Leather for making shooting bags

[Scota4570]

I made a couple of bags.  Spent a lot of time too.  I made all of the buckles too.  They turned out great. 

I used veg tanned tooling leather as is recommended.  I use vinegar and iron harness dye.  My bags fell apart after a few years.  The leather lost all integrity. 

Is this likely a problem with the leather or the dye?

I am thinking  I want to make new bag.  Given the sad condition of my hands I do not want to waste my time again.  I was thinking of using modern chrome tanned leather this time. 

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Scot

[Robby]

I have made several of both types of leather. The Chrome tanned seems more prone to get that whitish mold, which is easily dealt with and doesn't seem to have any affect on the leather. I like the vegetable tanned leather and just treat it with pure neetsfoote oil and or saddle soap, leave it in the sun when I can, it takes on a nice natural color. Some treat it with Ritt dye or leather dyes made for that purpose and get a color to what they're looking for.
 Robby

[Jeff Murray]

I also use leather dye, and liquid mink oil to treat the leather.  A couple of my bags are over 40 years old.

[Ghillie]

Vinegar is acidic, normally 5% acetic acid.  The acid is probably leading to the leather going bad.

[Notchy Bob]

I’m sorry to hear of the deterioration of your pouches.  How frustrating!

I think the problem is not with the leather, but that the acid in the vinegaroon (vinegar and iron mixture) used for coloring the leather ate it up.  I’ve heard of this happening, and have been spooked (and advised) not to use vinegar on for that reason.  I still use Fiebing’s leather dye.

Vinegaroon reacts with the tannin in vegetable tanned leather to change the color of the leather itself.  The vinegaroon is a reagent, and not a dye.

Lots of people will tell you how to make vinegaroon, but very few mention neutralizing the acid after the coloration has been achieved.  I tried it on a sample piece, and rinsed the sample pretty thoroughly with clear water after the coloration was achieved.  The sample swatch seems to be intact, but it has only been a couple of years.  Maybe some of the professionals here can advise us.

I would stick with vegetable (bark) tanned leather, in any event.  Chrome tanned leathers can be corrosive to metallic objects over time.  Chrome tanned leathers ought to work for a pouch, but I just wouldn’t leave anything stored in it.  For a shot pouch, or “hunting bag,” I would use milled veg tan leather.  It is more supple than the regular veg tanned tooling leather.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

[T.C.Albert]

Yes. Veg tan leather seems to be best, especially if you are laying stitches with marking wheels etc… in fact tooling can only really be done with veg tans. Then again it may depend on the bag style you are making. Bark tan hides for primitive style bags, smoked brain tans for some others. Again, you have many traditional options.

That said, in the past decade or so I’ve found cheaper hides from some retailers are not good to try and use vinagaroon on. I also learned that the hard way too. These days I’ve even had issues with spirit dyes turning cheaper leathers brittle. Especially thin stuff.

I think true vat tanned oak stuff would hold up to vinegaroon. The combination has been used for ever, but iron/vinegar dyes conbined with questionable tannage and you can really have unanticipated issues. If you want to use iron/vinegar dyes, I’d suggest only using true old time vat oak tans like those you can buy from Herman Oak or maybe Wickett and Craig. But be warned, that stuff is very expensive. Then again so is custom bark tan and brain tan.

For a much more predictable result on even cheaper leathers, I recommend eco-Flo water based dyes these days. I don’t think you could get into too much trouble with those.
TC