Leather blacking

[BobSullivanPress]

Re: Leather blacking

Oh, well if it's more original recipes you want (other than Mr. Dingee), here you go:

From Beadle’s Dime Recipe Book, 1863, page 95.

Superior Liquid Blacking – Equal to any made. Use ivory black, in fine powder. Twenty-eight pounds; molasses, eight pounds; refined or droppings sweet oil, one pint; good malt vinegar, one gallon; stale but good beer, two gallons, oil of vitriol, two ounces; soft water distilled, siz gallons. Mix molasses and water together; and to powder add oil till well mixed; then add beer and vinegar in pan; stir well together one hour with stick, then fill for use. A ready sale of this excellent prize blacking, with oilmen and grocers, at twelve dollars and a half per gross. Profit, eight dollars. Consumption needs no comment. Note-Put the oil of vitriol in the water and mix, and then add the whole together.

Oil, Paste blacking – take oil of vitriol, two ounces; tanner’s oil, five ounces; ivory black, two pounds; molasses, five ounces; mix the oil and vitriol together, and let it stand a day, and then add the ivory black and molasses, and the white of one egg, and stir it well together to a thick paste. This is a superior blacking, will not injure the leather, and gives universal satisfaction.

Now, good luck getting the vitriol, and frankly, I think you are going to have to scale these recipes down a bit.;)

[Jam3853]

Re: Leather blacking

Any 19th century period recipes other then "18th century (blackball)" that contain tallow, lampblack, and beeswax?

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Leather blacking

Oh, well if it's more original recipes you want (other than Mr. Dingee), here you go:

From Beadle’s Dime Recipe Book, 1863, page 95.

Superior Liquid Blacking – Equal to any made. Use ivory black, in fine powder. Twenty-eight pounds; molasses, eight pounds; refined or droppings sweet oil, one pint; good malt vinegar, one gallon; stale but good beer, two gallons, oil of vitriol, two ounces; soft water distilled, siz gallons. Mix molasses and water together; and to powder add oil till well mixed; then add beer and vinegar in pan; stir well together one hour with stick, then fill for use. A ready sale of this excellent prize blacking, with oilmen and grocers, at twelve dollars and a half per gross. Profit, eight dollars. Consumption needs no comment. Note-Put the oil of vitriol in the water and mix, and then add the whole together.

Oil, Paste blacking – take oil of vitriol, two ounces; tanner’s oil, five ounces; ivory black, two pounds; molasses, five ounces; mix the oil and vitriol together, and let it stand a day, and then add the ivory black and molasses, and the white of one egg, and stir it well together to a thick paste. This is a superior blacking, will not injure the leather, and gives universal satisfaction.

Now, good luck getting the vitriol, and frankly, I think you are going to have to scale these recipes down a bit.;)

Bob,

I have nothing against Mr. Dingee - and you're the first who posted a cited source and directions for blackening leather. While many of the methods to get to the multitude of concoctions may be problematic/not-possible today, I think it's important that we understand what folks went through in the period (though many of these concoctions were mass produced and marketed).

Oil of Vitriol: sulphuric acid?

Paul B.

[Longrope]

Re: Leather blacking

Curt, how well did you oil the cartridge box and belt before it started to flake? I have the same problem with the skirts on a McClellan I made it 15 years ago and haven't done anything with since. I figured that the flaking was caused by dryness of the leather.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Leather blacking

Hallo!

I have acid caused cracking only, but acid also can do surface flaking because of the accelerated drying action. Some folks call this ""acid rot," others "oxidation."
I had a Staff and Field officers sword that someone had cut the suspension straps from but left the ends in the loops. It had been my grandfather's who found it in a closet when he bought their house in 1944. The elderly daughter of its owner, wanted the revolver and hoslter but not the sword and gave it to him. Anyways the leather ends were acid rotted into crumbing dust.

I also have an unproven theory that our leather accoutrements that were sealed in acrylic for a high gloss will some day in the Future exhibit widepsread cracking as the surface of the leather shrinks and cannot "breathe." But, I have goods from the 1970's that were "greased" and maintained andhad o evidence of cracking or flaking.

Curt

[David Jarnagin]

Re: Leather blacking

I do not want to end the conversation but there are a couple of errors that I would like to comment on.

Dingee’s re-dye formula:
I do not doubt that Dingee’s formula would work but I really doubt it was the one he used. Dingee was a tanner and one thing I have learned about tanners they will give you a formula but it will not be the one they used. The second problem is as many things the conversation has been taken out of context. The formula was for re-blackening buff. There was a discussion between several ordnance officers and both Dingee and Pittman. Pittman suggested copperas which was the common type of iron used by tanneries of the time. The other problem with Dingee’s formula is that it makes a good black ink but not a leather dye as Bob pointed out.

To make a leather dye the iron and logwood must be applied separately in order to get them to bond with the leather. The main reason for logwood was to bond to the iron. The nut galls were to add a little yellow in order to defeat the blue and make a black. A major word of warning here is to know what you are doing before you try since acid rot or “red rot” will be the result of improper dyeing.
Okay here is the required science part. Iron or FE has several forms and if it is not attached to tannin to bind the iron the iron will over time change form to sulfuric acid in the right conditions. I would follow this link to find out more information. http://confederatesaddles.com/cswp/?p=346

Curt,
Modern dyes do not have the problems with acid rot as with period methods and more than likely to develop acid rot but there are other problems that can cause surface flacking. One of the other ways to cause surfacing flaking is over oiling so you are in a catch 22. There is no point in going into what I have already written about so just follow this link. http://confederatesaddles.com/cswp/?p=351

If you have any questions please email me at djarnagin@bellsouth.net

Thanks
David Jarnagin
Leather Researcher and Conservator.