Dyeing leather

[Bitterwheat]

Do you dfye your leather before stiching?

[Kid Cavalier]

I dye it after stitching unless I want contrasting thread color.

Kid

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I usually dye it before Unless I want the stitching to have the color, too.

[Rascal Ralph]

Since were talking about dye, whats a good trick to get EVEN dye on your leather. I hate going over light spots, seems to create darker spots! Heard of of putting light oil on first, didnt sound right. RHR.

[Kid Cavalier]

I apply neatsfoot oil first then use antique stains.  I get more even results with the antique stains over the regular dyes.  The oil seems to help if it goes on first.  The antique stains seal the grain which prevents the oil from penetrating if applied after.


Kid

[Cherokee Charlie]

Fellow Leather(people)Politically correct.

Being one who hates to dye anything, I purchase my leather from Wickett and Craig out of Kerwin, Pa.  The pigments are already in the leather and all you have to do is add neatsfoot oil to get the darkness of the color you desire. 
I have on occasion dyed a few black items and the dye always comes off on the clothes, no matter that I seal the dye.  I found that Tandy black oil dye is the best to use with little or no rub-off on clothing.

[Pitspitr]

So does anyone have any good tips for keeping the dye from "bleeding into non-dyed areas?

I just finished a holster that I dyed black but planned on leaving initials undyed for contrast and the black dye bled into the letters.