Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

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#6,451
2Blessed said:
An eBay purchase. Hyacinth authenticated it for me. It was in decent shape but pretty dry. I bathed, conditioned and still dry. I used Black Rocks, still dry. I used Neatsfoot oil and it's looking much better. Here are before and after pictures.


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What a wonderful transformation! Thank you for sharing and letting us know the steps you are taking.
 
#6,452
JOODLZ said:
Now this one was a CHALLENGE! A mid-80’s Courier Pouch #8920, I purchased her in 2005 probably at a Goodwill here in Florida for $19.99. Gave her to my sister who maybe only used her a few times...before she relocated to Washington state! In September she offered to send her back to me and of course I said yes! I remembered her being much larger, but now is a good size for me.

This bag had always had a rather distressed look about her, but I figured a bath and lots of conditioner would help. YIKES! There was damage to the piping on the strap and other areas as well. These are the “befores” on the AT thread: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-164.html#post22904281

I started with a paste of vinegar and baking soda on the brass to try to eliminate verdigris. Scrubbed it with a toothbrush and mproved it, but still a little hint of green showing.

Gave her a good warm soak and scrub with Dawn Extra, even turned her inside out! Rinsed and stuffed with towels to dry. The drier she got, the more she felt like, uh, cardboard, so I started Leather CPR. LOTS of Leather CPR and massaging. In all, she got four rounds (I usually go around twice)! Aahh, starting to feel like leather again. Two rounds of Blackrocks, buffing with microfiber cloth and she’s really looking good.

Now for the piping problems...My hubby has this stuff called butyl rubber, often used as caulk and sometimes in chewing gum (!). As it remains flexible after drying, he thought it might be good for patching the strap, so he rolled some up and filled in the V-shaped cut. We let it cure for a couple of days and seemed to stay in place.

Then I remembered a tube of Acrylic Gel Medium in my paint box since college (amazingly still usable...college was a LOOOONG time ago LOL). It’s used with acrylic pigments to produce a variety of effects (http://www.ehow.com/about_4680995_what-gel-medium.html). In essence, it’s transparent acrylic paint! It worked very well in patching the other piping. It adhered well and remains flexible. (There’s a photo of it with my Worth Bag rehab...I used it to fix the zipper pull.) I also painted over the butyl rubber on the strap with it to seal it and make sure it was paint-able. I let the patches sit a couple of days before I painted. I used a mixture of brown, black and red acrylics to cover the patches and I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome.

I used Brasso to finish off the buckles and I’m done! Phew...what a labor of love. Can’t wait to send the “after” pics to my sister...she may just want her back!
Click to expand...

Beautiful job, you saved that lovely bag and made it useful again!
 
#6,453
JOODLZ said:
I stalked this bag at Salvation Army for over a month until it was 50% OFF day! It probably went un-noticed because of the lack of a hangtag. Authenticated by Hyacinth as a 1996 Worth Bag #4143 (http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-156.html#post22879414), it was in good overall condition, just needed a little love.

There were a couple of small scuffs on one bottom corner and the zipper pull needed some attention. But when I got her home and started pre-bath cleaning the inside...I think she was previously owned by the Cookie Monster! Crumbs, crumbs and more crumbs. This is the first time I turned a bag inside out to clean all the nooks and crannies with a toothbrush. (By the way, turning a dry bag is much harder than a wet one IMO.)

She got a good, warm soak and scrub with Dawn. Rinsed, reshaped and stuffed, as usual. Minimal color in the bath water (more about this later). Two rounds of Leather CPR brought back the squoosh we all love. When I started Blackrocks, especially on the strap, I picked up a LOT of black when I wiped it off. Does anyone else experience this? The second application, after a rest day, did the same thing, but a little less. After a couple of days of sitting, I buffed with a microfiber cloth and got very little color. Any explanations for this?

The Leather CPR and Blackrocks did well on the scuffs, but the zipper pull needed some attention, as the “lining” material had separated from the leather and wasn’t pretty at all. I used Acrylic Gel Medium applied with a toothpick, carefully separating the leather from the lining and inserting the gel. See my Courier Pouch rehab for more about this stuff. The photo shows it wet - kind of translucent white, but it dries clear. Worked like a charm! Painted over with black acrylic and we’re good to go.

Polished the brass and she looks brand new! If we haven’t said it enough on this thread...BLACK bags are ideal rehabs for beginners. They’re usually very forgiving and easy and a good “first” experience in rehabbing. I wish they were all this easy! Maybe I'll finally call Coach for some hangtags!
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Beautiful job and I so agree about black and other dark bags like navy. They are so much easier and more rewarding to rehab! Beginnier often want to start with a gorgeous british tan or other light bag but that can be so disappointing. Personally I am trying to stay away from light bags unless they are in excellent shape!
 
#6,454
eehlers said:
My Courier Pouch is done, and I am a major smitten kitten over this bag.

I scored it off the 'bay after a rather heated auction. It is the one of the HGs of vintage styles for me, so I was thrilled to find it in this color. Here's how she looked when she arrived. Whoever owned this took great care of it - no scuffs or scrapes on the piping and just a small ink spot inside the zip pocket. Her only issue? Flat as a pancake:
View attachment 1902781
View attachment 1902802
Hyacinth authenticated her - probably from the 80s, though as we all know - an exact year is near impossible. She thinks the color MAY be Putty - it's hard to capture in pictures, but it's a mix between Camel and Taupe...a great neutral that will go with everything.

I did a dunk in Dawn Extra and stuffed and shaped. She plumped right up like a Ball Park Frank. This is one roomy bag!
View attachment 1902784
While still damp, I did an application of Leather Therapy Restorer. Once fully dry, an application of Leather CPR and then two applications of Cadillac Boot & Shoe, which really softened up her leather - this bag has the 'butteriest' leather I've ever felt in any of my rehabs.

One application of Black Rocks and here she is!
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One of my easier rehabs, but also one of my favorites!
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What a beautiful bag, she looks gorgeous now!
 
#6,455
katev said:
I haven't tried neatsfoot but it sounds promising! You can by small 3 oz bottles of emu oil just to try it out. I look for sales and use ebay buck to buy emu oil; it's great stuff!
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A friends sister gave me some mink oil many, MANY years ago as it was supposed to reduce stretch marks. It was good stuff but I still got stretch marks!!! I don't think Neatsfoot oil would have helped there either! LOL!!! Guess I'm going to have to try Mink oil again. :-)
 
#6,458
JOODLZ said:
Now this one was a CHALLENGE! A mid-80’s Courier Pouch #8920, I purchased her in 2005 probably at a Goodwill here in Florida for $19.99. Gave her to my sister who maybe only used her a few times...before she relocated to Washington state! In September she offered to send her back to me and of course I said yes! I remembered her being much larger, but now is a good size for me.

This bag had always had a rather distressed look about her, but I figured a bath and lots of conditioner would help. YIKES! There was damage to the piping on the strap and other areas as well. These are the “befores” on the AT thread: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-164.html#post22904281

I started with a paste of vinegar and baking soda on the brass to try to eliminate verdigris. Scrubbed it with a toothbrush and mproved it, but still a little hint of green showing.

Gave her a good warm soak and scrub with Dawn Extra, even turned her inside out! Rinsed and stuffed with towels to dry. The drier she got, the more she felt like, uh, cardboard, so I started Leather CPR. LOTS of Leather CPR and massaging. In all, she got four rounds (I usually go around twice)! Aahh, starting to feel like leather again. Two rounds of Blackrocks, buffing with microfiber cloth and she’s really looking good.

Now for the piping problems...My hubby has this stuff called butyl rubber, often used as caulk and sometimes in chewing gum (!). As it remains flexible after drying, he thought it might be good for patching the strap, so he rolled some up and filled in the V-shaped cut. We let it cure for a couple of days and seemed to stay in place.

Then I remembered a tube of Acrylic Gel Medium in my paint box since college (amazingly still usable...college was a LOOOONG time ago LOL). It’s used with acrylic pigments to produce a variety of effects (http://www.ehow.com/about_4680995_what-gel-medium.html). In essence, it’s transparent acrylic paint! It worked very well in patching the other piping. It adhered well and remains flexible. (There’s a photo of it with my Worth Bag rehab...I used it to fix the zipper pull.) I also painted over the butyl rubber on the strap with it to seal it and make sure it was paint-able. I let the patches sit a couple of days before I painted. I used a mixture of brown, black and red acrylics to cover the patches and I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome.

I used Brasso to finish off the buckles and I’m done! Phew...what a labor of love. Can’t wait to send the “after” pics to my sister...she may just want her back!
Click to expand...
I have always liked this style but was hesitant to pick one up because of the closure. After seeing so many pretty rehabs on this style I might take the plunge. Do you find it is troublesome to get in and out of at all?
 
#6,459
ladyraven65 said:
I have always liked this style but was hesitant to pick one up because of the closure. After seeing so many pretty rehabs on this style I might take the plunge. Do you find it is troublesome to get in and out of at all?
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I was initially concerned about the closure, but the tab slides in and out very smoothly - not problematic at all.
 
#6,460
bagfan77 said:
Wow, that looks amazing! Great job and that's a really nice bag.
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ElizabethB said:
Beautiful. I LOVE that bag. The perfect size and depth for my taste. I believe the "putty" color is accurate. In the late 80's I purchased a new Willis in putty......same color. Caveat, the color easily picks up body oils and wants to darken in those areas.
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ladyraven65 said:
Beautiful!! It always amazes me how the leather plumps back up again after a bath. She really came out lovely--congrats!
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katev said:
What a beautiful bag, she looks gorgeous now!
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Thank you! Definitely one of my favorite older styles and finding this great color was an added bonus (thanks for the heads up about Putty ElizabethB!)

I showed this to my friend and now she wants to start rehabbing. While it will be fun to have a friend to chat with about this, it also means competition at the local thrift stores! LOL!
 
#6,462
katev said:
I have much better luck with Wenol metal polish in the red tube than I have had with Brasso. Dstalksalot designs, makes, and sells jewelry and she told me about Wenol. I buy it on ebay like the auction below (NMA). You only use a small amount at a time and it lasts a long time. You can also use it to shine up any type of metal, not just brass, without harm - unless it is an antique, blackened gold, and then any polish will remove the patina.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Wenol-M...093?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae95592bd

Someone here recommended BarKeeper's Friend (or some name like that?) and it sounds promising. It is supposed to be readily available and not too expensive so I would like to try it.

Somebody (Jessi?) recommended using Press and Seal to protect the leather around the hardware while you are polishing and that is a great idea!

Sometimes you can't help but get some metal polish on the leather but this has never been a big problem for me, anyway. I keep a clean, soft rag and a small dish of water handy while I am polishing. If I get some on the leather, I immediately wipe it off with water and dry it. After I am done polishing I wipe it with water again, let it dry, and apply some conditioner.

It is also pretty easy to remove the turnlock hardware and then you can really work on getting all the parts clean without any chance of damaging the leather.

As a last resort, you can take the bag to a jeweler and ask his opinion Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for such valuable advice, i'll give Wenol a try. Gave the bag a good soak yesterday but it didn't help the side hardware (holders) at all despite some rubbing. Will try to put some real elbow grease into it in a few days.
 
#6,463
eehlers said:
My Courier Pouch is done, and I am a major smitten kitten over this bag.

I scored it off the 'bay after a rather heated auction. It is the one of the HGs of vintage styles for me, so I was thrilled to find it in this color. Here's how she looked when she arrived. Whoever owned this took great care of it - no scuffs or scrapes on the piping and just a small ink spot inside the zip pocket. Her only

One application of Black Rocks and here she is!
View attachment 1902796
View attachment 1902797
View attachment 1902798
View attachment 1902799
View attachment 1902800
One of my easier rehabs, but also one of my favorites!
Click to expand...

That is such a fantastic rehab! Looks brand-new. Great job
 
#6,464
eehlers said:
My Courier Pouch is done, and I am a major smitten kitten over this bag.

I scored it off the 'bay after a rather heated auction. It is the one of the HGs of vintage styles for me, so I was thrilled to find it in this color. Here's how she looked when she arrived. Whoever owned this took great care of it - no scuffs or scrapes on the piping and just a small ink spot inside the zip pocket. Her only issue? Flat as a pancake:

Hyacinth authenticated her - probably from the 80s, though as we all know - an exact year is near impossible. She thinks the color MAY be Putty - it's hard to capture in pictures, but it's a mix between Camel and Taupe...a great neutral that will go with everything.

I did a dunk in Dawn Extra and stuffed and shaped. She plumped right up like a Ball Park Frank. This is one roomy bag!

While still damp, I did an application of Leather Therapy Restorer. Once fully dry, an application of Leather CPR and then two applications of Cadillac Boot & Shoe, which really softened up her leather - this bag has the 'butteriest' leather I've ever felt in any of my rehabs.

One application of Black Rocks and here she is!

One of my easier rehabs, but also one of my favorites!
Click to expand...

Wow! That is one gorgeous bag. Great score and great job of making her so beautiful!
 
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