Age barktan deer skin

[hawkeye]

Looking for aging methodes for barktan leather, advice please

[DougS]

Hello Hawkeye,

I've had good results with soaking in a walnut dye bath. Depending on the desired color, it usually doesn't take too long.

Regards,

Doug

[Hungry Horse]

Usually bark tanned leather is pretty dark in color, and doesn’t require any sort of colorant  to make it look old, or used. How did you get bark tanned leather to cove out light in color?

  Hungry Horse

[hawkeye]

The barktan I got is reddish brown color and I like to darken and aged look

[KentSmith]

Just how aged?  Some people spray the leather down with oven cleaner.  The lye can give it a crinkled (chemical burn) look.  Makes me nervous to spray lye on an expensive piece of leather but to each their own.  Some do a vinegar/steel wool thing thing or a ferric nitrate treatment to darken.  I have 3 Joe Mills bags that look like Daniel Boone dragged them through the mud, rinsed them while crossing a river and dried them in the sun about 100 times.  Don't know what he does but it is effective for aging the leather pouch specifically the strap.  I use the easy off thing and get good results but don't have the nerve to wait more than a couple minutes so don't get that crinkling effect on the surface.  Try a piece of scrap first to get it like you want.

[hawkeye]

Gonna try it out Kent, thank you for sharing