Famaco Dark Tan Havana Liquid Dye 322 – 30ml Leather Dye Kit with Sponge

Description

Famaco Dark Tan Havana Liquid Dye 322 – 30ml Leather Dye Kit with Sponge – the warm red-brown that a generic brown flattens

Havana is a specific brown. It has red in it, and a little orange, and that warmth is the whole reason tan shoes look expensive in daylight. It is also the first thing to disappear when a faded pair gets treated with something simply labelled brown, because most browns on the shelf are built cool and end up turning a lively tan into a flat, muddy colour.

This dye is mixed to that warm mid-brown rather than to a neutral one, and it penetrates instead of coating. The pigment travels into the fibres, so the shade becomes a property of the leather and keeps the depth and variation that make tan interesting. Famaco include a sponge and a brush so you can cover panels and detail work with the right tool for each.

A 30ml bottle, which on a pair of shoes leaves plenty in hand for the belt as well.

Why choose this dark tan havana liquid dye?

• It is warm where most browns are cold. Hold a havana beside a standard mid brown and the difference is obvious: one has red under it and the other does not. On a tan brogue or a cognac boot that red is what the eye reads as quality, and losing it is what makes a repaired shoe look repaired.
• Going darker is the direction that works. No dye can lighten leather, so the honest use for havana is on a tan that has faded pale, or on a light natural leather you want to bring up a step. Understood that way it succeeds every time rather than disappointing you.
• Penetration rather than coverage. A pigmented cream fills the grain and slowly hides the texture that makes tan leather worth having. Dye leaves the grain visible because the colour is inside the fibre, which is why dyed tan still looks like leather up close.
• The brush handles the parts that give it away. Welt stitching, eyelet rims and the seam behind the heel are where a rushed job announces itself. Having a proper brush in the kit alongside the sponge means those areas take colour at the same rate as the open panels.
• Excellent on bags and small leather goods. Tan is the most common colour for satchels, belts and watch straps, and it is also the colour that suffers most from sunlight. The same bottle will take a faded bag handle back to a warm even brown.
• Genuinely good value for the coverage. Thirty millilitres of penetrating dye goes a long way, because a wetted sponge covers a whole quarter panel in one pass. Compared with replacing a pair of tan shoes it is not really a comparison at all.

How to use the Famaco Dark Tan Havana Liquid Dye 322

Tan shows unevenness far more readily than black does, so this is a job to do in good light and in one sitting. Prepare the leather properly and keep every coat thin.

1. Take out the laces and clean the uppers to remove dirt and any old cream.
2. Degrease with a leather preparer so the dye can reach bare fibre evenly.
3. Let the shoes dry for an hour or more before you open the bottle.
4. Try the shade on a hidden panel first, since tan varies more than dark colours.
5. Sponge on thin coats across whole panels, brushing the seams as you go.
6. Once dry, finish with a matching cream and buff the shoes up well.

My tip as a shoe specialist

Work panel by panel rather than patch by patch, and always finish a whole panel before you stop. Tan leather absorbs dye at slightly different rates depending on how worn each area is, and if you stop halfway across the vamp you will see the edge of the wet line for the rest of the shoe’s life. Following the natural boundaries of the shoe, from seam to seam, hides those transitions where they belong. It is the single habit that separates a dyed tan shoe that looks factory-finished from one that clearly had a bad afternoon at a kitchen table.

Specifications

What the kit holds

• Contents: 30ml bottle with sponge and brush
• Shade: Dark Tan Havana 322, also listed as Medium Brown
• Product: Penetrating liquid leather dye
• Direction: Darkens only, will not lighten leather
• Use on: Smooth leather shoes, boots, bags and belts
• Avoid: Napped, patent and heavily coated leather
• Aftercare: Finish with a matching shoe cream
• Made by: Famaco
• Our price: £9.99

Frequently asked questions

Will it match my existing tan shoes?

It lands in the warm mid-brown family, but tan is the most variable colour there is, so test on a hidden area first. On a faded pair the result will be a shade deeper than the original was when new.

Can I mix it with a lighter dye?

Yes, dyes of the same type mix well and that is a good way to hit an unusual shade. Mix enough for the whole pair in one go, because reproducing a blend accurately later is nearly impossible.

How soon can I wear them?

Allow a couple of hours for the dye and then cream and buff. Leaving them overnight before a full day of wear gives the best result, particularly if the leather was very dry to start with.

Where can I buy the Famaco Dark Tan Havana Liquid Dye 322 – 30ml Leather Dye Kit with Sponge in the UK?

Order the Famaco Dark Tan Havana Liquid Dye 322 – 30ml Leather Dye Kit with Sponge from Shoespecialist.co.uk. Delivery is free on UK orders above £50, we dispatch the same day when you order before 5pm, and returns are accepted for 60 days.