Welcome to the first of a multi-series post that discuss the making and use of historic leather dyes. For as long as people have made things, leather has been one of our most trusted materials. From ancient clothing and shelters to small pouches, satchels, and — more recently — knife sheaths and holsters, leather has always been part of daily life.
How we got here
Just like today, craftsmen throughout history wanted their work to stand out. One of the oldest ways to add beauty and character to leather goods was with dye. Long before modern bottles of dye lined store shelves, makers relied on simple, natural recipes — often using whatever they could find nearby — to add color and distinction to their work.
In our effort to recreate custom Historic Knives, Greg decided to dig deeper than just the blades themselves. Since he’s hand-forging knives used 200 or 300 years ago, it’s only right that the sheaths match that history too. Back then, leather workers couldn’t run down to the local Hobby Lobby for a bottle of dye — they had to make it themselves. Therefore, Greg took on that challenge!
After diving into historical texts and records [1, 2, 3], Greg found leather dye recipes for vinegaroon and oak bark dyes. These were used for centuries to color leather and were simple enough to make with household items. When he’s done experimenting, he brings me a mason jar of his latest concoction to test on my sheaths— they’ve been working beautifully! Explore our handcrafted knives and sheaths, some featuring these historic dyes, in our shop.
Two historic leather dyes he’s brewed
- Vinegaroon, which turns leather a deep, striking black. It takes several days to brew and develop its full effect — but it’s worth the wait.
- Oak Bark Dye, which gives leather a gorgeous, rich brown that can range from light to dark depending on how long the leather is soaked.
Both of these historic leather dyes have roots going back centuries — possibly even as far as the Stone Age! (Although we’re not planning on going full caveman just yet.)
In the next posts, we’ll share more about these dyes, how Greg makes each dye and how I use them to enhance the sheaths. We’ll include a few tips for getting the best results if you want to try these historic dyes on your own projects.
👉 Stay tuned! Next up: How to Make Vinegaroon dye for Leather.
References
- [1] Adrosko, R.J. *Natural Dyes in the United States*. Smithsonian Institution Press 1968.
- [2] Cannon, John, and Margaret Cannon. *Dye Plants and Dyeing*. Herbert Press, 1994
- [3} Osborne, Ruth. “New Process: Exploring Natural Dyeing with Tree Bark.” Ruth Osborne Art, 2022, www.ruthosborneart.com