keithbutler•24d ago

Just finished a repair on a 1920s hymnal and had to pick between using new leather or trying to match the old patina with a dye. Went with the dye, mixed my own blend of Fiebing's Pro Dye in dark brown and cordovan. It's close, but not perfect. How do you all handle that kind of match?

3 comments

3 Comments

laurag7924d ago

Mixing dyes is the only way to get it close, I've been there.

mary_martin2220d ago

But you can mix all day and it still won't match right. The old leather has aged, it's seen light and hands. Your new dye sits on top and looks flat, almost plastic. I tried it on a 1920s binding and it looked worse than just using a new piece of brown calf. The slight mismatch looks honest.

reese_nelson24d ago

Honestly, I'd just use the new leather every time. Trying to match old color is a fool's game... you'll never get it right and it always looks like a bad touch-up from ten feet away. A clean, honest repair with new material shows the book's history better than a fake match. That slight difference tells the story of what's original and what's been cared for.