Staining with poke berries?

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

The staining power of poke berries is awesome. Has anyone used them in relation to horn,  fiber strap or bag, or leather staining. Would there be a way to "set" the stain on the item item?    Just wondering, perhaps, about a poke stained hemp horn strap or braided cord.   Its poke berry time here in eastern NC. 

Lon

[trentOH]

I've heard of using soda ash or white vinegar as a mordant for pokeberrys.  But I have not experimented with it myself. I would imagine it would look very good with a white or black horn.

[John SMOthermon]

I've seen ol' timers write their names on cotton pick sacks with poke berries back in the day. As i remember it held up well, i know when you get it on your skin you have to wear it off. 

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

Thanks for the info.  I'm going to flat braid some natural jute twine for a horn sling. I''ll  crush the berries,  add alcohol, soak  some of  the sling's extra length, and try the mordant on the dried braid.   

If it sets the berry juice,  I have a 1770 style horn in a yellowed ivory sort of color to put the sling on, with the ends whipped with artificial sinew.   Lon

[trentOH]

If it were wool you were dying, you'd be advised to wash the oils off of it, to take the dye better. I'm thinking if you hand braid the jute, you'll transfer enough oil from your hands to the jute to interfere with the dye-job. Wouldn't hurt to wear gloves while you're weaving, or dye the jute before you weave.

[Tim Crosby]

 I think if you bring the dye bath, water/berries,  to a boil before you put the strap in you will be alright. The heat should help set the color but remember it will dry lighter.
 Let us see how it turns out.

 Tim C. 

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

I may have gotten off on a wild goose chase. More checking at the ends of the internet reveals that  while pokeweed berries do make a nice stain, and vinegar or soda work to set the color,  the color just slowly fades till at a year it is a washed out , pale brown......the color of the hemp I'm using. So much for that brilliant idea.  Lon

[Randy Hedden]

Lon,

It has been my experience that any material dyed with dye made from berries always fades very fast and ends up a washed out color compared to when first dyed.  Many berries like mulberries, black berries, blue berries, etc., etc., all will stain clothes and flesh but severely fade over a short period of time.

Randy Hedden

[Black Hand]

Thanks for the info.  I'm going to flat braid some natural jute twine for a horn sling. I''ll  crush the berries,  add alcohol, soak  some of  the sling's extra length, and try the mordant on the dried braid.   

If it sets the berry juice,  I have a 1770 style horn in a yellowed ivory sort of color to put the sling on, with the ends whipped with artificial sinew.   Lon

If you are going to go through all the effort, at least use hemp twine.  Jute is not an appropriate material and will be noticeable.  It also does not wear well and is not as strong  Try linen or thin pieces of brain-tan (or even automotive chamois) instead of artificial sinew.  That artificial sinew stands out like a sore thumb....