Tandy Pro Leather Dye?

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:12 pm

Hello all, I bought some Tandy Pro Leather Dye. Presumably it's just alchohol based aniline dye, but it smells just a bit different (hint of sweetness). The lablel indicates it has some gylcol ether in it, which pipeman mentioned in another thread "is a common solubalizer for organic colorants and is on the whole safer to work with than methanol". So, I guess that's the sweeter smell? I used it (black) on my Last Pipe.

The slightly sweet smell has stayed on the pipe longer than I thought it might, and longer than when I mix my own dye up. It's been about five days. Any thoughts on this? It worked really well, much better than my home mixed stuff. I have a bunch of it now in different colors, so providing to doesn't mess with the taiste or kill me I think I'll stick with it.

bvartist · Post by **bvartist** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:30 am

Scott,
I'm far from a dye expert, but I've got a few different brands and one has glycol ether in it. It also has a sweet smell and I did notice the smell lasted several days on the pipe. Pretty much went away when I buffed and applied wax though. The pipe smokes fine, and there is no longer a hint of that sweet smell and I'm still alive. (cough, gasp!)

Most commercial alcohol based dyes use either the glycol ether or a benzene derivitive as an agent to keep the dye suspended in the alcohol base. I think for the most part they are ok to use and the smells will get less or go away over time. (hopefully)

David

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:00 pm

Great, thanks for the good news David! I finsihed another pipe with it last night. This time with a smooth finiish, and the smell seems to have clinged a little less to it than the one I had rusticated.

I like the way this dye works. Seems to apply much more evenly than my home brew, and it's very concentrated and the stummels also seems to take it better. Different to work with, and mostly for the best, at least so far.

Thanks again!

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:34 pm

I have about 20 different colors from 2 brands. One is tandy leather. I had a tandy leather by my house so I bought from them. I know the sweet smell but never have had a problem... just enjoy the smell. But not too much!

mahaffy · Post by **mahaffy** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:34 am

Scott,
Though Tandy dyes have often been mentioned here, thanks for the link; saves me a search. After my first few pipes, I had decided that I'd be a purist --- nothing but a carnuba finish. Then came the revelation of using shellac. Horrors! And then I saw that a LOT of you were using it, and very successfully. Well, I'll try it. And more recently I've been watching and looking at the contrast stain threads . . . and by golly, you got me! Some really lovely stuff you all are doing.

mahaffy · Post by **mahaffy** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:49 am

On the other hand, Kurt uses ("wouldn't use anythiing but")

http://www.aleathersource.com/Dyes.htm

Note too that Rad and others use an alcohol-based wood dye from

http://www.woodworker.com/cgi-bin/searc ... 0dye&ov=13

Mebbe-so we should rethink Tandy. Tandy is handy but liquor is quicker?

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:19 pm

mahaffy wrote:On the other hand, Kurt uses ("wouldn't use anythiing but")

http://www.aleathersource.com/Dyes.htm

Ayup. The Fiebings Leather dyes are wonderfully flexible in their uses. I've been using them for a few years now, and it would take a lot for me to even consider anything else.