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 Expert
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Location: Silver Lake, MN | I have a Shiloh saddle I love, it's gorgeous and rides nice. The leather is more of a reddish tint to it...is there a way to darken it to a deeper brown? Or will it just stay that way cause it's the natural color of the leather? |
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 Veteran
Posts: 158
| I sure darkened mine, on accident lol. When the leather conditioner says apply a thin coat and wipe off excess, the don't mean glob the stuff on and rub it in for 10 minutes. Went quite a few shades darker. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I know someone who dyed their fully tooled light saddle dark and it came out gorgeous. So yes it can be done. |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
 
Location: NE Texas | Most oil will darken leather, tooled or smooth. You don't want to put oil on roughout of course, and the oil could cause it to bleed onto your jeans, but yes, oil will darken the tooling. :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | As has already been mentioned, saddle oil. Lube her up. |
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Expert
Posts: 2674
Location: Silver Lake, MN | All I have ever used on it was bickmore since that is what I had. Get like a neatsfoot oil or something of that sort? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| CarrieH77 - 2016-04-12 11:09 AM
All I have ever used on it was bickmore since that is what I had. Get like a neatsfoot oil or something of that sort?
Yes neatsfoot is good. You can oil the roughout as well to help darken it but it will lay the fibers down and give it a smoother look. If you choose to oil the roughout you can take a wire brush and brush up the fibers on the oiled roughout.
ETA: Anywhere that is oiled and comes into contact with your jeans will transfer oil from your saddle to your jeans and dye from you jeans to your saddle.
Edited by cyount2009 2016-04-12 12:05 PM
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | I know someone the dyed their entire saddle, black! |
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Expert
Posts: 2674
Location: Silver Lake, MN | This saddle if fully tooled...no rough out. Will the oil soak in or is it just going to make a mess? LOL. |
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Expert
Posts: 1898
| CarrieH77 - 2016-04-12 1:09 PM
This saddle if fully tooled...no rough out. Will the oil soak in or is it just going to make a mess? LOL.
How long it takes to soak in will depend on how dry the leather is. If it's really dry it will soak it right up. I would suggest setting the saddle out in the sun for a couple hours on a nice warm day. This will open the pores of the leather and then put a light coat of oil on. Wait a day and repeat. Keep doing this until you get the desired darkness or until the saddle won't soak the oil in any longer. If it stops soaking it in, you can take a clean cloth and wipe the excess off.
Any areas that have been heavily ridden, fenders, jockeys, and possible seat, will be darker than the rest of the saddle. Because the leather is worn and stretched it will soak the oil up differently than skirts. |
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Expert
Posts: 2674
Location: Silver Lake, MN | Awesome thank you. The saddle isn't real old so I will wait until it warms up a bit and try it out. |
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It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | CarrieH77 - 2016-04-12 1:25 PM Awesome thank you. The saddle isn't real old so I will wait until it warms up a bit and try it out.
Post pictures when you do it! |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | cyount2009 - 2016-04-12 1:23 PM CarrieH77 - 2016-04-12 1:09 PM This saddle if fully tooled...no rough out. Will the oil soak in or is it just going to make a mess? LOL. How long it takes to soak in will depend on how dry the leather is. If it's really dry it will soak it right up. I would suggest setting the saddle out in the sun for a couple hours on a nice warm day. This will open the pores of the leather and then put a light coat of oil on. Wait a day and repeat. Keep doing this until you get the desired darkness or until the saddle won't soak the oil in any longer. If it stops soaking it in, you can take a clean cloth and wipe the excess off. Any areas that have been heavily ridden, fenders, jockeys, and possible seat, will be darker than the rest of the saddle. Because the leather is worn and stretched it will soak the oil up differently than skirts.
^^^^ Good advice.....the only thing that I will add is that you use PURE neatsfoot oil......do not use Neatfoot Oil Compound ! |
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One Grateful Mom
Posts: 2702
Location: wolverton,mn | The tami semas group recommends olive oil |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| talk to a saddle maker to what kind of stain to use. one of my facebook peeps stained a western pleasure saddle, stained in a dark coffee color. looks wonderful. |
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 A very grounded girl
Posts: 5052
Location: Moving soon..... | I have a friend that is a saddle maker. He told me to use olive oil so if you get it on your jeans it will come off. That is all that I use on my saddles. |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | NJJ - 2016-04-12 5:25 PM cyount2009 - 2016-04-12 1:23 PM CarrieH77 - 2016-04-12 1:09 PM This saddle if fully tooled...no rough out. Will the oil soak in or is it just going to make a mess? LOL. How long it takes to soak in will depend on how dry the leather is. If it's really dry it will soak it right up. I would suggest setting the saddle out in the sun for a couple hours on a nice warm day. This will open the pores of the leather and then put a light coat of oil on. Wait a day and repeat. Keep doing this until you get the desired darkness or until the saddle won't soak the oil in any longer. If it stops soaking it in, you can take a clean cloth and wipe the excess off. Any areas that have been heavily ridden, fenders, jockeys, and possible seat, will be darker than the rest of the saddle. Because the leather is worn and stretched it will soak the oil up differently than skirts.
I think of you everytime I look for more oil. I remember your saying - only Pure.
I also use Caldwell oil on mine. Do the same thing - let them sit in the sun and reapply. |
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Expert
Posts: 2674
Location: Silver Lake, MN | I'm wondering if I will be better off staining it or oiling it? It's a pretty saddle and I got a good deal on it. I was thinking of selling it to get a different one with the same tree but I know this fits my gelding so I am hesitant to sell it.
I might call Stacy see what he thinks. It is super dirty from sitting all winter I live in the frozen tundra.
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Would something like this work? I've never used it, but came across it just now.
http://www.amazon.com/Ounce-Leather-Antique-Tandy-2607-02/dp/B0057Y...
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | Gunner11 - 2016-04-19 11:37 AM Would something like this work? I've never used it, but came across it just now. http://www.amazon.com/Ounce-Leather-Antique-Tandy-2607-02/dp/B0057Y...
No.....Antique gel will settle much darker in the background tooling. It is a stain to make projects look antique with low and highlights that would be caused (supposedly) by wear. Just remember that IF you choose to use any "stain" or dye", you must SEAL the leather after with a good sealer to keep it from rubbing off on your jeans etc. It is really hard to get an "even" coloring on a used saddle. |
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Saddle question - can you darken a fully tooled saddle?