Brand name of dye.

[Red Cent]

I have been requested to attempt to find the answer to this question: "I would like to know how to obtain the deep reddish brown finish known as walnut oil that was used on Lawrence Leather Goods years ago and is currently used by Triple K."

Can anyone help me help a fellow cowboy leatherworker?

[ChuckBurrows]

Never was a dye per se, but rather a heavily applied colored neatsfoot oil - back in the ole days when you first got a GL holster or other gear fro them, you had to wrap it in paper towels or absorbent cloth and change the wrap a couple of times to sop up the excess oil or it would stain your clothes.

The GL oil formula was a proprietary one (you used to be able to buy it) but a mix of non-greasy neatsfoot oil and either the oil darkening liquid from Weaver Leather (IMO it comes closest to the GL oil in color) or you can make a mix of spirit dye (i.e. Fiebings) in dark brown, walnut, or mahogany (or a mix) and the neatsfoot oil until you get a close match. When mixing oil with the Fiebings mixing it in an old blender works best - just rev it up each time you use it to make sure it's well mixed. You can also tweak the oil darkening liquid with dye, but I've found if you sun tan your leather after dying for a couple of days this gets just right.

I've owned and repaired a bunch of GL leather over the years and even though I make my own I still have soft spot for the Gl goods since it was who made my first holster way back in 1962.

Here's an example of GL Holster in good condition so those he may not know what we are talking about can see - note it's really a med/dark brown with just a hint of red which the sun tan will give you...
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/turnerriver/DSC_0011-4.jpg

[Skeeter Lewis]

Chuck - your wealth of knowledge is amazing.
Would GL have applied the dye all over or just the grain side?
Skeet

[ChuckBurrows]

Skeeter they dipped them until fully saturated with the mix and then would hang them and let the excess drip off...

[Skeeter Lewis]

Thanks. Amazing! You'd think the cell walls of the leather would be compromised.

[Red Cent]

Thanks Chuck. Uh...what do you want for that 3 screw?

[Cliff Fendley]

I've done holsters and other gear that method. Only thing I don't like is they are so oily and greasy for quite a while. After a year or so of the oil soaking in and excess rubbing off it is possibly my favorite way of treating new leather.

[David Carrico]

People always want that reddish color, I tell them wait a couple years, it will turn that color.

[ChuckBurrows]

Thanks. Amazing! You'd think the cell walls of the leather would be compromised.

In all of the old saddle shops I visited back when they had a big tank of oil (most could be heated which thins the oil for better penetration) and then had a wire basket that could be lowered into the oil and then lifted out to drain off - so over oiling wasn't necessarily a problem...

[Cliff Fendley]

People always want that reddish color, I tell them wait a couple years, it will turn that color.

Yep