ageing, shading, distressing

[santee]

Been seeing a lot of folks add nifty different age/distress effects to their holsters.
When I was sponging on my first coat of dye, I got darker areas and some drips. Stopped before the second coat cause I liked the gradation from dark to light. Kinda gives it that look like it was stained with sweat or gun oil.

What methods do you guys tinker with?

[Roosterman]

I like it!

[crossdraw]

Santee
I got different shading by wetting the leather with water a little heavy in some areas and less in others prior to dyeing. I also got some shade difference while trying to correct the above  by rubbing the leather with a dye soaked pad of 0000 steel wool.

[HorsePen Henry]

Santee,
That looks great and I like it. Which dye and color did you use on that? Nice warm color and just enough variation to make it convincing.

[santee]

I used a Fiebing's med. brown, diluted with Isopropyl alcohol...or Maker's Mark whiskey...can't recall...

Learned after the first holster to dilute it a little (I tried 60/40); and this time I was going to experiment with multiple light shades. But I stopped at this.

Hmmm...dye soaked steel wool pad, eh??? I'll give that a go!

[ChuckBurrows]

http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/aging-leather-zurl.jpg

and the steel wool doesn't have to be dye soaked - plain works good too........

[Ace Lungger]

Santee , That LOOKS GREAT I like it !!!
Chuck, I got your DVD set on Wensday and I want to thank you for doing that DVD, and i suggesty to all beginners like me, it is a must have. I have been looking for eggeye neddles in size 1, and linen 5 cord thread and I have had no luck finding it, I went to the supplier in Oklahoma because I live in Kansas, I couldn't find those to items, next time I watch your DVD I will get the name of the other suppler you use! I have been using the Vinagroon dye that you mentioned and I love it, going to make some of the walnut Brown> I have spent 6 hours in the last 2 days, trying to find out what is in Eco-Flow Gum Tragacanth, so i could make my own! I got some pure Gum Tragacanth in powder form, just don't know what else to use other than water! If you use the cake makers method it gets to a paste state! So I don't know if the glucose or the confectioner's sugar, that makes it a paste.
I wish every one a GREAT WEEKEND
ACE

[santee]

Thanks, guys. Thanks, Chuck, for the article. Very helpful.