Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

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oklahoma red
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Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by oklahoma red »

I think it is safe to say that Fiebing is the brand most pipemakers use for stain (on this side of the pond anyway). I know some out there are using aniline dyes but for this discussion we'll stay with Fiebing.
I'm curious if anyone has done any in-depth comparison testing of the three blacks that are commonly available-standard alcohol black, USMC black and the Pro Oil black.
The Pro Oil is also alcohol based but has been modified in some manner (the assumption being the addition of some sort of oil).
I, for one, would be interested to know the the rationale behind choosing a particular version.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by sandahlpipe »

Usmc black is more navy blue than black. It stands for US Marine Corps. The oil dyes have deeper penetrating properties as they have oil in the mixture. The standard leather dye is what most people use, and it does not penetrate the wood as deeply as the oil dye. This is just my experience.
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Re: Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by LatakiaLover »

Used undiluted (it's a concentrate) this is the blackest black I've found:

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Su ... tains.html
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Re: Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by PremalChheda »

sandahlpipe wrote:Usmc black is more navy blue than black. It stands for US Marine Corps. The oil dyes have deeper penetrating properties as they have oil in the mixture. The standard leather dye is what most people use, and it does not penetrate the wood as deeply as the oil dye. This is just my experience.

The oil dye may or may not be a drying oil. Last time I used it was back in 2007, and I recall that the oil kept leaching out so I stopped using it.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by sandahlpipe »

The oil dye does take a longer time to dry and needs to have the excess wiped off with water or denatured alcohol. I'd only use it if you're letting it dry for at least 24 hours before finishing.
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baweaverpipes
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Re: Comparison of Fiebing black dyes

Post by baweaverpipes »

When doing a contrast stain, I never use USMC black due to the blue hue. Once I did this with yellow and ended up having to redo a green pipe!
I've had great luck with the oil based, it simply needs to dry for a day or two.
George, thanks for the tip on the Stew-Mac.
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