Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

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#1,112
I didn't dunk my Gigi in the bath as she looked quite good, and I wasn't 100% happy with the results of bathing my leigh. I use a leather cleaner from a saddlery shop, applied using a damp face washer. I worked it in to the leather quite well, especially the bottom and back, but also tried to do the entire bag evenly. I used a clean dry towel to dry her off - she wasn't really very wet. These pcitures were all taken after I applied a leather conditioner, which did darken the leather initially. It is continuing to fade back down as it penetrates, but I was keen to get some pictures up. The leather was very patina- ed and I really only cleaned off the dirt from the bag. She had been used alot, but I think she looks pretty nice
 

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#1,113
4213jen said:
I didn't dunk my Gigi in the bath as she looked quite good, and I wasn't 100% happy with the results of bathing my leigh. I use a leather cleaner from a saddlery shop, applied using a damp face washer. I worked it in to the leather quite well, especially the bottom and back, but also tried to do the entire bag evenly. I used a clean dry towel to dry her off - she wasn't really very wet. These pcitures were all taken after I applied a leather conditioner, which did darken the leather initially. It is continuing to fade back down as it penetrates, but I was keen to get some pictures up. The leather was very patina- ed and I really only cleaned off the dirt from the bag. She had been used alot, but I think she looks pretty nice
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Wow, you are brave! I've never attempted to rehab a legacy bag. I think that gigi is looking really good and your leigh has definitely improved. How are the interior linings of these bags? Was leigh's lining discolored by the bath?

Coffee&Coach has a lot of expertise with reviving leather, including vachetta leather, why don't you reach out to her and see if she has any additional suggestions? Nice job!
 
#1,114
Thanks Kate. You are definitely the bag whisperer though! I have mixed feelings about the leigh, but I am invested in her, and I love yellow. I do hope that the turnlock plackets lighten a bit, but they are both orangey at the moment, and don't look unwearably awful, better than before when they looked a bit dirty. The lining stayed good, and didn't take up the yellow in the bath, surprisingly. I can post a photo if you like? I am happy with the Gigi, and have to admit I loved her from the moment I saw her. She is still darker than I imagine the camel should be, but still looks nice.
 
#1,115
4213jen said:
I didn't dunk my Gigi in the bath as she looked quite good, and I wasn't 100% happy with the results of bathing my leigh. I use a leather cleaner from a saddlery shop, applied using a damp face washer. I worked it in to the leather quite well, especially the bottom and back, but also tried to do the entire bag evenly. I used a clean dry towel to dry her off - she wasn't really very wet. These pcitures were all taken after I applied a leather conditioner, which did darken the leather initially. It is continuing to fade back down as it penetrates, but I was keen to get some pictures up. The leather was very patina- ed and I really only cleaned off the dirt from the bag. She had been used alot, but I think she looks pretty nice
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Wow! Great job on both of them! I bet the Leigh will continue to lighten but even if it doesn't the color is just beautiful. The Gigi is gorgeous too. There is something about that leather that is so rich and luxurious looking. Congrats:smile1:
 
#1,116
Good job and yes, you are brave!!! I love that yellow Leigh. And I really want a GiGi too. Thank you from all of us for taking that brave first step. If the darkened areas on the Leigh lighten back up or if it evens back out, I"d love to know...Thanks for posting the photos and I am glad the lining stayed good. That's my biggest fear.
 
#1,118
4213jen said:
After a bit under a week I decided it was time to condition the leather again as it was a bit stiff. The front turnlock panels have gone darker again. I'm not sure if they will lighten over time or not. I had a go, it was a learning experience, and hopefully this will help others out. After shots:
Click to expand...

One thing to keep in mind is that the location of the discoloration is different from the rest of the bag in that it is a number of layers of leather tightly pressed together. This will make that part take longer to dry.

I noticed that you said you washed the leather parts around the turnlock where your discoloration is with a soap. I wonder if that could have played a part in the color change. The legacy leather can definitely be sensitive to things like that.

Just from looking at the photos, though, I really think it just isn't dry yet. You can see in your earlier pictures after the bath that it is similarly dark on the hangtag and near the zippers which are other spots where layers of leather are tightly pressed and stitched. Those areas look to have lightened with time as they dried completely. If you condition it again, steer clear of those areas. The tighter and less flexible an area is, the less moisture it can hold, so it's easy to over-do it.

Natural animal oils (I was just telling KateV how much I enjoy using emu oil) will be more gentle on light-colored leathers and will not darken the leather. Anything with lanolin in it will cause leather to eventually darken with repeated use.

Overall, I think you just need to give it some time to soak in and dry completely and be careful not to over-condition the thick, less-flexible areas.

Good luck and keep us updated on how she turns out!
 
#1,120
Coffee&Coach said:
One thing to keep in mind is that the location of the discoloration is different from the rest of the bag in that it is a number of layers of leather tightly pressed together. This will make that part take longer to dry.

I noticed that you said you washed the leather parts around the turnlock where your discoloration is with a soap. I wonder if that could have played a part in the color change. The legacy leather can definitely be sensitive to things like that.

Just from looking at the photos, though, I really think it just isn't dry yet. You can see in your earlier pictures after the bath that it is similarly dark on the hangtag and near the zippers which are other spots where layers of leather are tightly pressed and stitched. Those areas look to have lightened with time as they dried completely. If you condition it again, steer clear of those areas. The tighter and less flexible an area is, the less moisture it can hold, so it's easy to over-do it.

Natural animal oils (I was just telling KateV how much I enjoy using emu oil) will be more gentle on light-colored leathers and will not darken the leather. Anything with lanolin in it will cause leather to eventually darken with repeated use.

Overall, I think you just need to give it some time to soak in and dry completely and be careful not to over-condition the thick, less-flexible areas.

Good luck and keep us updated on how she turns out!
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Thank you Coffee&Coach. I should stop conditioning the leigh then! I'll also see if I can find some emu oil, as I'm pretty sure the conditioner I am using has eucalyptus oil and lanolin in it. Maybe this experiment will also be a lesson in which conditioners work best for vachetta leather. I'll let you all know if and when the panels lighten up again. Thanks again
 
#1,121
4213jen said:
Thank you Coffee&Coach. I should stop conditioning the leigh then! I'll also see if I can find some emu oil, as I'm pretty sure the conditioner I am using has eucalyptus oil and lanolin in it. Maybe this experiment will also be a lesson in which conditioners work best for vachetta leather. I'll let you all know if and when the panels lighten up again. Thanks again
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You did such a great job! And the stitching looks brandnew, you have certainly inspired me!:smile1:
 
#1,123
4213jen said:
Thank you! And I love your dogs!
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Thank you! I am on the hunt for a bag to rehab. It's so sad Coach stopped making quality bags. The leather on the new bags does not compare to the leather on the older bags. I'm really glad to see the older bags rehabbed and given new lives. I was shopping at the outlets a week ago, and all I could think was I wouldn't want to carry most of these bags 20,30, 40 yrs from now. I gues what there making is selling, but I have had to move on from them as a brand.
 
#1,124
4213jen said:
Thank you Coffee&Coach. I should stop conditioning the leigh then! I'll also see if I can find some emu oil, as I'm pretty sure the conditioner I am using has eucalyptus oil and lanolin in it. Maybe this experiment will also be a lesson in which conditioners work best for vachetta leather. I'll let you all know if and when the panels lighten up again. Thanks again
Click to expand...

I had just asked Coffee&Coach for advice about rehabbing a non-Coach natural leather bag that I picked up at the thrift store and below is the information she gave me about Emu oil, I'm looking forward to trying it out!

"I have a little bottle of 100% emu oil that I get at a local holistic health store that is awesome to use on leather. It's also on Amazon and a bunch of other sites to buy online. I found a little trial bottle for pretty cheap at:

http://www.highcascadeemus.com/emu_oil/pc/Emule-AEA-Certified-Fully-Refined-Grade-A-Emu-Oil-7p2.htm

There are some name brand products that I like, but I worry that they will darken the leather (which pure emu oil should not).

With the oil, just apply in very thin coats with a natural hair brush or a lint-free cloth. You won't need to rub, just apply and let it absorb. Natural leather sucks stuff up fast (which is why it's such a pain to care for) so you'll see the color darken while it's wet and then lighten as it soaks in. I'm not sure if you're in a cold area, but make sure the leather is warm while you're doing this. This lets the pores open to take on the oil more evenly."
 
#1,125
katev said:
I had just asked Coffee&Coach for advice about rehabbing a non-Coach natural leather bag that I picked up at the thrift store and below is the information she gave me about Emu oil, I'm looking forward to trying it out!

"I have a little bottle of 100% emu oil that I get at a local holistic health store that is awesome to use on leather. It's also on Amazon and a bunch of other sites to buy online. I found a little trial bottle for pretty cheap at:

http://www.highcascadeemus.com/emu_oil/pc/Emule-AEA-Certified-Fully-Refined-Grade-A-Emu-Oil-7p2.htm

There are some name brand products that I like, but I worry that they will darken the leather (which pure emu oil should not).

With the oil, just apply in very thin coats with a natural hair brush or a lint-free cloth. You won't need to rub, just apply and let it absorb. Natural leather sucks stuff up fast (which is why it's such a pain to care for) so you'll see the color darken while it's wet and then lighten as it soaks in. I'm not sure if you're in a cold area, but make sure the leather is warm while you're doing this. This lets the pores open to take on the oil more evenly."
Click to expand...
Thank you. I was just googling emu oil and found heaps of options. My next question was going to be whether to use the products formulated for leather (with bees wax and lemon myrtle added) or the pure oil. Here's to one advantage to living in Australia - I miss out on finding Coach at my local thrift store, but emu oil is cheap and easily available!
 
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