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#9,768
JOODLZ said:
I bought this one on New Year’s Day at Goodwill 50% off sale for $12.50. Not really my style, but a good fit for my daughter, so I did a quick rehab as it was in very good condition to start with. BeenBurned confirmed she is a MFF Multi-Stripe Hampton Soho #10702 from 2007.

The before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-338.html#post23669611

The white leather trim was in immaculate condition, but there were a couple of smudgy spots on the front fabric. Gave her a warm, sudsy soak with Dawn and treated the spots with Soilove. A little toothbrushing took them out completely! After a good rinse I stuffed her with towels to dry and conditioned the leather. Borrowed a white hangtag from another one of my bags and she’s off to her new home in Virginia. Happy me, happy daughter!
Click to expand...

Wow! Nice job!

I've been following this forum as I have 2 Coach bags that seriously needs rehab!

I've been hearing about the soilove! It's for fabric, right?

Also, it's the green one?

How did you clean the leather strap.. with dawn?
 

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#9,771
redgater said:
Also I have some Edgekote ...it seems thin to me. I'm trying to repair a strap and it never seems to build up to be as thick as what is already on there. Have you guys found that different brands work differently? And are there different brands of this edge coatings? I read somewhere that plastic dip is good for edges. It's that stuff that they sell at Home Depot that people will color code their tools with . I may try that but I wanted to know if you guys have tried different kinds of edge coatings and what you have found to be . [\QUOTE]


I'd like to have this information too. If you try that plastic stuff, let me know how it goes. You might need to use the plastic stuff to build up the thickness and then top it with the edge kote so it will match. I evened out a couple of small spots with plain old Elmer's glue and then topped it with edge kote, but I don't want / can't do that with large places.
Click to expand...
 
#9,773
katev said:
I just wanted to share my newly-acquired knowledge about caring for exotic bags with my fellow Coach rehabbers, in case the information is useful to anyone.

I won a Parker Exotics Small Flap Bag 13417 on a charity auction site. It isn't vintage because it was released in 2009, it is secondhand but new to me. I had to wait a week to receive the bag from the auction house, so I took advantage of the time to research the care, cleaning, and storage of exotic skin bags.

FYI, many "snakeskin" and "croc" and "ostrich" bags are not genuine exotic bags. Most Coach snake, croc, and ostrich bags and are actually embossed, leather print bags - and that is true of many other exotic designer bags, too. But Coach has made some genuine exotics and the creed legend will tell you what the bag is made from.

If your bag is made of an authentic exotic skin then it will need special care and handling. The Parker bag that I won is genuine Karung snakeskin from SE Asia and the bag was made in Italy.

I spent a lot of time on the Bottega Veneta, CL, Channel, and Hermes forums to learn about caring for exotic bags. The most popular product recommendation from many experts, including Docride on Hermes, was to use DYO Reptile Conditioner on your exotic bags.

I had a couple of ebay bucks buring a hole in my pocket so I bought a 4 oz bottle of DYO. It acturally arrived sooner than the bag, but I guess that was a good thing!

When I got the bag was in very good condition but it felt kind of dry and it looked a bit dull. Happily none of the scales had lifted or started peeling. It seems that smaller-scaled Karung snakeskin is much sturdier than the more popular Python that has larger scales and has a tendency to lift and peel.

My research taught me that there are a few things that are very bad for exotic bags - heat, drying out, dust, waterspots, and brushing the scales the wrong way! (Snakes hate that, always be sure to brush your snake in the right direction!)

Beside feeling a bit dry and rough, the only problem with my new bag was that there were 2 dark lines on the top of the bag where the hardware rings had rested against the bag in storage.

It didn't look dusty but I took a new soft toothbrush right out of the package and used it to brush down, alway in the right direction. Then I used a soft, clean dry cloth (an old t-shirt) to rub in small amounts of DYO, immediately wiping off the excess with the cloth. After it dried I used a clean soft cloth to burnish the surface of the bag.

I am happy to report that DYO immediately removed the dark lines caused by the hardware rings, and it made the entire bag look and feel soft and shiny.

Right now the bag is securely stored in a dustbag (away from the heat, dust, and water - and absolutely no one is brushing it the wrong way!) And I have the metal rings and strap wrapped in tissue to protect the snakeskin leather. When I have time I may coat the hardware rings with Diamond Glaze to prevent them from discoloring the snakeskin leather again.

See the pics below for pics of my new Parker Karung Snakeskin bag!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach/my-most-exotic-expensive-coach-bag-reveal-modeling-827804.html
Click to expand...

OMG! She is stunning! I love the blush and don't ever remember seeing that style before.
 
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#9,774
redgater said:
I wonder if rinsing after would help with coated feel?
Ok so heres another idea ...That does not involve mixing the dye with water...So I wonder if you bought a quart or larger of leather dye and put it in a container you could use the dipping method...weigh down the bags so they are immersed. take the bag out and then put a lid on the container and reuse the dye. There's a guy at An online leatherworker supply shop that answers questions. I may ask him this if You girls don't know…

Also I have some Edgekote ...it seems thin to me. I'm trying to repair a strap and it never seems to build up to be as thick as what is already on there. Have you guys found that different brands work differently? And are there different brands of this edge coatings? I read somewhere that plastic dip is good for edges. It's that stuff that they sell at Home Depot that people will color code their tools with . I may try that but I wanted to know if you guys have tried different kinds of edge coatings and what you have found to be the best.

Thanks hoping for lots of wisdom!!!!!
Click to expand...

I thought about putting dye in a bucket, but so far I have been using Fiebings, which is like 6 or 7 dollars for a 4 oz bottle, so decided that was too expensive. If you could store and reuse the dye it might make more sense. Let us know if you get advice on that. i am not sure when I will get to try out my wood dye, but will report back when I do.

On the EdgeKote - I assume you have Fiebings which is what I use. The key is to apply it using a dauber or a Q-tip so you get a thick even coat. Now, it isn't going to create a smooth round plasticy edge if the bag didn't start out with that sort of finish on the edges, if that is what you are looking for. It smooths the side grain of the leather and dyes it. I use it on shoes as well as bags and if you think about the black edge on the sole of cowboy boots or another pair of leather soled shoes, that is what you will get - a smooth even edge but not a thick coating..


AggieK said:
This is really interesting - did you strip off any remaining finish before you dip dyed?
Click to expand...

On the Chrystie bag I posted, I didn't because the leather was already so worn. I also did a Studio Flap and a City Bag, both of which were very scratched and faded. I bathed both of them and washed them with saddle soap and put them in the stain while they were still damp so the leather was ready to accept the dye. My vintage bags are packed away right now, but I might give one a bath and condition the other as is and see how they turn out when I get them back. The City Bag actually turned out really nice, so she doesn't need much more. I wonder now if the fact that I didn't give the Chrystie a bath made the difference.
 

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#9,775
katev said:
I just wanted to share my newly-acquired knowledge about caring for exotic bags with my fellow Coach rehabbers, in case the information is useful to anyone.

I won a Parker Exotics Small Flap Bag 13417 on a charity auction site. It isn't vintage because it was released in 2009, it is secondhand but new to me. I had to wait a week to receive the bag from the auction house, so I took advantage of the time to research the care, cleaning, and storage of exotic skin bags.

FYI, many "snakeskin" and "croc" and "ostrich" bags are not genuine exotic bags. Most Coach snake, croc, and ostrich bags and are actually embossed, leather print bags - and that is true of many other exotic designer bags, too. But Coach has made some genuine exotics and the creed legend will tell you what the bag is made from.

If your bag is made of an authentic exotic skin then it will need special care and handling. The Parker bag that I won is genuine Karung snakeskin from SE Asia and the bag was made in Italy.

I spent a lot of time on the Bottega Veneta, CL, Channel, and Hermes forums to learn about caring for exotic bags. The most popular product recommendation from many experts, including Docride on Hermes, was to use DYO Reptile Conditioner on your exotic bags.

I had a couple of ebay bucks buring a hole in my pocket so I bought a 4 oz bottle of DYO. It acturally arrived sooner than the bag, but I guess that was a good thing!

When I got the bag was in very good condition but it felt kind of dry and it looked a bit dull. Happily none of the scales had lifted or started peeling. It seems that smaller-scaled Karung snakeskin is much sturdier than the more popular Python that has larger scales and has a tendency to lift and peel.

My research taught me that there are a few things that are very bad for exotic bags - heat, drying out, dust, waterspots, and brushing the scales the wrong way! (Snakes hate that, always be sure to brush your snake in the right direction!)

Beside feeling a bit dry and rough, the only problem with my new bag was that there were 2 dark lines on the top of the bag where the hardware rings had rested against the bag in storage.

It didn't look dusty but I took a new soft toothbrush right out of the package and used it to brush down, alway in the right direction. Then I used a soft, clean dry cloth (an old t-shirt) to rub in small amounts of DYO, immediately wiping off the excess with the cloth. After it dried I used a clean soft cloth to burnish the surface of the bag.

I am happy to report that DYO immediately removed the dark lines caused by the hardware rings, and it made the entire bag look and feel soft and shiny.

Right now the bag is securely stored in a dustbag (away from the heat, dust, and water - and absolutely no one is brushing it the wrong way!) And I have the metal rings and strap wrapped in tissue to protect the snakeskin leather. When I have time I may coat the hardware rings with Diamond Glaze to prevent them from discoloring the snakeskin leather again.

See the pics below for pics of my new Parker Karung Snakeskin bag!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach/my-most-exotic-expensive-coach-bag-reveal-modeling-827804.html
Click to expand...
Katev - this is great! I have some vintage snakeskin pieces and some of them (especially this one tote I found at Goodwill) seem so dry and papery that I am afraid to use them. I've repaired them and wiped them down with conditioner (in the right direction of course, don't want the cobra wallet to get nasty), but it didn't seem to do them much good.

I will definitely try this.
 
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#9,776
Hello Ladies, I have more care questions :confused: Has anyone ever used Mink Oil or Saddle Soap (Kiwi brand) on their Coach bags? Both say for use on "smooth leather", so I was thinking of applying to my Parker, Zoe, & Alexa. I conditioned them w Apple brand conditioner a couple months ago & it helped a lot (thanks for that advice!) but they're looking a bit grungy lately. I picked up Saddle Soap (2 for 1 sale; got Mink Oil, too) but figured I'd check w the real experts before I try anything. FYI: Parker & Zoe are both black leather & Alexa is bronze leather. Any advice or opinions would be GREATLY appreciated. :) TIA!
 
#9,777
chowlover2 said:
OMG! She is stunning! I love the blush and don't ever remember seeing that style before.
Click to expand...

Thanks, it was easy to find other examples of Parker flap bags but the exotic, made in Italy, snakeskin versions of the bag are rather rare. I don't remember seeing them before either.
 
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#9,778
netlawyer said:
Katev - this is great! I have some vintage snakeskin pieces and some of them (especially this one tote I found at Goodwill) seem so dry and papery that I am afraid to use them. I've repaired them and wiped them down with conditioner (in the right direction of course, don't want the cobra wallet to get nasty), but it didn't seem to do them much good.

I will definitely try this.
Click to expand...

It seems that you need to replace essential oils to maintain snakeskin products. There are a few other popular products mentioned on TPF but DYO Reptile Conditioner seems to be a general favorite.

Use it in a well-ventilated area; it has a strong smell but it disappears pretty quickly.

Here's a link with information about caring for exotic bags, including vintage bags. They recommend DYO or just regular Apple conditioner. I have some Apple but I bought the DYO because it is specifically for exotic skins and it was recommended by many TPFers.
http://www.exoticskinhandbags.com/#!__handbag-care

Good luck with your rehabs, show us pics of your exotics!
 
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#9,779
netlawyer said:
On the EdgeKote - I assume you have Fiebings which is what I use. The key is to apply it using a dauber or a Q-tip so you get a thick even coat. Now, it isn't going to create a smooth round plasticy edge if the bag didn't start out with that sort of finish on the edges, if that is what you are looking for. It smooths the side grain of the leather and dyes it.
Click to expand...

What we are looking for is a thick edge coating. One that will either go on thick or at least build up thickly. When a piece of thick plastic-like edge coating breaks off, it leaves a gap, a deep gap that is impossible to fill in with edge kote. It is the raw edge of the leather at the bottom of the gap. In small gaps I've used glue as a filler, but I need something better when the gap is larger. Basically, we would like to buy a product that produces the same results as the factory edge coating......know what I mean?
 
#9,780
MoreCoachPleez said:
Hello Ladies, I have more care questions :confused: Has anyone ever used Mink Oil or Saddle Soap (Kiwi brand) on their Coach bags? Both say for use on "smooth leather", so I was thinking of applying to my Parker, Zoe, & Alexa. I conditioned them w Apple brand conditioner a couple months ago & it helped a lot (thanks for that advice!) but they're looking a bit grungy lately. I picked up Saddle Soap (2 for 1 sale; got Mink Oil, too) but figured I'd check w the real experts before I try anything. FYI: Parker & Zoe are both black leather & Alexa is bronze leather. Any advice or opinions would be GREATLY appreciated. :) TIA!
Click to expand...

Ooo, I think I just answered my own question! Next time, I'll be sure to do a bit more research before buying (or posting questions)! Seems BOTH are really NOT good ideas. Guess ill stick with Apple! Though, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to reading! Otherwise I'll just return both tins.
 
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