Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[coach943]

That is an interesting post about Obenauf's LP @Catbird9. Thanks for sharing it.

I think everyone has their own favorites based on trial and error. I think the climate where you live makes a big difference. My bags rehab very differently in the winter than they do in the summer when the humidity is very high.

I prefer Blackrocks to LP. I think Blackrocks leaves a nice glow, whereas LP gives that flat appearance. I've also used Obenauf's oil, though I had a bottle go rancid that I had for a while. For really dry bags, I like oil-based products, like Leather Therapy or Montana Pitch Blend Oil. I know others love CPR, but it isn't one of my go-to products for rehabs.

I also love Skidmore's. I use it often.

I'm not a big fan of Lexol, Apple or Cadillac. I find them to be too thin. I use Lexol if I have to mix some kind of coloring to restore corner wear.

I use Blackrocks on my vacchetta bags, and sometimes Obenauf's LP. (I tried Cadillac on vacchetta, but wasn't happy with it.) I only use Leather Honey on my Balenciaga, but I haven't had good luck using it on Coach bags.

I think much of it depends on what you like and what works for you.

 

[GoStanford]

Thank you to everybody who posted in response! I found the post from @docride that made me wonder about the Blackrock. It's post #1387 on her Hermes repair thread:
"Hi,
Oh I'm sorry if I have given You pause , please do not worry. If you are doing fine with the product stay with it
I no longer recommend it as most folks are getting in trouble with it and aren't able to follow directions or best practices regarding the leather types it's best for and the application process
So I recommend much simpler straight forward products and system of application
All the best doc"

So it does seem to me, re-reading this, that sparing application of Blackrock as advised way back by many of you when I first got into vintage Coach is still OK. I'm going to re-read your tips above to see what new information has accumulated in the last couple of years.

 

[Lake Effect]

Nah, I used a couple of their anniversary auction creations as my inspiration...made it my own [emoji3]I thought they were super cool.
View attachment 4078705
View attachment 4078706

I think I did see these pics, maybe posted here.
Some days, all the bags just blur together!!

 

[Katherine2020]

I would be interested in why @docride no longer recommends Blackrock.

I am still using it sparingly as the final coat after Leather CPR. I have also used Skidmore's and I agree with whateve, it is nice but doesn't provide quite the same glow as Blackrock.

Both Skidmore's and Blackrock are waxy, and I suppose there might be some concern over breathability. Too much wax could clog the leather fibers; leather needs to breathe.

I haven't tried Obenauf's yet. There are two versions, the LP (leather preservative) and the oil. I read some interesting posts on the Reddit Male Fashion Advice subforum* about using Obenauf's LP (not the oil) on boots, to protect from extreme conditions like mud, rain and snow. One concern is that can reduce the natural color depth of the leather, flattening and darkening it. I have seen this happen to hiking boots that were treated with neatsfoot oil or Snoseal. I decided Obenauf's LP might not be appropriate for a handbag if I wanted it to develop a more natural patina with color variations. Obenauf's Oil, on the other hand, seems like it might be OK. It's on my list of things to try.

*
also good info:

I followed Docride's thread pretty closely for a long time, and I think the biggest reason she stopped recommending Black Rock is because people were using it on the wrong kinds of leather. It's too much for some of the more delicate Hermes leathers, and as we all know, there's a learning curve to using it, especially the need to apply sparingly.
She also has her own line of conditioners now, that she isn't able to recommend here on the forums, so she may have found something she likes better, but I didn't ever get the idea that she didn't like the product anymore. I still love and use it!

 

[Belicious]

May the rehab gods be with me this long weekend. Here are my projects: essy yellowish nyc stewardess to start. No issues with her. Even the brass seems mostly intact on her feet!



A really cool dooney backpack with a black mark i hope comes straight off in the bath:

A very squashed Baxter i hope is navy but i really cant decide... all I know is someone attached a Navy strap to it. plus a Patricia will need edge kote.

 

[Belicious]

Update: got the black marks off the Dooney with dawn and a scrub with an old electric toothbrush. Yay! That was the only one in this lot I was really worried about.

 

[Catbird9]

May the rehab gods be with me this long weekend. Here are my projects: essy yellowish nyc stewardess to start. No issues with her. Even the brass seems mostly intact on her feet!
View attachment 4079379

View attachment 4079380
A really cool dooney backpack with a black mark i hope comes straight off in the bath:
View attachment 4079382 View attachment 4079383
A very squashed Baxter i hope is navy but i really cant decide... all I know is someone attached a Navy strap to it. plus a Patricia will need edge kote.
View attachment 4079384

That Stewardess !

 

[Minchanka]

That Stewardess !

Do you know what that color was called? Saddle? Butterscotch?

 

[Catbird9]

Do you know what that color was called? Saddle? Butterscotch?

I'm only guessing without seeing it in person, but it could be Saddle or Tabac. Here's a color palette from 1981-82. @Belicious, what color do you think it is?

 

[Belicious]

I'm only guessing without seeing it in person, but it could be Saddle or Tabac. Here's a color palette from 1981-82. @Belicious, what color do you think it is?

I guess it's saddle. Too yellow to be tabac. What I have that I think is tabac is a much dirtier, browner color.

 

[Minchanka]

I guess it's saddle. Too yellow to be tabac. What I have that I think is tabac is a much dirtier, browner color.

Right, it’s quite yellow, tabac has a greenish tone. Doesn’t look like anything in the color palette. I have a couple of bags in this color.

 

[Catbird9]

I guess it's saddle. Too yellow to be tabac. What I have that I think is tabac is a much dirtier, browner color.

Right, it’s quite yellow, tabac has a greenish tone. Doesn’t look like anything in the color palette. I have a couple of bags in this color.

Yeah the color palettes are pretty much useless, I've found. Seems like there was a lot of variation in the colors of the actual bags as they came out of the factory!

Here are a few of mine that I think might be Saddle, British Tan, Buckskin, and/or Tabac. Buckskin is on the Lightweights color palette, but I think it might have been used in the classic bags too (just a hunch).

 

[Margoux]

Hi! I working on a bag with a small split in the strap. I'm hoping that someone might have a suggestion for what leather glue and edge coating I should buy?

 

[katev]

Hi! I working on a bag with a small split in the strap. I'm hoping that someone might have a suggestion for what leather glue and edge coating I should buy?

I use a product called Fabric Fusion, and I use a toothpick to apply it to small areas. If you could post a photo of the split in the strap it would be easier to offer advice for the repair.

 

[Margoux]

I use a product called Fabric Fusion, and I use a toothpick to apply it to small areas. If you could post a photo of the split in the strap it would be easier to offer advice for the repair.

Thanks for the reply! I didn't post a picture of the damage because the purse isn't Coach. I wasn't sure if that would be bad manners or not!