How do I 'age' a piece of woven leather?

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

I bought this woven quirt and the leather looks brand new ... which it is.

How do I take something that is woven and get it to have a kind of walnut colored, 'used' look?

I remember someone, somewhere, telling me to just put a piece of leather like this in a strong pot of coffee and let it sit overnight ... but that sounds way too easy ....

Any suggestions for a really newbie (when it comes to leather)?

[Mogorilla]

I am sure there are several ways.   My native american quirt (pics probably back a page) was dyed/aged using coffer, but that was rawhide and antler.      I have used coffee as a dye.   Depending on the leather, you can use dye, then a really really fine sandpaper to give it wear.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi Mogorilla,

So if I choose to use coffee, how would I do that?

My thoughts are to make a pot of coffee (or two), pour it into a stainless pot (like a four qt boiling pot), and then stick the quirt so that all of it is below the surface of the coffee.

But how long do I let it soak in the coffee?

Afterward, do I get most of the coffee out by squeezing it out, and then let it hang in the garage for ... (and how long do I let it sit?) ...

Then take some 400 grit sandpaper to the outside of the quirt?

Thanks for your help!

[JD Alan]

Hi WaddWatsonEllis, I've made some coffee dye by boiling the heck out of a couple of pounds of the darkest grind I could find. I've found you need to leave leather in a lot longer than a day or two to get some decent color. More like a week or so.

[St. George]

If it were mine - I surely wouldn't be abrading anything.

Nor would I try to dye it unless I really knew how it'd affect the item.

I'd use a waterproofing product like 'Sno-Seal' or something similar, and work it in well - then - I'd expose it to bright sunlight and would turn it a little, to even things up.

Leather will discolor in bright sunlight.

I'd also handle it and work in a bit of dirt and skin oil, and after the exposure and handling, you should see a marked difference in the overall color.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[WaddWatsonEllis]

St George,

Hmmm... I have a little can of Sno-Seal left from waterproofing my old climbing boots ... I'll try that!  I know it always turned my boots to about a dark walnut when I used it on them ....

Then, with our drought, I am assured that I can hang it in the backyard and be sure of plenty of sunshine  .... *S*

Thanks!

[St. George]

Good plan.

The point is that your quirt should have a 'newer' look to it, and not an 'antiqued' one.

The gear you're wearing when portraying a particular era would've been fairly new - or at least in very good condition - since you'd've just purchased it from the dry goods store, saddler or gun shop.

One more thing.

During the Frontier Era - the concept of 'matched' gunleather hadn't come along.

It would've been quite common for a man to be using leather from different saddlers in different towns and  bought on an 'as-needed' basis.

However, one could've also bought nicely-embossed commercial items, as well - and that was a common sight.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!