Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Jessi319]

Has anyone ever cleaned or rehabbed a white Scribble bag? We have one that is looking grungy.

I have washed a scribble bag (small hobo type cloth bag) and I"ve washed several other Hampton type totes, if that's what you mean. do you have a photo? They generally wash pretty well. And if it is soo dirty you'd not carry it other wise, you'd have nothing to lose

 

[skeptik]

I am not sure you can completely fix that. I too wish I could fix the same problem with my mahogany ? Carrier (similar to Musette but a bit larger) Once an old bag has gotten seriously dry it's harder to revive it too -(in my case just shy of dry rot). I put MULTIPLE coats of Leather therapy restorer and conditioner on this bag, slowly, and patiently, repeatedly for weeks, until the bag gleamed and is beautiful to look at, but it always scuffs and scratches. It doesn't bother me too much (I'd LOVE to have one in the color you have-my favorite color of vintage NYC!) YOu can rub with just your finger tips when you are out and about with no access to conditioner, Rubbing the leather with your hand helps tone down the scratched spots.

I like the carriers very much. I wish my Musette was bigger! I'm very jealous!

I'll probably just keep at it with the mink oil, it's had a very slight darkening effect on the leather but, the bag looks marvelous.

It's a pain. It tempts me to sell it and go back to a pebbled Coach that was less $$$. Maybe I'll work up the nerve. I coveted it for a looooooong time before I bought the darn thing.

Anyway! Thanks very much for your input! ON TO THE COMPULSIVE RUBBING!

 

[Jessi319]

I haven't posted in a while since it's hard to document all the bags I have to do, most of which are very "been there, done that" I happen to be in love this particular bag, and her beauty should be shown to all

BEFORE SHOTS :
#5230
Shoulder Brief in burgundy ($230 retail in '89)

No idea why Image shack likes to randomly flip images sideways

 

[Jessi319]

Shoulder Brief #5230
AFTER SHOTS:

ALL I had to do to this bag is dunk her in Leather Therapy Wash/ Lexol cleaner mix, then when dry, I put about 8 coats of Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner on, done gradually over a week's time. Touched it up with a bit of Black Rocks. I will probably put a little more on her over the next couple of days to finalize it. And a little brass polish of course. Great work bag!!

 

[Jessi319]

I like the carriers very much. I wish my Musette was bigger! I'm very jealous!

I'll probably just keep at it with the mink oil, it's had a very slight darkening effect on the leather but, the bag looks marvelous.

It's a pain. It tempts me to sell it and go back to a pebbled Coach that was less $$$. Maybe I'll work up the nerve. I coveted it for a looooooong time before I bought the darn thing.

Anyway! Thanks very much for your input! ON TO THE COMPULSIVE RUBBING!

Well, if you sell, I hope I find out first LOL I love the Musette size, but LOVE the Carrier's back pocket! And, I am blissfully NON OCD haha. Makes it a lot easier to LOVE a REALLY old bag!!

 

[skeptik]

Well, if you sell, I hope I find out first LOL I love the Musette size, but LOVE the Carrier's back pocket! And, I am blissfully NON OCD haha. Makes it a lot easier to LOVE a REALLY old bag!!

Old bags are best! I secretly like all the polishing. I'll get it together tomorrow and post a pic of my old bags. With this old bag.

 

[JOODLZ]

Shoulder Brief #5230
AFTER SHOTS:

ALL I had to do to this bag is dunk her in Leather Therapy Wash/ Lexol cleaner mix, then when dry, I put about 8 coats of Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner on, done gradually over a week's time. Touched it up with a bit of Black Rocks. I will probably put a little more on her over the next couple of days to finalize it. And a little brass polish of course. Great work bag!!

Beautiful rehab...love the depth of color! I haven't (yet) seen a burgundy bag, but I'll be watching for one. Great job as usual...ain't it satisfying when you can make such a difference in a bag?

 

[JOODLZ]

Here’s my Blue Paris Bag #4105 - finally finished! Before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-236.html#post25100621

Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as rehab goes. There were a bunch of white spots on the front like on the seam below the magnetic snap on the “before” pic that melted right away in the bath. The biggest issue was on one end of the strap where the inside stabilizing stuff had started to disintegrate and pop out of the leather. I pushed it back in place with a toothpick, filled it with acrylic gloss enamel and secured it with binder clips to hold it in place til it dried. Painted over with a mix of blue and black acrylic and it’s now secure and camoulfladged! (Please ignore the brass...I just wasn't in the mood!)

I spent a few days obsessing over the flap. It had a crease right along the top edge, probably from being stored flat. Throughout the conditioning process, I kept rolling it every which direction to try to smooth it out. The lining on the inside of the flap makes this difficult, but I think I improved it. Probably will get even better with more exercise.

 

[skeptik]

Shoulder Brief #5230
AFTER SHOTS:

ALL I had to do to this bag is dunk her in Leather Therapy Wash/ Lexol cleaner mix, then when dry, I put about 8 coats of Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner on, done gradually over a week's time. Touched it up with a bit of Black Rocks. I will probably put a little more on her over the next couple of days to finalize it. And a little brass polish of course. Great work bag!!

Oh, I love that. LOVE IT. What brass polish are you using? I need to hit all of mine with a little something and I have been hesitant to use the brass cleaner I use when I make/clean vintage jewelry assemblage stuff. It's caustic as all heck.

You do really nice work.

 

[Jessi319]

Oh, I love that. LOVE IT. What brass polish are you using? I need to hit all of mine with a little something and I have been hesitant to use the brass cleaner I use when I make/clean vintage jewelry assemblage stuff. It's caustic as all heck.

You do really nice work.

thank you I use Wrights the most but I don't love using it at all because of the harshness, but it works for me. I've bought about half a dozen brass polishers and I come back to that one, and another "finishing up" polisher called MAAS. It's in a metallic type tube kind of like toothpaste, and mine is a lavender color. It's gentler but I use it as a follow up since that seems to be the most effective and it is supposed to inhibit tarnish from returning.

 

[Jessi319]

Here’s my Blue Paris Bag #4105 - finally finished! Before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-236.html#post25100621

Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as rehab goes. There were a bunch of white spots on the front like on the seam below the magnetic snap on the “before” pic that melted right away in the bath. The biggest issue was on one end of the strap where the inside stabilizing stuff had started to disintegrate and pop out of the leather. I pushed it back in place with a toothpick, filled it with acrylic gloss enamel and secured it with binder clips to hold it in place til it dried. Painted over with a mix of blue and black acrylic and it’s now secure and camoulfladged! (Please ignore the brass...I just wasn't in the mood!)

I spent a few days obsessing over the flap. It had a crease right along the top edge, probably from being stored flat. Throughout the conditioning process, I kept rolling it every which direction to try to smooth it out. The lining on the inside of the flap makes this difficult, but I think I improved it. Probably will get even better with more exercise.

she looks gorgeous!!!! wearing mine today!

 

[skeptik]

I desperately want one of those sweet powder/baby blue vintage leather bags. I've come across two recently-- one at an antique store (hardly antique-- lol) and one on Craigslist but both were WAY filthy and WAY overpriced. Neither INSANE-O seller would budge. I hardly ever see them.

People are delusional at times, as items are only as valuable as what people will pay for them. Both wanted 100+ for badly stained/discolored bags.

That bag is SWEET Joodlz. I loathe when bags are allowed to crease up like that. I nearly bought a pebbled pale brown (I'm bad with color names) Sonoma flap on Ebay but caught a suspicious line in the pic and when I asked the seller she admitted it did have a storage crease. I have a black pebbled Sonoma and, I might have been able to work that crease out, but it was just too spendy for the effort, IMO. The flap on the pebbled Sonomas is thick and that leather was light in color. I worried it wouldn't give.

I'm rehabbing a Lexington Flap Briefcase for my husband now, it's going ok (I should have taken before shots) but the front pockets are badly, IDK, scuffed? Strangely scratched? I hit it with mink oil after I worked through the Musette again last night and I think it may have darkened them a bit more but they almost have a -- whitish(?) sort of stain to them (?) It's so weird. I don't particularly care for the bag but he tends to carry two laptops around like a weirdo and the simple Coach Metropolitan he has now is just way too small. I'll be rehabbing that soon too. It's a mess. It was in meh shape when I bought it for him. He didn't want "the pressure of a nice bag," lol. This Lexi is going to delight him.

 

[skeptik]

thank you I use Wrights the most but I don't love using it at all because of the harshness, but it works for me. I've bought about half a dozen brass polishers and I come back to that one, and another "finishing up" polisher called MAAS. It's in a metallic type tube kind of like toothpaste, and mine is a lavender color. It's gentler but I use it as a follow up since that seems to be the most effective and it is supposed to inhibit tarnish from returning.

You can also use Renaissance Wax on the brass. If it gets on the leather it's no big. It's used by the British Museum to protect all sorts of artifacts. I use it to seal brass, gold plate, etc. It's amazing stuff. I tested it by leaving a rosary I made hanging on my patio in Florida. It was made of brass wire. It didn't tarnish during the rainy season. Nice shine, too.

 

[Jessi319]

You can also use Renaissance Wax on the brass. If it gets on the leather it's no big. It's used by the British Museum to protect all sorts of artifacts. I use it to seal brass, gold plate, etc. It's amazing stuff. I tested it by leaving a rosary I made hanging on my patio in Florida. It was made of brass wire. It didn't tarnish during the rainy season. Nice shine, too.

very good to know! I need something for the brass that has verdigris problems on my 65th anniversary Whiskey colored bags. that dye causes verdigris for some reason!!!

 

[ladyraven65]

Shoulder Brief #5230
AFTER SHOTS:

ALL I had to do to this bag is dunk her in Leather Therapy Wash/ Lexol cleaner mix, then when dry, I put about 8 coats of Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner on, done gradually over a week's time. Touched it up with a bit of Black Rocks. I will probably put a little more on her over the next couple of days to finalize it. And a little brass polish of course. Great work bag!!

She is such a gorgeous color---one of my favorites! Great job on her