New dyes for feathers, hair and fur....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

As some may know we get lots of people in from the hair saloons now, mostly women buying our long thin saddle hackles to put in women's hair.

Yesterdays I was discussing with a gal how I use to dye feathers many years ago (1970s) when things we very have to find.

I told her that I used Rit dye but the better dye was Veniard from England. Jay Fair uses Veniard dye.

http://www.veniard.com/


She told me the best dyes now were from Jacquards.

http://www.jacquardproducts.com/


She also said they use a Microwave to do it in seconds now.

http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/dyingmaterial/microwavedyeing.php


Web site about dyeing materials etc.

http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/petti.htm#PRESERVING AGENTS

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[1flyfisher]

I made my first attempt at dying hackles in the early nineties after meeting jay up at Eagle and talking to him about materials and patterns I was developing and getting the right colors I wanted. At that time I was mostly after shades of orange and shades of reddish orange that I wanted for a pattern I was tying for eagle and other stillwaters.
I went with Rit and the results were excellent it works great. I can't think of any negatives to using it as far as the end results. I boiled water and used a pyrex baking dish and then just soaked the materials in the liquid as per the Rit instructions. After having done this I would be very leery about using a microwave or doing this in the house. You spill any dye.....guess what? You just dyed your floor, carpet, clothes, furniture, dog, cat, kids ...etc. Nice thing Rit is readily available locally and inexpensively at your drug store. I did have some trial and errors with trying to get some shades of olive green. Initially they came out too bright green but that isn't a problem as you can just re do them in a darker shade so they aren't ruined if the color doesn't come out exactly right.
You just have to experiment a bit.
I would not recommend doing this anywhere but outside on the lawn or any area where you wouldn't care if you spill. It's messy business but worth it if you are after something. I dyed enough of the materials (hackle) in the colors I wanted so I don't have to do it again.
I may re explore dying in the future if the need arises. But till then I have no need to mess around with it.

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[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Maybe we could have some of these hair dressers come in and put on a demo on dyeing feathers?

[Bob Scheidt]

http://www.organicdye.com

Here is a link to fly dye. I think they go by Orco dyes too.
They advertise in Fly Tyer magazine. I have been doing a little dyeing off and on for 20 years. I will be there on expo day and can discuss the process with anyone interested.
The Jacquard is an acid dye for proteins, the acid here is vinegar.

Bob

[kbarton]

Dyes and coloration is a precise and frustrating science, what's important is to learn your vendors dyes and then stick with them - as one fellows idea of Olive is another man's Green.

Outside of the primary colors of the color wheel almost every color is a blend of dye powder - which responds to a lot of external environmental things including; how clean the material is, what Ph is your tapwater, what temperature is the dye solution, and how much and what kind of fixative was used ...

... and there's a merit badge for destroying materials - mostly by ignoring one of the factors above while you headscratch why the Puce dye yielded a batch of rose petal colored saddle hackle ...

Mister T said it best when he uttered, " I pity the fool ..."

That being said, I get all my dyes from the Jacquard and Dharma companies.

For dyeing Cotton, rayon, hemp, silk materials:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

For dyeing natural materials:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/9236231-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html (Dharma)
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1344-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html (Jacquard)

Acid dyes like Veniard use white vinegar ( also called ascetic acid 5%) to fix color - now you only need porcelain or stainless steel pots and nerves of steel.

Hope This Helps,

Keith Barton

[socallies23]

I have been using the jaqcaurds acid dyes for a few years now they are very vibrant easy to use, easy to find, and most of all very cheap! I use it on rhea alot, saddles and all other feathers that I want to match to get that special look of a perfect match. I have found for us in the north state that dharma trading in the bay area will have it to your door in a day or two! The colors really never fade even though I may have a flie on my dash for a year. With these dyes you do need a vinegar or citric acid so you don't burn the plumage! I have been doing alot of dying for hairdressers for some extra dough. Never hurts... I dying waterfowl I found that washing feathers with dawn or other oil fighting dish agent is helpfull prior to the dye bath for better penetration of dye.