Leather dye and kilts

[Germankilter]

I am looking to build or modify a leather belt. But I'm worried about the dyes. I have used dyes on leather before on boots, but every time I wore them it turned my socks black ( dye color). How do I keep the dyes from rubbing off on my kilts.

[McElmurry]

My custom sporran left some marks on my linen vest the first time I wore them. I buffed the sporran until it stopped marking the buffing cloth and it has been fine since. So you are right to be concerned and hopefully you will get some good advice here.

[Riverkilt]

Used to have some natural and white Utilikilts that I wore belts with. Belt dye came off the inside of the belt and onto the kilt. But of course the belt covered it.

[David Thorpe]

After you dye the leather, scrub and/or buff the excess dye off and then finish with wax.

[artificer]

After you dye the leather, scrub and/or buff the excess dye off and then finish with wax.

But don't finish the backside of a belt with beeswax, use a higher temperature wax or you can have the wax getting soft and buffing into your kilt.

There are a number of sealing products you can use on the backside of belts as well.

When I make belts and straps the backside and edges are first buffed by hand, then polished with Gum Tragacanth and lots of friction (which helps soften the fibres so they can be polished smooth and flat).

Then you can seal the backside of the belt (and front if you wish, but a natural oil/wax finish is usually preferable) with Resolene which is an acrylic sealant.


BTW: This is not just a problem with DIY belts- many cheaper but still actual leather men's belts bought commercially can have this problem as well.

ith:

[Truitt]

Then you can seal the backside of the belt (and front if you wish, but a natural oil/wax finish is usually preferable) with Resolene which is an acrylic sealant.


BTW: This is not just a problem with DIY belts- many cheaper but still actual leather men's belts bought commercially can have this problem as well.

ith:

***

It depends on the type of belt/leather/finish, but I use an acrylic finish to seal the back of almost every new belt I get (not just kilt belts). I do the same with the backs of sporrans, or any other leather that may rub against my kilt.

[TheOfficialBren]

(snippet)

BTW: This is not just a problem with DIY belts- many cheaper but still actual leather men's belts bought commercially can have this problem as well.

ith:

I have had this happen with leathergoods purchased at retailers before, sometimes from well-known outfitters (Abercrombie and Levis have done this, though not too bad--my jeans washed easily).

[TJ Kelley]

When I make belts and straps the backside and edges are first buffed by hand, then polished with Gum Tragacanth and lots of friction (which helps soften the fibres so they can be polished smooth and flat).


Great info, thanks!