Quick Tip: How to Easily Dye Edges of a Leather Belt 

I’m Beginner I really appreciate your videos. I always get answers each time I watch these. Thank you so much

I hesitate. But here it is. I have several marbel stamp lickers that I glue fine felt onto. I fill the reservoir with dye colors (not coat or paint) like you, I really hate the coats or paints on edges. Then just roll the belt along, holding the belt in 1 place (stand up doing this so u can do it in 1 nonstop motion. ) it puts the right amt of dye on edge. I use a bare stamp roller for thin wallet dyes. I have done this for 35yrs. Try if u like or not. This is a very old school way to do it. Ask for more info if u want. Once again,Very nice video

This and the edge slicking video are some of the best advise I've ever had and I really love the "up" in quality finish results I have had following this advise. Thanks for these little "golden nuggets" of wisdom from your experience Don. I always look forward to this kind of content from you.

Bob Park's dye marker pens have worked extremely well for me on belt edges.

Absolutely super tutorial! I've made ALL of the mistakes you've covered, really appreciate the dauber prep portion. "Black is dangerous"...so true. Thanks again for a great, useful tutorial, I really look forward to all you produce, always learn something new! Have a great day!!!

From what I've seen through practice with black dye(as well as any other colors): right after the dyed area is well dried it must be cleaned with good paper towels and there is no way to save any towel for one more move. Just slide once, flip the towel, slide once again, throw away, keep going until you see a clean towel with no dye traces. That helps to get rid of the majority(but not all) of those tiny pieces of pigment which gives our dyed project desired color. One more tip I found. After all mentioned above it is good to take some small amount of finishing agent and spray it from above using small spray bottles which are cheap and may be found everywhere. Not much, just enough evenly cover the surface and all the dye underneath. May also be useful in case antique paste is still get solved and thinned with water or any other liquid(that really drives me crazy). And while first layer dries the bottle may be rinsed for future use. Hope that these tips shall help somebody who tracks your channel, Don. All the best. fellas.

Custom belts is half my business. I use dye after l burnish too. l cut down my daubers to not much bigger than a double Q-tip and didn't know about the burning trick until l saw this video. I am real picky about the top coats l use and finally settled on Tandy's Super Shene. It doesn't change the color and it helps keep the leather clean and above all it doesn't bleed the Fiebings Pro Dye, an oil based dye that's all l ever use.

There's nothing like an old used dauber for edges, nice and matted down. Another good prep technique for a new fluffy dauber is to take a damp cloth and grab onto the daub, twisting it back and forth, it pulls all those loose fibers out, which is especially handy when you use daubers for an edge finish product, keeps those loose buggers from getting fused into the edge

Thanks for that. Really well articulated and easy to understand.

Thanks for that! Dang. Should have learned more about dyeing edges before I did my strap the other day. Also, I feel your pain about knocking jars over... I knocked over a bottle of top coat the other day and lost most of it. Thank goodness it wasn't dye, at least!

I really enjoy your videos. They are very helpful. Could you do one on lining a belt, i.e., recommended materials. Thanks!

Great video and thanks so much for posting!

just subscribed - you da man. thanks for taking the time to share.

1 time my border collie jumped up on my bench & I had a big bottle of black dye open while I was dyeing the edges on some saddle skirts. You know it ruined them skirts & I had black dye all over me. Black little poke a dots all over my face. Took a while to get it all off me. That learned me real quick about leaving my dye setting close open. I took me a beer coozie & screwed it to my wall to hold them big bottles. But I like that baby food jar idea you got cause the opening is bigger a lot easier to get your dauber wet, LOL. That didn't come out right

Very very cool. Thanks

Amazing tutorial, thank you!!

Don't sleep on that Fenice edge paint. If done Correctly, it can add a real nice look on the edges. I always found it to take more time but i like it on Some projects. Before I paint the edge I burnish the hell out of my edge. That is the key. Then i add paint, then I sand with 400, then reapply paint. Add wax for gloss. On handbags I think they look killer. I bought your clutch wallet companion pack and did it bison brown, natural veg tan, and red edges on the Sunflower pattern. Came out killler. Dont get me wrong, I still love a natural burnished edge as well.

Good videos thanks for the information

Have you ever done a video on your hip pouch/tool pouch?

Im “synging the fuzz” from this day forward!

Get you a wood clamp and set your die jar in the clamp that way it will keep it from being knocked over

Thank you for a great and detailed tutorial Don i appreciate it very much! ps. If you use carnabau cream and mix of waxes would you still apply tankote to finnish it off? Also is bag-kote also ok because i dont have tan kote atm?

Thanks

Love your tips. How do you not get dye on the back of a project? Thank you

How do you stop the edge dye from ‘bleeding’ through the fibres of the leather and up to the from.... I think in just using to much on the dobber. Second question... dye before slicking, sealing after right?

So, you don't Tan Kote the rough out side of the belt when it's not lined? Do you just oil it and that's it?

Don thx for tips on belt edge. Would like to know if I want a dark die on the top edges then do antique on center basket weave. Do I dye up to basket weave first then using a lite brown or saddle antique on basket weave after dyed top edges

Can you do a video on how to properly burnish edges

Hy bon I want ur advise I am going to start this Leather project.

I use this method but I have problems with the edging flaking off and wearing off quickly. I slick with saddle soap and the edge dye just doesn't seem to stick.

I purchased some fiebings edge ink and it contains xylol..... soon as I opened it I got a whiff and it smelled identical to pipeline primer ( butyl acetate) and fly hook head cement (toluene )... so 3 different solvents with the same smell ,break down bonding action and hard drying glass finish.... any thought to this chemistry???

So Don, Tan Kote is different than “Edge Kote”,, Right ? And the one you use is “Tan Kote” ???? Thanks

Hey Don, do you deglaze your leather before dyeing?

Do you use Gum Trag when you edge? When I first started, that seemed to be all the rage but I see less and less professionals using it in favor of other things and then they just dye the slicked edge.

What weight of leather do you use for the top of the belt then the liner weight?

Funny you could not stress dye getting on things enough.I believe dye is the devil. It gets on everything. I have been doing this craft the last three months and learned real quick how much you can trash your work with dye. I use new card board when dying with every new project and throw it out when done. Dye gets on everything period. One little drop will ruin a project. So you talking like you did made me laugh. I told a friend that to me dye is evil. Hahaha. Love your classes.

Takes a long time for it to get hard n nasty. But he keeps it handy right there where it’s easy to grab n just give it a quick dip in there just part way…. Just gonna focus on the very tip…. The tip alone, with just light strokes. That way ya don’t get it all,over everything. And always grab it with two hands. It’s dangerous.

I confirm! Overturning the dye jar is a drama! Real disasters.

Next up: dying the surface of a belt without dying the edges

4 strength, 4 stam leather belt? Uhhh! ughhh..ughhh.