Craftsmanship > Hawks and Knives

How to age or color bone?

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cb:
Fiebings Leather dye - the rgular stuff not the oil dye - it is one of the easiest and most colorfast of all methods.

"The problem" I have with the water based dyes such tea, coffee, etc. is it infuses moisture back into the material which then needs to dry for a much longer time than does the spirit based leather dyes.....granted this is not as much a problem for a hobbiest who's not under the gun to produce.......

Another very traditional method for bone, antler, and horn is aquafortis aka ferric nitrate...........

IronDawg:
You'd be suprised at what simple oil based minwax stains will do *IF* you allow them to SIT and dry. You can;t just wipe it on and wipe it off like ya do with a piece of wood. You have to allow it to sit, penetrate and harden until it's completely dry to the touch. Then you have to seal it with a compatable sealer (like spar helmsman) Not period correct by any means. But it's a bullet proof finish once cured. These were done with Minwax Mahogony. applied in different ways (some sponged on, some brushed on, some dipped, and some wiped on.)

Fort Greene Ville:
After you have soaked the items in tea solution and/or walnut dye bath. You can put the stained items in a sealable jug with a cap of ammonia. Adds a very nice patina!!

FGV

tg:
I have used Tea, Coffee, walnut hulls or other boiled bark solutions, I have not used the leather dye but have heard from several people that it is the cleanest easiest method.

 Nice looking knives Irondawg, those are some of the best color jobs I have seen.

IronDawg:
Thanks TG.

 The thing I like about it is because it takes a bit for an oil based stain like Minwax to soak in on dry rawhide and hardbone you have a lil bit to mess with it. You know, blot a little off here to fade it more, dry brush some there to add distress or saturate there to accent a smooth or end part. Almost like paintin.... Keep a dry cloth handy and some mineral spirits just incase and it's real easy to go "Aw man that don't look right!" and just wipe it down and start fromm scratch.

BUT once its hardened and cured?? forget it, because it aint comin back off. And as soon as the raw hide starts loosing the shine from the hide glue?? that means it's porous again and the stain is fixin to soak in and not come out.

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