Pond beads

[COACHE]

Hello
I would like to know if any one knows how to make beads look old?
I'm trying to make a knife sheath and rifle scabber with beading and would like to make it look very old.
Any help would be great.
Coache

[bedbugbilly]

Since nobody has posted an answer yet - I'll take a stab at it.  I'm not an "experienced beader" but I have collected some.  Hopefully someone who is experienced will "chime in"?  Beads are made out of glass - if you are talking "trade beads".  I don't know how you would "age" them other than scratching them which some old ones might have that appearance from use.  I've seen beadwork that is several hundred years old and the beads looked as good as what I'm assuming they did when they were new.  I have several strands of "greasies" - a shade of yellow which appears "dirty" but they were made that way.  I have several strands of original trade beads and honestly, they do not look old as in an aged appearance.  I have several strands of African trade beads - French Crosses - some of them on the strands look "worn" - but from years of rubbing against something such as if they were hng around a person's neck and rubbed against their front.  If you are looking at "bone beads" - I've aged those with "Old Bones" - I believe you can get it from Track of the Wolf or other supplies.  I've primarily used that to age powder horns but it worked fine on bone beads.  I'm more apt to think that your "aged" look is going to come from the leather you apply them to.  I'm assuming that you are going to use brain tanned buckskin?  I havent' worked with that very much but I'm sure that there are "tricks" to aging it.  Good luck to you on your projects!   

[GunClick Rick]

Pebbles in a jar, throw all your beads in there and shake shake shake.or one time i just rubbed a bunch on the sidewalk cement and then used a stain then sprayed with a clear let dry and shook "em" again.You can use a rock tumbler too,i had a good double one once i got at a yard sale but traded it off,wish i hadn't now.One time i took used charcoal from a fire and mixed it with elmers glue,it wasn't usefull but the pipe i made wasn't for use.

[BearBio]

I did plastic hairpipe once with strong tea.  Took several soak, dry, soak, dry cycles.  Still wasn't very good.

[COACHE]

Thanks guys I'll try what you said and see if it turns out.
Side note when using sinue what is the best way to end the stitch? Very time I end a stitch it comes undone.
Thanks again for all your help.
Coache

[FEATHERS]

Couche,The way I age my beads (I use #11 beads) from your local craft or hobby store get hold of a solution that is used for etching glass (not sure of the name,I ran out) I soak the beads in the solution (on a thread) for 20 minutes at a time to get the effect I want.Another tip I do,once I have completed my beading project,is to take some dust from the vacuum cleaner bag,& with a small paint brush apply it over the beadwork,making sure to get it into the spaces,the dust will adhere to the thread (I use waxed thread) then wipe the surface dust off.If you look at any old museum piece they all look (dirty) in the beadwork.Hope this helps.Feathers.