There are a few bags at the thrift shop that I pass up for being over $30 but a stewardess bag I would snap up in a second for $36!! Great find!! Nice color too.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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There are a few bags at the thrift shop that I pass up for being over $30 but a stewardess bag I would snap up in a second for $36!! Great find!! Nice color too.
oh I totally understand. You really want to be sociable, and yet those bags are waiting in their little rehab pile wanting love and attention and for me, making a purse look beautiful again is almost like being handed a credit card and being told to go shopping. But with more TLC behind it.
I agree, I think I spent $45 for my black stewardess bag so this was a bargain!
I'm finding subtle differences in the stewardess bags. I have a black (waiting for it's turn in the rehab pile) NYC stewardess that's got some thick, thick leather. The strap however has a 15" drop. Then I've found a mahogany 1999 from Costa Rica (awesome, soft, buttery leather); but the strap drop is more like 19". Has anyone else noticed different strap lengths over the years?
Thanks!
I did this for the vintage Coach facebook group but thought I should post it here too!! (I mean hello this thread died 2 days ago, whaddup with that!?)
My "rehabbing arsenal"! Would love to see other people's as well!
1: Lexol cleaner (goes in the bath)
2: Dishsoap (PINK, of course! Goes in the bath)
3: OxiClean Max Force Gel Stick (I rub this by hand into stubborn stains)
4: OxiClean powder (I sprinkle a little of this in the bath)
5: Isopropyl alcohol (for ink stains)
6: Bar rags (Bought 1 dozen at restaurant supply place, use for stuffing/shaping)
7: Paper towels (ALWAYS handy)
8: Lexol Wipes (for wiping down little here-&-there surface dirt)
9: Apple Conditioner ("light duty" conditioning)
10: Leather CPR ("medium duty" conditioning)
11: Leather Therapy ("heavy duty" conditioning)
12: Blackrock (for finishing)
13: Emu Oil (haven't used yet)
14: Leather Refinisher Dye (British Tan, WANT MORE COLORS!!)
15: Brasso (for polishing hardware)
16: Bar Keepers Friend (like this better than Brasso)
17: Dremel with felt tip (for polishing hardware)
18: Q-tips (for polishing hardware and cleanup of excess conditioner)
19: Cotton balls (for polishing hardware)
20: Needle-tip jeweler's tweeers (for hard-to-reach places)
21: Manicure scissors (for snipping loose threads)
22: Bic lighter (PINK, of course! For melting loose thread ends)
OOPS, NOT PICTURED:
White wash cloth (for rubbing/cleaning during bath)
X-Acto knife (for prying out turnlocks to clean them)
Citrus Magic "Fresh Linen" (for de-smellifying things)
Makeup sponges (I use them to apply the Leather Refinisher dye)
Suede cleaning kit (it's in the mail)
WISH LIST:
MORE Leather Refinisher Dye colors!!
Wenol brass polish
Who knows what else, I'm sure I'll find something else I "need"
THANK YOU! I
now have my shopping list for this afternoon!I have heard that before about the strap lengths varying on the stewardess and some of the other vintage bags.
Thanks for your input. I was afraid that possibly one of the straps had been replaced; but both look original to their respective bag.
This forum is great and I've gained so much knowledge reading and following your posts. I'm not afraid to buy the beaten down vintage bags and dunk them. It's amazing how well they re-shape and clean up. I've fallen in love with Coach once more.
I know! I have learned so much too! Imagine giving a bath to a leather bag - or even running it through the washer - and they come out looking so much better!
While my mini hobo is soaking (I worked up the courage, lol), I thought I'd post an almost after pic of my first rehab attempt - the tote I got for $3 at the thrift shop. While I was working on it, I made a discovery. After the first wash, it looked pretty good. A few hours later, I checked on it and I noticed that the dye from the tan leather trim had stained the canvas next to it. Since it was still wet I washed it again. The dye came out, but when I went to check on it a few hours later, the stain had come back - again! Then it hit me - the dye is wicking into the canvas because the leather and the trim is wet! DUH! So, I washed it again, then immediatey got out the heat gun (careful, these get hot), and began drying the trim and the canvas around it, making sure I did the outside AND the inside. The area around the outside pocket was the hardest because of all the layers, and you can still see some seepage there, but I think fast drying definitely does the trick!
While my mini hobo is soaking (I worked up the courage, lol), I thought I'd post an almost after pic of my first rehab attempt - the tote I got for $3 at the thrift shop. While I was working on it, I made a discovery. After the first wash, it looked pretty good. A few hours later, I checked on it and I noticed that the dye from the tan leather trim had stained the canvas next to it. Since it was still wet I washed it again. The dye came out, but when I went to check on it a few hours later, the stain had come back - again! Then it hit me - the dye is wicking into the canvas because the leather and the trim is wet! DUH! So, I washed it again, then immediatey got out the heat gun (careful, these get hot), and began drying the trim and the canvas around it, making sure I did the outside AND the inside. The area around the outside pocket was the hardest because of all the layers, and you can still see some seepage there, but I think fast drying definitely does the trick!
I can't see the pic but it sounds like a good plan!
Just rinsed out the mini hobo, and it still smells like cigarettes. On a whim, I grabbed a bottle of Febreze Extra Strength, added some of that to a clean bucket of water, and sent the hobo back in for another soak. We'll see if that helps!
Thanks Kate! If I rehab another canvas item, I think I'll throw one of those color catchers in the wash with it as well.
The hobo is still soaking, and there's only a little bit of dye in the water. How long do you think is safe to leave it in?
While my mini hobo is soaking (I worked up the courage, lol), I thought I'd post an almost after pic of my first rehab attempt - the tote I got for $3 at the thrift shop. While I was working on it, I made a discovery. After the first wash, it looked pretty good. A few hours later, I checked on it and I noticed that the dye from the tan leather trim had stained the canvas next to it. Since it was still wet I washed it again. The dye came out, but when I went to check on it a few hours later, the stain had come back - again! Then it hit me - the dye is wicking into the canvas because the leather and the trim is wet! DUH! So, I washed it again, then immediatey got out the heat gun (careful, these get hot), and began drying the trim and the canvas around it, making sure I did the outside AND the inside. The area around the outside pocket was the hardest because of all the layers, and you can still see some seepage there, but I think fast drying definitely does the trick!
I've had the EXACT SAME THING happen and unfortunately I didn't own a heat gun....what do they look like btw?? I had to repeatedly use Tide to go pen and followed by wicking back out quickly with a white soft absorbent cloth, over and over again, til the dye didn't stay in the bag anymore.
the color catcher didn't thoroughly do it for me. It may have helped since it contained dye, but still had staining problems.
Looks great!While my mini hobo is soaking (I worked up the courage, lol), I thought I'd post an almost after pic of my first rehab attempt - the tote I got for $3 at the thrift shop. While I was working on it, I made a discovery. After the first wash, it looked pretty good. A few hours later, I checked on it and I noticed that the dye from the tan leather trim had stained the canvas next to it. Since it was still wet I washed it again. The dye came out, but when I went to check on it a few hours later, the stain had come back - again! Then it hit me - the dye is wicking into the canvas because the leather and the trim is wet! DUH! So, I washed it again, then immediatey got out the heat gun (careful, these get hot), and began drying the trim and the canvas around it, making sure I did the outside AND the inside. The area around the outside pocket was the hardest because of all the layers, and you can still see some seepage there, but I think fast drying definitely does the trick!
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