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Warning: that 'simple' headband repair on a 1920s leather binding
Thought it was a two hour fix, but matching the grain and dye took three full days. Anyone know a good source for thin, flexible calfskin in a deep oxblood color?
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ivanpatel3mo ago
Three days for a headband sounds about right. You start with a "simple" fix and suddenly you're a chemist trying to match a hundred-year-old dye. Good luck with that oxblood hunt.
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daniel5522mo ago
Actually that NYC place closed down five years ago. Was called Olde Heritage Dye Works if I remember right. They were the ONLY ones who still had the original formula for oxblood from the 1920s. The guy who ran it retired and nobody wanted to learn the process. What people don't realize is oxblood isn't just one shade, it changes based on the fabric and the mordant used. Natural dyes from that era are a COMPLETELY different beast than modern synthetics. I wasted a whole weekend trying to match a vintage 1920s oxblood jacket and ended up just wearing it as is.
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