more often.

If you have black weathered leather... get some doc baileys... it will fix it all up.

My bud Don sells the stuff. Its great
http://www.valueteckenterprises.com/page2.html

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/cjclark69/Riding/Gear/SU1HMDAwMTYuanBn.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/cjclark69/Riding/Gear/SU1HMDAwMTcuanBn.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/cjclark69/Riding/Gear/SU1HMDAwMTguanBn.jpg

Shit is awesome!
Amber Lamps
03-20-2010, 12:59 AM
I know. redflip

So does the red look that bad? Should I just leave it?

Baby that is a $400 jacket for $69... I'll look some more later. I'm checking out a couple other sites for reliability. The jackets that I sent you are from sites that I've done business with.
Amber Lamps
03-20-2010, 01:01 AM
btw there may be hope with professional leather places.:idk:
was92v
03-20-2010, 08:29 AM
IMO you never really get the look you want and if you get close it doesn't last. I've tried everything at some point over the last 40 years and it never looks quite "right".
CrazyKell
03-20-2010, 09:53 AM
Baby that is a $400 jacket for $69... I'll look some more later. I'm checking out a couple other sites for reliability. The jackets that I sent you are from sites that I've done business with.


I know. It's an awesome deal. At this point I'm so excited to get a $400 jacket for $69 that I don't even care if it's red!

Thanks again!
Amber Lamps
03-20-2010, 07:31 PM
IMO you never really get the look you want and if you get close it doesn't last. I've tried everything at some point over the last 40 years and it never looks quite "right".

Truth!
Amber Lamps
03-20-2010, 07:32 PM
I know. It's an awesome deal. At this point I'm so excited to get a $400 jacket for $69 that I don't even care if it's red!

Thanks again!

No prob, babygirl!
racedoll
03-20-2010, 09:47 PM
btw there may be hope with professional leather places.:idk:

This is what I was thinking, but also that it would be hard to dye the red since it is such a bold color anyway - kind of like painting in a house.

$400 for $69, screw whatever color it is!
karl_1052
03-22-2010, 12:18 PM
I know. redflip

So does the red look that bad? Should I just leave it?

I would leave it.

My bike is blue black and gold.

My jackets are:
Black and gray
Gray and black
red and black

My boots are Red and my gloves are either blue and white or black and tan.