Gel Based Dyes

Detailed filter Not sure about your choice? Our advisor will help. For each parameter we explain what it means and how to choose the right one. Help me choose

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  • Fiebing's Antique Finish 118 ml

    Fiebing's Antique Finish 118 ml

    Fiebing's Antique Finish is a specialized paste designed to create a deep two-tone patina that gives leather products a well-defined antique look.

    Shades: Sheridan Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Black, Neutral

    ● In stock

    from 12.66 € / 118 ml

  • Eco-Flo Gel Antique 236 ml

    Eco-Flo Gel Antique 236 ml

    Eco-Flo Gel Antique is a thick, water-based gel dye designed to create a patina and antique look on vegetable-tanned leather.

    Shades: Black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Tan, Saddle Tan, Mahogany, Briar Brown

    ● In stock

    from 10.12 € / 236 ml

Snappy advises

Gel Based Dyes – what to choose?

Gel dyes are thick antiquing dyes for surface patina on leather. Thanks to their gel consistency they don't run or soak in quickly like alcohol dyes, so you have time to work with them. They shine most on tooled leather: the gel flows into the impressions left by stamps and carving, you wipe it off the raised areas, and a contrasting patina emerges that highlights every detail of the pattern. On smooth leather it creates an even, slightly shaded tone.

We stock Fiebing's Antique Finish (118 ml) and Eco-Flo Gel Antique (236 ml). The shades cover the classic saddlery range: black, tan and saddle tan, medium to dark brown, mahogany, cherry, Sheridan brown and neutral for subtle shading.

Not sure about the shade? Screens distort colours. Our online colour chart shows real photos of dyed leather for all shades, patinas and dyes in stock. Treat the chart as a guide. The final shade always depends on the leather type, tanning method and the specific batch.

Parameter guide

What the parameters mean and how to choose the right values.

The colour of the version. On hardware it is the colour of the finish, on everything else (webbing, rope, leather dyes, edge paint, textiles) the colour of the material itself. A shade in a photo and on a screen differs from the real thing, so when ordering more for a production run already under way, compare by the name of the shade, not by the picture.

The contents of the pack, in millilitres for liquids and in grams for pastes and waxes. Pack sizes differ from maker to maker, and American brands often fill by the US fluid ounce (29.5 ml). To compare prices, work out the cost per millilitre or gram, not per pack.

The brand the goods are made under. It works mainly as a filter: when a series already under way uses one brand of hardware or dye, you can reorder the same version without wondering whether the shade or the shape differs. Every item has our own product code anyway.

Workshop opinion

Pavla's hands-on view – what caught her attention and what to watch out for when making and choosing.

Pavla Nováková
Pavla Nováková Saddler in the Pet Hardware workshop

I use Eco-Flo Gel Antique for patinating collars and belts made from vegetable-tanned cowhide decorated with stamps. I first treat the leather with Pro Resist, otherwise the gel grabs the flat areas too and the patina looks dirty instead of contrasting. Then I apply the gel with a sponge over the whole surface, let it sit for a minute and wipe it off the raised spots with a rag. It stays dark in the impressions and the pattern pops immediately.

Compared to alcohol dye I have time, the gel doesn't dry within seconds, so the wiping can be corrected. Once done I coat it with a finisher, the gel alone isn't abrasion resistant. On smooth undecorated leather I'd reach for alcohol dyes, there the gel has nothing to highlight.


– Pavla Nováková
I put it on the workbench first. You get facts instead of guesses.
Tested in the Pet Hardware workshop

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