Thread: Dyed vs. undyed leather

Hi,
Performance and durability wise, how do dyed and undyed cattle leather compare?
Thanks.

I'm no leather expert when it comes to the process, but it is my understanding that the dye plays no real role at all in terms of the two criteria you mention. If it does, it's effect is surely infinitesimal compared to say the effect of different leather types like cow vs horse, for example.

Though I hear red strops go faster...

James.

Dyeing seems to reduce the friction most of the time:

Also check this about chromium:

" When combined with oxygen, besides yielding chromic oxide, which is used as a pigment, it forms chromic anhydride (the red trioxide and anhydride of chromic acid). With other metallic elements, e.g., lead and potassium, together with oxygen, it forms the chromates and dichromates. These compounds are salts of chromic acid and are used as pigments in paints, in dyeing, and in the tanning of leather. Chrome yellow, a pigment, consists largely of lead chromate. Other chrome colors are black, red, orange, and green. In the chrome process for tanning leather, a dichromate is used, and chromium hydroxide, a basic compound of chromium, hydrogen, and oxygen, is precipitated and held in the leather. The hydroxide is used also as a mordant
in dyeing cloth."

So if we get a strop made of green dyed leather, does that mean we dont need to apply Crox paste?

Oh I see - sorry, I didn't read your question properly and thought you meant does veg tanned differ a lot from chromium tanned and so on.

Carry on.

James.