A non-discolouring leather dye for patches?

[Vitto77]

Hi all
I'm new here 
I have and play a 30 key old Lachenal, and sometimes I needed to patch its bellows. After some first attempts, I re-did the work using a fine leather from some scraps I got from a friend. That was white leather, and I made a dye with rubbing alcohol and powdered dyes for wood. I mixed 'by eye' blue, yellow, black and medium dark walnut to get a good old Lachenal-Bellows Green. I applied it with a small painting brush, on several coats, with a lightest coat of leather wax. After a week or two, I regret, corner patches are turning blueish-white, for the friction on the leg during action (even if I try to put the side on the leg, instead of corners). Perhaps my homemeade attempt with powder "aniline" colours is wrong in itself, is there a way to make this dye resistant to friction, or there is a special dye I could use without fear to see original leather colour come out in a few days? It could be difficult to find a exact green leather patch, otherwise should I look for wrecked and unrepairable bellows to get patches? I tell again, dye's effect is very good, but it does not resist to friction and contact for a long time. Have you got any suggestion?
Thanks 

[LateToTheGame]

I used to work in leather making belts and coats and purses and we dyed things all the time. The problem you are having is you have started with a leather that has already been dyed so the dye you are using is just sitting on top of the surface.  You can experiment with scraps of that white leather by sanding down the surface and then trying to dye it. It may or may not stick better. It would be best if you can find a piece of leather that has not yet been dyed if you are going to dye it, or something that is closer to the color you need. 

 

We used to use a dye that is still available in the US called Feiblings Leather Dye.  These were aniline dyes. They absorb better than many, but will still have a hard time soaking through a leather that is already finished.  But even these don't always soak in enough to stay permanently on leather that has already been dyed.

 

Perhaps a shoe repair person or a tailor who specialized in making, repairing or cleaning leather jackets might have a scrap pile.  I know we used to have boxes and boxes of scraps we would give away to anyone who asked.

 

If you are playing the instrument for its functionality, don't be too worried about its looks. 

 

Others on the forum will have more experience with this.  I am sure someone like Chris Alger in the UK would have some  ideas. He has a shop that restores concertinas of all types.   I don't know if he is on the forum.  But you can contact him on his site.  He might have leather of the correct thinness and color he could sell you or ideas of where you could find it.

[Vitto77]

Hi
Thanks a lot, that's a point I've not considered at all! I've checked the Feiblings page, it seems good (moreover, they suggest to apply a final clear coat, but anyway it's for leather crafts that are not under regular movement and rubbing like bellows corners... so I can agree with you about the fact that sometimes could be not enough)
On my instrument I can regularly re-dye all patches, but I'd regret if I should restore a concertina for a friend and give him an instrument with discolouring parts. Thanks for the contact suggestion!
Have a nice day