Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

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#9,226
Willis lover said:
You really can see the difference! Did you take inspiration from katev with your tassel? She zhuzhed up her navy willis with one after a long rehab too. Think I might join the tassled Willis club, they look gorgeous ;-)
Click to expand...

Thank you! I hadn't seen those pics of her Willis but now I'm going to look. I had just picked up that tassel at an outlet the day I took the pic so I had to use it. I'm looking for it in more colors but I might have missed the boat on those.
 
#9,227
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
 

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#9,228
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...

Wow, what an amazing difference, the bag looks gorgeous!
 
#9,229
NurseAnn said:
Joining the club with my Willis bag that Hyacinth so kindly authenticated. It didn't require much in the way of rehab. The leather was in great condition with no odor so I didn't have to give her a bath. Just used some Lexol leather conditioner and brassol to shine up the hardware. The brass cleaning was tedious but worth it. The cleaner smelled horrible. A little like cleaning brass with 100% cat pee. It worked though and the brass really shines. The before and after pictures really don't show much of a change but the leather really gained a rich luster from the lotion. This leather is addictive. It is so buttery smooth but still strong. My next search will be for something in British Tan.

Before
View attachment 2192499

After (added a little tassel fob)
View attachment 2192501


And just for fun next to her younger sister, New Willis
View attachment 2192502
Click to expand...

Willis lover said:
You really can see the difference! Did you take inspiration from katev with your tassel? She zhuzhed up her navy willis with one after a long rehab too. Think I might join the tassled Willis club, they look gorgeous ;-)
Click to expand...

NurseAnn said:
Thank you! I hadn't seen those pics of her Willis but now I'm going to look. I had just picked up that tassel at an outlet the day I took the pic so I had to use it. I'm looking for it in more colors but I might have missed the boat on those.
Click to expand...

Your rehabbed willis looks great and I love the yellow tassel accent! Here is a pic of my navy willis decorated with a red tassel, but I have switched the hardware color to brass since I took this pic. I usually don't decorate my rehabbed vintage bags, I tend to prefer them plain; but I think the tassel fobs go well with many of them, especially the larger bags like the willis. Nice work!

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-clubhouse/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club-624452-500.html#post23712012
 
#9,230
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...
Wow, what an amazing transformation! You really have a natural talent. I'm looking forward to see what you do next.
 
#9,231
NurseAnn said:
Joining the club with my Willis bag that Hyacinth so kindly authenticated. It didn't require much in the way of rehab. The leather was in great condition with no odor so I didn't have to give her a bath. Just used some Lexol leather conditioner and brassol to shine up the hardware. The brass cleaning was tedious but worth it. The cleaner smelled horrible. A little like cleaning brass with 100% cat pee. It worked though and the brass really shines. The before and after pictures really don't show much of a change but the leather really gained a rich luster from the lotion. This leather is addictive. It is so buttery smooth but still strong. My next search will be for something in British Tan.

Before
View attachment 2192499

After (added a little tassel fob)
View attachment 2192501


Awesome! It looks wonderful.

Makes me want to go find a Willis to Rehab. :smile1:


And just for fun next to her younger sister, New Willis
View attachment 2192502
Click to expand...


Awesome! You did a great job.

Makes me want to go find a Willis and rehab it.
 
#9,232
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...


Wow those look like two different bags! Great job. Older Coach leather feels so nice. I am always amazed by how thick it is.
 
#9,233
katev said:
Your rehabbed willis looks great and I love the yellow tassel accent! Here is a pic of my navy willis decorated with a red tassel, but I have switched the hardware color to brass since I took this pic. I usually don't decorate my rehabbed vintage bags, I tend to prefer them plain; but I think the tassel fobs go well with many of them, especially the larger bags like the willis. Nice work!

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-clubhouse/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club-624452-500.html#post23712012
Click to expand...

Your Navy Willis looks brand new! You're so lucky to have found that color. I love the Willis style so much. I am thinking of finding one in red but I'm scared of rehabbing it. The tassel fobs look classic to me and are the only ones I'd dress these bags up with. How did you switch out the hardware?
 
#9,236
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...
What a great job, I am impressed!
 
#9,237
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...

Wonderful! Liked the tip about brushing between applications... Might try that myself on my next project! The bag's gorgeous, well done you.
 
#9,238
Willis lover said:
Wonderful! Liked the tip about brushing between applications... Might try that myself on my next project! The bag's gorgeous, well done you.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I'm finding that brushing a bag can make a big difference. I'd been at work during the day between the first couple of applications of conditioner for the bag I'm working on now and hadn't brushed it all between applications. Yesterday I brushed the bag several times using a Kiwi horsehair brush. I spent quite a bit of time with it each time I brushed it - firm strokes and really brushing it well. It made a huge difference in the leather. Just like you'd brush an animal to keep their skin healthy, it really helps open the pores of the leather to allow the conditioner to get into it. I highly recommend it, especially if you are dealing with a bag that is really dry from lack of conditioning.
 
#9,240
coach943 said:
After reading through much of this thread and being inspired by all of the rehab pictures and stories, I decided to try my hand a my first rehab project. Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I found a small leather briefcase in pretty sad shape. It's the perfect size to carry to work periodically that will fit my daily essentials plus my iPad. It was authenticated as probably being made sometime in the 70s.

When I received it, it was very dirty and the leather was very dried out. The piping on one corner was split, and it was broken on another corner. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the piping and figured since this was my first project, I'd just wing it a little bit. I sewed the piping with needle and thread before I dunked it.

After dunking, I ended up using three applications of Leather Therapy, two applications of Blackrock, followed by two additional applications of Obenauf's. Between the applications, I brushed the bag to really help open the pores of the leather. The leather is amazing. It is now a dark chocolate brown and very soft and supple. It's the soft chewy leather you expect from a good, old Coach bag.

The piping looks passable. I covered it with a couple coats of EdgeKote and then use a sealer over it. For my purposes, it is good enough. You can't notice the damage unless you are really looking for it. For future projects, I'll try something else (or just look for bags where the piping is not damaged).

My next project is a Musette. It was super dried out when I got it. So much so that I thought it was British Tan. Now, I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco color, but after three applications of Leather Therapy it's still very, very dry. I think I now have the rehab bug.
Click to expand...

Welcome...and congratulations on a fabulous rehab...great results!
 
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