Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[katev]

hey everyone so I found this bag today at my local thrift store for only $3.99!!!!! I could not believe it. I felt like KateV how she always finds those rock bottom prices on fabulous stuff!!

I had it authenticated in the authentication thread and it PASSED!! Its a 1997 Made in Turkey Willis.

Anyway my question for all you rehab pros is what would be the best leather treatment for this bag being that it has many small scratches but ALL over the bag!!! Should I just use apple conditioner, or lexol conditioner, or leather CPR??? Help me out ladies. I want to try and minimize and mask some of these scratches.

I already bathed the bag in warm water with woolite.

sorry about the poor quality picture. I did take more before pictures.

Nice find at a bargain price! Is it missing the strap? Even so, at that price you afford to pick up a strap later. The cheapest Willis I've ever found was $9 and it was missing the strap and the condition wasn't as good as your bag.

Any of those products you mentioned will work to condition the bag and help shine it up, but as LadyRaven says, the best thing for covering lots of scuffs and scratches is Blackrocks Leather 'N Rich.

It not the easiest product to work with but it does the job. Here is advice from Docride for using Blackrocks:

"Apply a small amount with finger tips, using small circular motions. Work one small area at a time, about 5 inches or so, immediately remove excess with a paper towel. Always be conservative in applications. The "if a little is good then more is better" principle does not apply here. You can always repeat an application after the leather has rested.

Older drier leathers can only take up so much conditioner at a time, so it's best to do thin, light applications and allow the leather to rest in between treatments."

Here is some information about Blackrocks. I get it at a local tack shop for around $6:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackrock-Leather-N-Rich/133531666682247?sk=info

 

[Jessi319]

hey everyone so I found this bag today at my local thrift store for only $3.99!!!!! I could not believe it. I felt like KateV how she always finds those rock bottom prices on fabulous stuff!!

I had it authenticated in the authentication thread and it PASSED!! Its a 1997 Made in Turkey Willis.

Anyway my question for all you rehab pros is what would be the best leather treatment for this bag being that it has many small scratches but ALL over the bag!!! Should I just use apple conditioner, or lexol conditioner, or leather CPR??? Help me out ladies. I want to try and minimize and mask some of these scratches.

I already bathed the bag in warm water with woolite.

sorry about the poor quality picture. I did take more before pictures.

Lucky you!! GREAT BARGAIN..FOR AN AWESOME BAG!!. A bath does a good job of plumping up the leather and once its almost totally dry, I start with a little Leather CPR, space out the applications (I just put a light coat on before bed, and check it next day, etc.) I just use my instincts on when it's feeling supple enough. Then, if the surface still needs some evening out, I will do 1 or 2 (spaced out a day apart) light coats of Blackrock. This bag bounces back beautifully!!!

 

[ledobe]

Hi! I have lurked this forum for years but rarely post. I love this thread-I've had good luck with rehabbing lots of items of various quality and am also a firm believer in "if there's no hope for it, throw it in the washer". I've thrown leather shoes in the washer (pillowcased and padded with towels or blankets) and had had them come out almost new.

So the reason I'm delurking is: ink stains. I have a couple of tips. Some of you probably know this but I haven't seen it explicitly spelled out in this thread so I thought I'd be a little more specific. I usually just use hairspray because it's handy and I always have some, but the same goes for the rubbing alcohol tip: Don't let it dry until you're finished working! It dissolves the ink, but when it evaporates it "redeposits" the ink back in the bag (or clothing, which is how I learned to use it). So if you're dabbing, keep working at it, don't get discouraged if you just get a little off-reapply until you're satisified that it's all off or you're afraid you're going to permanently damage the bag.

So if I'm washing a clothing item with an ink stain I spray it on right by the washing machine and throw it in right away. Don't let it dry! The water lifts the hairspray and the ink and almost always gets it all right away.

The other trick is, if you think the leather can handle it and you're going to be washing it anyway-saturate it! Keep in mind if you do this with a stain on the inside this might cause it to soak through-in other words use your best judgement, but don't be afraid! If it soaks through there's a good chance you can get it out of the outside too, it just might take some retreating.


I'm rehabbing an old black station bag. I don't have a before picture of this and it would be hard to capture because it's black on black, but it had an ink stain in the front pocket below the flap. I assume it started on the inside, but I didn't see it before I gave it a bath and it soaked through so it was visible on the outside. It could have been there before and the slight lightening of the leather after bathing it emphasized it.

It mostly just looked shiny, and I probably could have lived with it (it was a little smaller than a dime), but I finally decided I'm going to touch up the black edging a bit anyway and since I'd experimented a bit with leather conditioners I decided to give it another bath so the dye will take evenly.

I decided to wash it in my frontloader on the hand wash cycle. I just feel like it gets ALL the soap out better than hand washing it, and my frontloader has some settings that result in a super gentle wash. So I got everything else ready to go, and as my final step I saturated both the inside and out of the pocket with hairspray, quickly tied it up in it's little pillow case, and hit start before the hairspray could dry.

The bag isn't fully dry, but it looks like it's all gone. I'm going to let it finish drying today and then check it out in the sunlight after work. It wouldn't surprise me to find that there is still some there, but I have to say, whenever I use this trick it seems like the ink just jumps right out.

 

[angelaira]

Since the tote only cost $1.00 and had been living in a closet since 2006, I figured ANYTHING would be an improvement. As of last night, the surface is continuing to feel better and better!

Sometimes I'm a little long-winded, as far as the details in my post, but I think the more info we have as a reference, the better our chances are for a great result!

Thanks for your encouragement!

I totally agree with you! The more we try and learn and document the process, the easier it will be to fix some of these bags! I appreciate what you are doing very much... there are bags available sometimes that have great shape, and that are real Coach bags that have some serious problems that I know a bath and some moisturizer simply won't fix. This minwax stain could potentially fix some of those, so please keep us updated on the smell, the feel of the leather, and any rub off issues... these are things photos can't tell us, and I am very curious to know! Thank you! And great job on the bag!!

 

[angelaira]

Hi! I have lurked this forum for years but rarely post. I love this thread-I've had good luck with rehabbing lots of items of various quality and am also a firm believer in "if there's no hope for it, throw it in the washer". I've thrown leather shoes in the washer (pillowcased and padded with towels or blankets) and had had them come out almost new.

So the reason I'm delurking is: ink stains. I have a couple of tips. Some of you probably know this but I haven't seen it explicitly spelled out in this thread so I thought I'd be a little more specific. I usually just use hairspray because it's handy and I always have some, but the same goes for the rubbing alcohol tip: Don't let it dry until you're finished working! It dissolves the ink, but when it evaporates it "redeposits" the ink back in the bag (or clothing, which is how I learned to use it). So if you're dabbing, keep working at it, don't get discouraged if you just get a little off-reapply until you're satisified that it's all off or you're afraid you're going to permanently damage the bag.

So if I'm washing a clothing item with an ink stain I spray it on right by the washing machine and throw it in right away. Don't let it dry! The water lifts the hairspray and the ink and almost always gets it all right away.

The other trick is, if you think the leather can handle it and you're going to be washing it anyway-saturate it! Keep in mind if you do this with a stain on the inside this might cause it to soak through-in other words use your best judgement, but don't be afraid! If it soaks through there's a good chance you can get it out of the outside too, it just might take some retreating.


I'm rehabbing an old black station bag. I don't have a before picture of this and it would be hard to capture because it's black on black, but it had an ink stain in the front pocket below the flap. I assume it started on the inside, but I didn't see it before I gave it a bath and it soaked through so it was visible on the outside. It could have been there before and the slight lightening of the leather after bathing it emphasized it.

It mostly just looked shiny, and I probably could have lived with it (it was a little smaller than a dime), but I finally decided I'm going to touch up the black edging a bit anyway and since I'd experimented a bit with leather conditioners I decided to give it another bath so the dye will take evenly.

I decided to wash it in my frontloader on the hand wash cycle. I just feel like it gets ALL the soap out better than hand washing it, and my frontloader has some settings that result in a super gentle wash. So I got everything else ready to go, and as my final step I saturated both the inside and out of the pocket with hairspray, quickly tied it up in it's little pillow case, and hit start before the hairspray could dry.

The bag isn't fully dry, but it looks like it's all gone. I'm going to let it finish drying today and then check it out in the sunlight after work. It wouldn't surprise me to find that there is still some there, but I have to say, whenever I use this trick it seems like the ink just jumps right out.

Amazing tip!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

 

[JOODLZ]

I totally agree with you! The more we try and learn and document the process, the easier it will be to fix some of these bags! I appreciate what you are doing very much... there are bags available sometimes that have great shape, and that are real Coach bags that have some serious problems that I know a bath and some moisturizer simply won't fix. This minwax stain could potentially fix some of those, so please keep us updated on the smell, the feel of the leather, and any rub off issues... these are things photos can't tell us, and I am very curious to know! Thank you! And great job on the bag!!

Thanks for your comments! As of today, the bag has NO discernable rub-off! Yeah! Maybe I have to take her out on the town and see for sure. I'll let everyone know!

 

[JOODLZ]

Hi! I have lurked this forum for years but rarely post. I love this thread-I've had good luck with rehabbing lots of items of various quality and am also a firm believer in "if there's no hope for it, throw it in the washer". I've thrown leather shoes in the washer (pillowcased and padded with towels or blankets) and had had them come out almost new.

So the reason I'm delurking is: ink stains. I have a couple of tips. Some of you probably know this but I haven't seen it explicitly spelled out in this thread so I thought I'd be a little more specific. I usually just use hairspray because it's handy and I always have some, but the same goes for the rubbing alcohol tip: Don't let it dry until you're finished working! It dissolves the ink, but when it evaporates it "redeposits" the ink back in the bag (or clothing, which is how I learned to use it). So if you're dabbing, keep working at it, don't get discouraged if you just get a little off-reapply until you're satisified that it's all off or you're afraid you're going to permanently damage the bag.

So if I'm washing a clothing item with an ink stain I spray it on right by the washing machine and throw it in right away. Don't let it dry! The water lifts the hairspray and the ink and almost always gets it all right away.

The other trick is, if you think the leather can handle it and you're going to be washing it anyway-saturate it! Keep in mind if you do this with a stain on the inside this might cause it to soak through-in other words use your best judgement, but don't be afraid! If it soaks through there's a good chance you can get it out of the outside too, it just might take some retreating.


I'm rehabbing an old black station bag. I don't have a before picture of this and it would be hard to capture because it's black on black, but it had an ink stain in the front pocket below the flap. I assume it started on the inside, but I didn't see it before I gave it a bath and it soaked through so it was visible on the outside. It could have been there before and the slight lightening of the leather after bathing it emphasized it.

It mostly just looked shiny, and I probably could have lived with it (it was a little smaller than a dime), but I finally decided I'm going to touch up the black edging a bit anyway and since I'd experimented a bit with leather conditioners I decided to give it another bath so the dye will take evenly.

I decided to wash it in my frontloader on the hand wash cycle. I just feel like it gets ALL the soap out better than hand washing it, and my frontloader has some settings that result in a super gentle wash. So I got everything else ready to go, and as my final step I saturated both the inside and out of the pocket with hairspray, quickly tied it up in it's little pillow case, and hit start before the hairspray could dry.

The bag isn't fully dry, but it looks like it's all gone. I'm going to let it finish drying today and then check it out in the sunlight after work. It wouldn't surprise me to find that there is still some there, but I have to say, whenever I use this trick it seems like the ink just jumps right out.

Thanks for the WONDERFUL info. I'm working on a bag right now that is ivory and has a few ink stains. We'll see what happens.

 

[ledobe]

So if I'm washing a clothing item with an ink stain I spray it on right by the washing machine and throw it in right away. Don't let it dry! The water lifts the hairspray and the ink and almost always gets it all right away.

The other trick is, if you think the leather can handle it and you're going to be washing it anyway-saturate it! Keep in mind if you do this with a stain on the inside this might cause it to soak through-in other words use your best judgement, but don't be afraid! If it soaks through there's a good chance you can get it out of the outside too, it just might take some retreating.

Thanks for the WONDERFUL info. I'm working on a bag right now that is ivory and has a few ink stains. We'll see what happens.

Amazing tip!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

I hope it works for y'all!

OOH! Ivory bag with ink is a little scary-but I seriously cannot think of anything that I was unable to get the ink out of, in this case I would worry about damaging anything ivory colored with the cleaning process.

and I broke messageboard nettiquette rules by quoting myself, I just felt it was easier to cut out all my other chitchat and emphasize the main points!

 

[madisonave5011]

Nice find at a bargain price! Is it missing the strap? Even so, at that price you afford to pick up a strap later. The cheapest Willis I've ever found was $9 and it was missing the strap and the condition wasn't as good as your bag.

Any of those products you mentioned will work to condition the bag and help shine it up, but as LadyRaven says, the best thing for covering lots of scuffs and scratches is Blackrocks Leather 'N Rich.

It not the easiest product to work with but it does the job. Here is advice from Docride for using Blackrocks:

"Apply a small amount with finger tips, using small circular motions. Work one small area at a time, about 5 inches or so, immediately remove excess with a paper towel. Always be conservative in applications. The "if a little is good then more is better" principle does not apply here. You can always repeat an application after the leather has rested.

Older drier leathers can only take up so much conditioner at a time, so it's best to do thin, light applications and allow the leather to rest in between treatments."

Here is some information about Blackrocks. I get it at a local tack shop for around $6:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackrock-Leather-N-Rich/133531666682247?sk=info

Thanks for the tip!! The strap was not missing, I just didn't photograph it in the "mugshot" : )

 

[madisonave5011]

Lucky you!! GREAT BARGAIN..FOR AN AWESOME BAG!!. A bath does a good job of plumping up the leather and once its almost totally dry, I start with a little Leather CPR, space out the applications (I just put a light coat on before bed, and check it next day, etc.) I just use my instincts on when it's feeling supple enough. Then, if the surface still needs some evening out, I will do 1 or 2 (spaced out a day apart) light coats of Blackrock. This bag bounces back beautifully!!!

Thank you!! I think I might have to try this. Is there somewhere online to order blackrocks?? I noticed amazon doesn't carry it.

 

[katev]

Thanks for the tip!! The strap was not missing, I just didn't photograph it in the "mugshot" : )

Wow, that really was a steel! Nice find!

 

[angelaira]

Thank you!! I think I might have to try this. Is there somewhere online to order blackrocks?? I noticed amazon doesn't carry it.

I ordered it on E-Bay from Nordshoe. It got here very quickly and cost around $10 with shipping.

 

[angelaira]

I hope it works for y'all!

OOH! Ivory bag with ink is a little scary-but I seriously cannot think of anything that I was unable to get the ink out of, in this case I would worry about damaging anything ivory colored with the cleaning process.

and I broke messageboard nettiquette rules by quoting myself, I just felt it was easier to cut out all my other chitchat and emphasize the main points!

Because of this whole ink discussion, I ordered this bag:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/77572941

Hopefully the alcohol will work on the huge black ink stain on the bottom, if not, maybe I will try the Minwax... it is a nice bag, and a bigger size that I have been looking for, but that stain looks pretty bad!

 

[whateve]

I'm ready to start my first rehab job! This is an unlined slim tote. Is there anything I should know before I dunk it?

 

[katev]

I'm ready to start my first rehab job! This is an unlined slim tote. Is there anything I should know before I dunk it?

I often rub oxyclean gel into the dirtiest areas and let it sit for awhile before giving her a bath. Beautiful bag, good luck and let us know how she comes out!