when I click the link it shows the bag as still availale...hmmm...too expensive for me too !! I tend to only buy the bags that have Bonnie's name somewhere on it. And those are getting way too expensive to even consider.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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when I click the link it shows the bag as still availale...hmmm...too expensive for me too !! I tend to only buy the bags that have Bonnie's name somewhere on it. And those are getting way too expensive to even consider.
Hi all. I need advice.
I bought a black vintage Willis. It is in beautiful shape which is why I got it. I was too afraid to try doing a rehab.
I wore it today and my husband showed me some black was coming off on my white Tshirt!!!!
I have rubbed abd rubbed every square inch of it with a terry towel but some still seems to be coming off!
What should I do?????
I bought a black vintage Willis. It is in beautiful shape which is why I got it. I was too afraid to try doing a rehab.
I wore it today and my husband showed me some black was coming off on my white Tshirt!!!!
I have rubbed abd rubbed every square inch of it with a terry towel but some still seems to be coming off!
What should I do?????
Sorry we didn't answer this sooner, I just thought someone else would answer!
Generally if there is black rubbing off the bag it is because someone has used something like shoe polish to cover marks on the bag. The best remedy is to bathe the bag. I just bathed two black Willis bags last week, one for me, and one for my sister. They are very easy to bathe, just fill the sink with water, use a mild dish detergent (Ivory) or a mild bar soap, clean the bag in the water. Use a scrubby sponge (I use a plastic one if there is anything coming off the bag, just go very lightly so you don't scratch the leather by mistake). Rinse the bag until the water runs clear. Hopefully you will see the black stuff on the bag and see it coming off as you wash the bag, usually something like that becomes very obvious as soon as water hits it.
Wipe the bag dry, and shape it by filling it with cotton towels, then allow it to dry. This might take up to three days depending on the thickness of the leather and what year the bag was made. You can moisturize as it dries, using one of the many products we rely on:
Leather CPR (usually found at Tuesday Morning)
Apple Care (not sure where this comes from, I have never used it)
Black Rocks Leather N Rich
almond oil (avoid the stitching as much as possible when using Almond oil or olive oil)
extra virgin olive oil
and possibly Obenauf's leather protector (I have not used this one either, it is recommended by Docride in the Hermes forum, and I haven't ordered any yet) to put on once you have moisturized the bag with one of the above products.
If the bag is now showing whatever transgression was originally covered up by the shoe polish, you will then want to touch the bag up. I usually use acrylic paint from the craft store. There is a leather acrylic paint available according to Docride, but I have not tried it. Some mix the acrylic paint with moisturizer and rub it into the leather, others use the acrylic paint out of the bottle, this will be up to you.
When complete, you will be able to wear your bag without fear of black stuff coming off on your clothes, and your bag should last a very long time. It will also be a bit more shapely, a little stiffer, and a bit "fluffier" as we say sometimes in here...
And, I do not recommend trying to spot clean the bag, as anytime you wet leather in only one area, it will leave a mark where it dried unevenly. Far better to just go for the entire bag than to complicate it by trying a bunch of things that might do more harm than good.
And, just in case you really do not wish to do the above, Katev recommends Armorall leather wipes. I think she said earlier in the thread that she gets them at Walmart or at an auto store. I have not used these, so I cannot give my opinion of them, but they might be an alternative if you really think washing the bag is not something you want to do.
Aha!!! I found something to test this Minwax stuff on... just wondering how to not hit the lining...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/9943015..._order=price_asc&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all
http://www.etsy.com/listing/9943015..._order=price_asc&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all
How cute...despite the abuse! It's gonna be real tricky to work around the top piping without getting Minwax inside! You would have to work very, very carefully. Maybe use Minwax on the front, back and side piping, but switch to a mixture of black acrylic & conditioner for the top piping. You can carefully apply the acrylic & conditioner with a sponge-tipped eyeshadow applicator and have real good control. (Might take a couple of times to saturate and get a good black (let it dry an hour or so between applications). The applicators don't work so well with Minwax, as I've found that the glue that holds the sponge in place "melts" when it touches the Minwax! Just my thoughts...keep us posted...and good luck!
angelaira said:
There are also Lexol pH cleaning wipes (in the orange dispenser), also usually found in the autocare area/auto store (or tack shop). Docride recommends them, and I use them regularly. More than once, they have pulled off a lot of dye used by sellers to cover up flaws. Happened earlier today in fact!
I went to the Coach outlet store yesterday and came away with one gold hangtag. The sales associate looked at me like I was from Mars when I told her I rehab old Coach bags. I'm sure each of the 3 bags I took with me were older than she was. I looked around the store and only saw one bag there I would have spent $$$ on. They don't make Coach bags like they used too. Anyway, was happy with the one tag as I didn't buy anything, nothing ventured, nothing gained...
Glad you got at least one tag! The handfull of times I have shopped at my Coach outlet which is 20 mins away, nothing ever really appeals to me. I have bought 2 bags but I sold them within a month. The leather just isn't the same. The good thing is I can buy several vintage bags for the price of one outlet bag and personally I think the vintage quality is much better Can't beat that!
It sounds like it was possibily coated in shoe polish or similar before selling. You could consider washing it - as per all the rehabs shown earlier in this thread. This may make the bag appear worse off initially, but you can then dye, paint, or even condition it back to loveliness without rub off. I'm sure the others girls will weigh in soon with their opinions. It's always helpful to post images of the bag, if possible, so we can better see what you're working with. Don't worry though, these bags are tough
Nice tester! When I used my wood stain I just rubbed it onto the outside of the bag using an old sock. It didn't seem to penetrate through to the inside. Mine was an unlined bag
Ok.......as I was reading the last suggestion it came to me......Funny how that happens! LOL
I have a leather cleaner/conditioner that I got with my new sofa. It is called UV3. I read the intructions and it said it could be used for leather handbags as well as shoes; anything leather.
So I did a test patch in an area you would not see if anything bad were to happen
Everything was fine!!!! So I cleaned the whole bag and you should see the shoe polish that came off!!! I have no idea why they did this because the bag is in excelent condition
So thanks for your help! Here are some pictures of my Willis after the cleaning.
I have a leather cleaner/conditioner that I got with my new sofa. It is called UV3. I read the intructions and it said it could be used for leather handbags as well as shoes; anything leather.
So I did a test patch in an area you would not see if anything bad were to happen
Everything was fine!!!! So I cleaned the whole bag and you should see the shoe polish that came off!!! I have no idea why they did this because the bag is in excelent condition
So thanks for your help! Here are some pictures of my Willis after the cleaning.
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