Finishing with Saddle Soap and Tan Kote

I might have gotten a little carried away with the photos and the descriptions in the last post but this time it should be a little shorter, maybe. I will try not to go into quite so much detail this time. The challenge for me when I am doing something like this is that I know what I am doing and it is difficult not to skip steps just for that reason. I think that it is very easy for anybody who has performed a task for many years to make sure that he or she has not missed a minute detail that could throw the trainee into a tailspin.

The last post covered the use of Neatsfoot Oil as a method to finish your project. It is a very good option to use on most “vegetable” tanned leathers. Leathers that are tanned using vegetable matter such as bark, roots, and other plant parts is referred to as vegetable tanned leathers. The brownish tint that is found in these leathers comes from the vegetable portion of the tanning mixture. Some companies have the word “oak” in the name of their vegetable tanned leather because they use oak bark a part of their tanning mixture.

I cannot tell you just how somebody came up with the idea of using vegetable matter in his or her tanning mixture. It might have been discovered unintentionally, in a fashion similar to Columbus discovering America, by accident. All I know is that somebody figured out the right mixture of chemicals and bark for tanning some great leather. I believe that the lightweight leather sample shown previously was tanned using less vegetable matter in its tanning process than the heavier weight sample.

The photo below shows another pattern sample that has been carved and stamped before anything has been applied to the grain. The container to the right of the sample is actually a form of saddle soap. In my shop, I have various forms of saddle soap that I have used in completing various tasks. I have saddle soap if the form of glycerin bar, sprayable liquid, and what you see below. This saddle soap can be described as either a cream or a paste. If you compare the description of other products on the market, either of the previous descriptive terms might fit this product.

Sample project before saddle soap is applied and saddle soap in the container

To apply this form saddle soap I used a piece of sheepskin, which I loaded up as much as I could. I used circular motions to make sure that the product was evenly distributed over the whole surface of the leather. When doing something like this it is important to make sure that any product you are applying to the leather is evenly applied so that the leather does darken more in some areas. Also, be careful not to rub the project with the sheepskin too long in one area of you project because it may cause darker spots to form as well.

The photo below shows how the sample project looked after I had applied the saddle soap to the grain side. Since this form of saddle soap is a bit creamy or like a paste, it is not difficult to apply. What I do not particularly like is the way it darkened the leather all over and gave it more of a flattened look. In other words, everything seems to be the same color. I also noticed that there is residue in the carved lines and a little bit in the stamped impressions as well. I will use this form of saddle soap on harness and saddles that have been around a few years but after seeing how the sample looked after application I most likely will not use it to finish my projects.

Sample with saddle soap applied - taken immediately after application was done.

I wanted to see how this sample would look if I applied Tan Kote on top of the saddle soap. I do not like the results of the combination of the two products together. I will admit that I am very biased in my opinion and I have the right the same as you. It may look absolutely beautiful to another person and I will not try to change his or her mind about anything. To me this sample looks very dull and some of the character of the tooling seems to be missing now. The photos below are a comparison between having a plain saddle soap finish to that of applying Tan Kote on top of the saddle soap. If I want a more natural look to the leather, I will more than likely stick to using Neatsfoot Oil.

Sample 12 hours after applying saddle soap

Sample after 12 hours - saddle soap with Tan Kote

Now, after the negativity concerning the use of the saddle soap on the sample project, I have to admit to two things. First, I believe that this is the very first time I had ever used saddle soap on a newly tooled project and if I had done it before I possibly would not have had this reaction. Second, I may not have waited long enough for the saddle soap to penetrate the leather completely before applying the Tan Kote. Somewhere down the line I might decide to try using the saddle soap on another sample project.

The photo shown below is again another sample with the same pattern stamped on it. The difference with this sample and the previous ones is that I made different decorative cuts on the flower petals and some of the leaves. This sample is done with Tan Kote only and it looks great as far as I am concerned. If you look closely at the some of the areas, especially the background,  you will see some spots that look a little white. The white effect comes from the Tan Kote having some air bubbles in it from my applying it with sheepskin in a circular motion. Some habits are hard to break. Do not get alarmed about the spots that look this way, it will disappear after the product is dried.

 

Sample immediately after applying Tan Kote to surface

Still another photo, showing the Tan Kote finished sample after sitting overnight for approximately twelve hours. The areas that looked white have disappeared because the Tan Kote has been absorbed into the leather and dried. I do like the looks of the Tan Kote on the leather because it gives the it a mellow finish rather than a shiny one. I do not like the shine of some of the lacquer finishes that I have seen in the past. I think that Tan Kote is a very good option for a finish coat on your project. 

Sample 12 hours after applying Tan Kote to the surface

What  I have tried to demonstrate with the samples in the last few posts is that the leather can be finished in various ways. It does not have to be shiny to look good and it does not require a lot of work to look make the finish look good either. The major requirement when finishing a project is that you make something the way you think it should be done and you finish it to match your taste. If you want to dye your belt green by all means, do it. Feel free to experiment with your projects, but try it on a sample first!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Have fun!