Name: David
Message: First, I want to say my whole household loves your site!  The chemical diagrams are most informative.  Now, my question: I'm in the process of making custom luggage for myself out of Cordura, a trademark synthetic fabric originally developed by Dupont, now controlled by Invista.  I'm interested in overdyeing some red or brown Cordura fabric with black or dark brown to give it a wood-grain appearance.  Do you have any experience with Cordura?  I've read in places that cordura is a type of nylon, but I'm worried about people using "nylon" as a catch-all term for synthetic fabric.  I'm going to experiment on a sample, probably starting with nylon-specific dye processes, and see what I come up with.  Any recommendations?

Although the brand name "Cordura" is said to have been applied first to rayon, I think that it's safe to assume that any Cordura sold recently, or in the last few decades, is truly nylon. As long as it has not been treated with any sort of stain-resistant or water-resistant finish, it should be possible to dye it like any other nylon. Just as you were intending, I would recommend that you get a small sample of the fabric you are considering using to run a test on first, before making a great investment of materials or time. 

The most washfast black dye for nylon is the Lanaset Jet Black. It's easy to use although it does require steaming to set the dye. You can buy the Lanaset dyes from PRO Chemical & Dye in the US and  Maiwa Handcrafts in Canada, as well as several online stores that specialize in selling dyes for wool. See "Who Sells Lanaset Dye?" Or, you could use any good black fabric paint. Dye will wear better than fabric paint, but paint can be set with ironing or by heating in a commercial clothes dryer, rather than steaming, or even, before applying it, by adding an acrylic catalyst, such as Jacquard Products' Airfix.

One rather laborious method for obtaining a woodgrain effect is called mokume shibori, in which parallel lines are stitched loosely with thread which is then pulled tight before dyeing. (See the mokume shibori tutorial at Tobasign, though for nylon you will not want to use the same kind of dye that they show.) Arashi shibori can produce a woodgrain effect, as well. It would probably be easier to thicken your dye and draw it across your fabric with a comb, as in faux woodgrain finishes on painted furniture or walls, or making a block print, painting the dye onto the block to repeat your design. This calls for some trial and error on scrap material, to see what works best for you.


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