DH messed up my Reissue - any help?

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 04:33 PM

Hi everyone.

I was hoping to get some advice - you all seem to have so much knowledge on how to treat and care for your Chanels.

I have a grey reissue bag that I took out recently and because he is too lazy to carry his own things, my DH, who lacks proper respect for my Chanels, decided to stick his Blackberry into the front pocket while I was not looking. So, by the time I got home, the front of my bag, at the very bottom, had developed a crease where the blackberry caused a little bulge.

I know the crease on the base of reissues can be flattened out by just letting the bag sit, but I can't think how I can minimize the crease on the front of a bag... any advice? TIA...

jmen · Jul 15th, 2008, 05:32 PM

Am wondering just how severe the crease is. Here's my experiement with a crease:

Having rescued the heart chain off eBay that went to Chanel spa to redye, it still has a crease running the entire length right under the turnlock. After doing some research, I found that one can try using a hot iron on STEAM setting to lessen a crease in leather. I did not put the iron on the hottest setting and as a precaution I put a washcloth between the leather and the steam. While the leather was still hot, I tried to keep the leather taut and left it cool. I repeated the process several times. After steaming I stuffed the purse to keep the leather stretched. Look for something round. Tissue paper won't work.

The crease is still there. It's certainly no worse than before I started.

That said the article I read was about someone who had folded leather that was going to recover a car interior. The advice was to steam the leather and let it drape over a circular bar so the crease would drop out. The steaming process with the purse is more difficult because you can't take that portion with the crease and hang it til it dries.

I think it's worth the effort if the crease isn't severe. There was no discoloration to the leather. DO NOT place the iron on the leather but rather hold it above the crease and let the steam heat the leather. Until you are comfortable that it's not going to hurt your purse, use a slightly damp section of washcloth between the leather and the iron. After about my 4th attempt and the purse was doing fine, I just held the iron just above the leather.

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 06:18 PM

I really appreciate the advice - I wouldn't have thought of steaming.

If you don't mind my asking, has it improved after the 4th try? And how long should I hold the steam near the purse? Thanks for the reply.

sjunky13 · Jul 15th, 2008, 06:46 PM

spank your DH for that!!! Just kidding, haha. Jmen gave great advice

jmen · Jul 15th, 2008, 07:03 PM

Let me also say that I have treated all the purses with luvinmybag cream protector which serves as a stain repellant.

Each steaming was done in 20 second increments and I probably repeated it 6 times. The leather has to get hot and moist and it will so be careful touching the area. I had better success with the crease in the top of the reissue that I bought pre-owned. The flap is better access. You can flatten the top and steam both top and underside. Then I did use a roll of tissue. You could roll up a face towel and then close the purse and leave it so the leather remembers the shape. Then store it with the roll.

With the heat chain, it may have helped somewhat. I do know from ice skating that leather will expand and contract. When breaking in new boots the leather is incredibly stiff worse than any new shoes. They need to be or else they'll break down very quickly. Anyway,when removing the skates, the insides will be damp from sweating. You want the leather to dry out but you don't want it to shrink because shrinking is going to make them tighter the next time you skate. I used to firmly jam a tennis ball into the skate so it would stay in the transition area from leg to foot. The next time I'd skate the skates would be not as tight as they would have been had I not stopped the shrinking. So theoretically, the steaming/cooling process will work. The problem is the purses are lined and the ability to heat the leather and cool and keep it in the stretched shape to alleviate the crease is the challenge. You may never get it all the way gone but it should help somewhat.

Keep me posted. Sorry for the long analogy.

simplysplendid · Jul 15th, 2008, 07:24 PM

Ask your DH to get you a new replacement bag! That'll teach me to respect your chanels more..

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 07:34 PM

Thanks jmen!

Really appreciate all the tips.

The trouble with my DH is he is impossible to yell at because he offers new bags at the drop of a hat - "just get a new one" - but I can't get him to grasp the concept that each bag is important because you can't just find the same bag growing on a tree somewhere...

jmen · Jul 15th, 2008, 07:41 PM

Time to educate him about Chanel and how the majority of the goods are limited runs that will never be repeated, which makes them irreplaceable.

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 08:00 PM

I know - trust me, I've tried. But somehow, his man-eye can't seem to grasp "girlie" concepts like this bag is different from that bag cause of this and that - they all look the same to him. Besides, he thinks the only reason someone should buy things is to use them so getting them messed up is just part of using them...

I should apply that same concept to his car...

bagtasia · Jul 15th, 2008, 08:27 PM

My DH is very protective of my Chanel Bags than the LVs, he knows how much he is paying for it!!

hipnycmom · Jul 15th, 2008, 09:41 PM

Jmen's advice sounds great. I'm just wondering if you have pics of the bag with the crease?

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 10:14 PM

Almost felt guilty taking these photos since I am painting DH as the criminal - but here are the crime scene photos.

Sorry for the poor quality - they were taken on my cell phone

jmen · Jul 15th, 2008, 10:48 PM

I think there is much hope for crease reduction. Are my eyes deceiving me or is it an outie? (Mine was an innie and so much worse.) Before steaming, see if you can find a book that will take up the inside of the back with no slack. After you steam it like a lobster, put that book inside and put another book (think unabridged dictionary) on top of it and let it sit overnight.

Lovely reissue, I might add, crease or no crease. Don't stop loving it!

shewaslo · Jul 15th, 2008, 11:42 PM

Jmen - it is an outie.

Thanks for taking the time to give me all this help and advice.

fashion_gurl888 · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjunky13

spank your DH for that!!! Just kidding, haha. Jmen gave great advice

LOL!!

but ya, i agree on Jmen's advice

hope it will be better soon...

Jul 15th, 2008, 04:33 PM	#1
shewaslo Member	DH messed up my Reissue - any help? Hi everyone. I was hoping to get some advice - you all seem to have so much knowledge on how to treat and care for your Chanels. I have a grey reissue bag that I took out recently and because he is too lazy to carry his own things, my DH, who lacks proper respect for my Chanels, decided to stick his Blackberry into the front pocket while I was not looking. So, by the time I got home, the front of my bag, at the very bottom, had developed a crease where the blackberry caused a little bulge. I know the crease on the base of reissues can be flattened out by just letting the bag sit, but I can't think how I can minimize the crease on the front of a bag... any advice? TIA...

Jul 15th, 2008, 05:32 PM	#2
jmen Member	Am wondering just how severe the crease is. Here's my experiement with a crease: Having rescued the heart chain off eBay that went to Chanel spa to redye, it still has a crease running the entire length right under the turnlock. After doing some research, I found that one can try using a hot iron on STEAM setting to lessen a crease in leather. I did not put the iron on the hottest setting and as a precaution I put a washcloth between the leather and the steam. While the leather was still hot, I tried to keep the leather taut and left it cool. I repeated the process several times. After steaming I stuffed the purse to keep the leather stretched. Look for something round. Tissue paper won't work. The crease is still there. It's certainly no worse than before I started. That said the article I read was about someone who had folded leather that was going to recover a car interior. The advice was to steam the leather and let it drape over a circular bar so the crease would drop out. The steaming process with the purse is more difficult because you can't take that portion with the crease and hang it til it dries. I think it's worth the effort if the crease isn't severe. There was no discoloration to the leather. DO NOT place the iron on the leather but rather hold it above the crease and let the steam heat the leather. Until you are comfortable that it's not going to hurt your purse, use a slightly damp section of washcloth between the leather and the iron. After about my 4th attempt and the purse was doing fine, I just held the iron just above the leather.

Jul 15th, 2008, 06:18 PM	#3
shewaslo Member	I really appreciate the advice - I wouldn't have thought of steaming. If you don't mind my asking, has it improved after the 4th try? And how long should I hold the steam near the purse? Thanks for the reply.

Jul 15th, 2008, 06:46 PM	#4
sjunky13 send cash!!! Location: really out there man!	spank your DH for that!!! Just kidding, haha. Jmen gave great advice

Jul 15th, 2008, 07:03 PM	#5
jmen Member	Let me also say that I have treated all the purses with luvinmybag cream protector which serves as a stain repellant. Each steaming was done in 20 second increments and I probably repeated it 6 times. The leather has to get hot and moist and it will so be careful touching the area. I had better success with the crease in the top of the reissue that I bought pre-owned. The flap is better access. You can flatten the top and steam both top and underside. Then I did use a roll of tissue. You could roll up a face towel and then close the purse and leave it so the leather remembers the shape. Then store it with the roll. With the heat chain, it may have helped somewhat. I do know from ice skating that leather will expand and contract. When breaking in new boots the leather is incredibly stiff worse than any new shoes. They need to be or else they'll break down very quickly. Anyway,when removing the skates, the insides will be damp from sweating. You want the leather to dry out but you don't want it to shrink because shrinking is going to make them tighter the next time you skate. I used to firmly jam a tennis ball into the skate so it would stay in the transition area from leg to foot. The next time I'd skate the skates would be not as tight as they would have been had I not stopped the shrinking. So theoretically, the steaming/cooling process will work. The problem is the purses are lined and the ability to heat the leather and cool and keep it in the stretched shape to alleviate the crease is the challenge. You may never get it all the way gone but it should help somewhat. Keep me posted. Sorry for the long analogy.

Jul 15th, 2008, 07:24 PM	#6
simplysplendid 2 precious boys' mom Location: Topsy Turvy World	Ask your DH to get you a new replacement bag! That'll teach me to respect your chanels more..

Jul 15th, 2008, 07:34 PM	#7
shewaslo Member	Thanks jmen! Really appreciate all the tips. The trouble with my DH is he is impossible to yell at because he offers new bags at the drop of a hat - "just get a new one" - but I can't get him to grasp the concept that each bag is important because you can't just find the same bag growing on a tree somewhere...

Jul 15th, 2008, 07:41 PM	#8
jmen Member	Time to educate him about Chanel and how the majority of the goods are limited runs that will never be repeated, which makes them irreplaceable.

Jul 15th, 2008, 08:00 PM	#9
shewaslo Member	I know - trust me, I've tried. But somehow, his man-eye can't seem to grasp "girlie" concepts like this bag is different from that bag cause of this and that - they all look the same to him. Besides, he thinks the only reason someone should buy things is to use them so getting them messed up is just part of using them... I should apply that same concept to his car...

Jul 15th, 2008, 08:27 PM	#10
bagtasia LVNOMORE	My DH is very protective of my Chanel Bags than the LVs, he knows how much he is paying for it!!

Jul 15th, 2008, 09:41 PM	#11
hipnycmom Member Location: Asia	Jmen's advice sounds great. I'm just wondering if you have pics of the bag with the crease?

Jul 15th, 2008, 10:14 PM	#12
shewaslo Member	Almost felt guilty taking these photos since I am painting DH as the criminal - but here are the crime scene photos. Sorry for the poor quality - they were taken on my cell phone

Jul 15th, 2008, 10:48 PM	#13
jmen Member	I think there is much hope for crease reduction. Are my eyes deceiving me or is it an outie? (Mine was an innie and so much worse.) Before steaming, see if you can find a book that will take up the inside of the back with no slack. After you steam it like a lobster, put that book inside and put another book (think unabridged dictionary) on top of it and let it sit overnight. Lovely reissue, I might add, crease or no crease. Don't stop loving it!

Jul 15th, 2008, 11:42 PM	#14
shewaslo Member	Jmen - it is an outie. Thanks for taking the time to give me all this help and advice.