Oak leaf as a brown dye?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

In my area we have a variety of Oak called the Garry Oak.  I noticed that in the winter, fallen leaves make a brown stain where they lay on sodden pavement.  I am boiling up a small pot of them as we speak.  After a half hour of boiling I stuck a small trim slice in the soup.

It left the leather a nice middle-brown.      Anyone care to comment?

[hillbilly tim]

Yep, Ill Comment, Cant wait to see it on a tooled sample. If its suscessful you may "need" to send me a box of dry leaves! Haha.

Bro Tim
Pistol Packing Preacher

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Yep, Ill Comment, Cant wait to see it on a tooled sample. If its suscessful you may "need" to send me a box of dry leaves! Haha.

Bro Tim
Pistol Packing Preacher

Come November and I could send you a container full!  I have four trees and hundreds within a half mile radius. Darn things are MESSY! You will have to pay-the-freight.  Here, if a homeowner sees an Oak seedling pop up his first action is to commit abortion, to heck with their endangered status.  I'll bet there are oak trees 'most everywhere, so save your money.

Are there any problematic results from using oak leaf dye? If I store some in a glass jar should I put vinegar or something in it?

They have been boiling for an hour and are cooling down.  I tried another dip and the colour seems darker but the first dip has faded a bit.

[GunClick Rick]

Gotta be careful,my uncle used to cut wood for a living and lived in a huge handmade tent structure he made,threw a log on the fire and it almost killed him,the wood had had poison oak on it and after and just being around the smoke got poison oak in his lungs.Just a side note..

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

No poison oak or other nasty weeds here, luckily.  Lots of English Ivy, Scottish broom, blackberry and morning glory.  Gardening in Victoria requires a survival attitude.  Cut, prune, weed, mow and then carry the crap to the municipal tip.  Repeat, over and over. Rake leaves in the fall, and constantly clear the gutters of leaves, catkins and needles all year round.

I forgot to add;  Holly.  Ivy & holly swamps the local bush!