Tattooing leathers

This may seem liike a stoopid question but I have wondered about it for years, is it possible to tattoo leather ? I mean leather is just skin after all, how cool would it be to have a tottally unique one piece with your favourite designs on it ?

would the design show up? unless it was white which fades as my tattoo is evidence

[SoulKiss]

People have been painting leather jackets for years.

I had one that I did with silver acrylic paint - worked nicely.

You *COULD* just use leather dye if you wanted a tattoo'd rather than painted look.

K - your opinion please

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

K - your opinion please

Oh OK then.

From what I gather, tattooing works because it pigments the lowest layer of the skin and can therefore been seen through the upper, translucent layers.
When a hide is turned into leather this lowest layer is lost so it would be impossible to, in the stictest manner, 'tattoo' it.

Human skin by the way, when tanned, makes a very fine and papery leather. Quite fragile.

The closest you would get is to paint onto the surface of the leather with either spirit or oil based dyes that would then penetrate it.
Paints like acrylic can work too, but these sit ontop of the surface, and whilst fairly flexible, eventually crack or flake and are not resistance to scuffing.
Dye on the other hand will be more likely to remain visable if subjected to surface damage.

There is quite a range of colours available but they will all be affected to a greater or lesser degree by the original colour of the leather being painted.
Acylics however, because they adhere to the surface, aren't affected in this way - so lighter colours, white etc are usable to far greater effect.

*Hangs head in shame* I'm a leather-nerd.

Originally Posted by K

Oh OK then.

Human skin by the way, when tanned, makes a very fine and papery leather. Quite fragile.

You know this how??

Originally Posted by rigor

You know this how??

"It rubs the lotion on it's skin and puts the lotion in the basket"

Anything you wanna tell us k?

Originally Posted by El Saxo

"It rubs the lotion on it's skin and puts the lotion in the basket"

Anything you wanna tell us k?

Originally Posted by rigor

You know this how??

Check out the link in K's sig.

Originally Posted by K

Oh OK then.


*Hangs head in shame* I'm a leather-nerd.

thats ok K thought you were maybe a tattoo nerd, which is much much scarier

Originally Posted by rigor

You know this how??

Goats have a relatively thin skin - when cured and tanned it can be used to make parchment for writing on. Baby goats have the softer skin that makes for a better quality parchment. So, the finer the skin, the more lightweight and finer the parchment...

... the finest parchment found by archaeologists has been tested and shown to have been made from human skin.

Originally Posted by kitkat

thats ok K thought you were maybe a tattoo nerd, which is much much scarier

Nah, tattooing is simply a case of needles, pigments and repeated stabbing...

... making leather involves dead animals and zombie* brains n stuff. Far more interresting.

* OK, so maybe I fibbed about the zombie bit...

... just not about the brains.