Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Lake Effect]

Anyone here ever encounter shrunken, hardened leather? I bought a beat-up Janice Legacy that has a single damaged panel - it's all puckered and tight like a drum, and hard like cardboard. From what I can find online, it may have been exposed to heat, and the damage is not reversible.

Perhaps someone on this thread knows a trick? The bag has been dunked, conditioned repeatedly and massaged in the tough area. The leather on the rest of the bag is supple.

I think it is probably not fixable. Once I rehabbed a NYC bag that had really hard leather. I called it petrified. If leather is allowed to dry out and never conditioned, this can happen. I imagine heat would do the same thing.

Unfortunately probably not. Heat, chemicals, lack of conditioning, improper storage, etc can irreversibly affect the leather. As much as I would like to have styles going bag to the 60’s and 70’s, unless they were stored well, the leather on them seems to be much dryer, less supple.

 

[nursebetty]

I think it is probably not fixable. Once I rehabbed a NYC bag that had really hard leather. I called it petrified. If leather is allowed to dry out and never conditioned, this can happen. I imagine heat would do the same thing.

Thanks whateve. I figured - I just wanted someone else to give me permission to give up

 

[nursebetty]

Unfortunately probably not. Heat, chemicals, lack of conditioning, improper storage, etc can irreversibly affect the leather. As much as I would like to have styles going bag to the 60’s and 70’s, unless they were stored well, the leather on them seems to be much dryer, less supple.

Thanks, Lake Effect.
I feel like somewhere out there is my bizzarro bag twin, with a bag that is damaged everywhere but one panel, and together we could Frankenstein one kinda nice british tan Janice's Legacy.

 

[whateve]

Thanks, Lake Effect.
I feel like somewhere out there is my bizzarro bag twin, with a bag that is damaged everywhere but one panel, and together we could Frankenstein one kinda nice british tan Janice's Legacy.

Maybe you could decorate that side with patches or fringe?

 

[Minchanka]

Unfortunately probably not. Heat, chemicals, lack of conditioning, improper storage, etc can irreversibly affect the leather. As much as I would like to have styles going bag to the 60’s and 70’s, unless they were stored well, the leather on them seems to be much dryer, less supple.

I think the leather, at least on some of the pre-creed bags was different - I have one satchel that is surprisingly light. It almost feels like the 80s and early 90s bags had thicker leather.

 

[Minchanka]

Maybe you could decorate that side with patches or fringe?

Or, there is finally a bag that begs for painting on.

 

[Cyanide Rose]

Hi all, can you dunk these bags too? Can you tell me the name of this bag and what the collection it was in is called? I really appreciate any information you can share, as well as your experience with rehabbing these types of bags. It kinda looks like a bag I saw before, but that one said made in Italy. Thanks so much.

 

[whateve]

Hi all, can you dunk these bags too? Can you tell me the name of this bag and what the collection it was in is called? I really appreciate any information you can share, as well as your experience with rehabbing these types of bags. It kinda looks like a bag I saw before, but that one said made in Italy. Thanks so much.

It's a Sheridan. Some were made in Italy, some in the US, some in Costa Rica. There were two similar styles that varied in size so without measurements, I can't tell you more. People have dunked them but I wouldn't unless it seems necessary. I usually just use a single coat of Blackrocks. The lining can be washed. Don't use acetone as it dissolves the cloth.

 

[Cyanide Rose]

It's a Sheridan. Some were made in Italy, some in the US, some in Costa Rica. There were two similar styles that varied in size so without measurements, I can't tell you more. People have dunked them but I wouldn't unless it seems necessary. I usually just use a single coat of Blackrocks. The lining can be washed. Don't use acetone as it dissolves the cloth.

Wow, Thanks a bunch! I’m so glad I asked first. I will take your advice. Thanks again [emoji4]

 

[Catbird9]

Hi all, can you dunk these bags too? Can you tell me the name of this bag and what the collection it was in is called? I really appreciate any information you can share, as well as your experience with rehabbing these types of bags. It kinda looks like a bag I saw before, but that one said made in Italy. Thanks so much.

It's a Sheridan. Some were made in Italy, some in the US, some in Costa Rica. There were two similar styles that varied in size so without measurements, I can't tell you more. People have dunked them but I wouldn't unless it seems necessary. I usually just use a single coat of Blackrocks. The lining can be washed. Don't use acetone as it dissolves the cloth.

I dunked a Sheridan Hollister Tote. I agree with whateve, I wouldn't have done it except this was a "hail mary" situation.

The lining was hideously stained and badly torn; I was (optimistically) going to attempt to repair it. After dunking, the bag looked much better, the lining was much cleaner, but the tears were beyond my skills. I salvaged the hang tag and the handles, and donated the bag to a local leather shop for scrap value.

BEFORE:


DURING:

 

[whateve]

I dunked a Sheridan Hollister Tote. I agree with whateve, I wouldn't have done it except this was a "hail mary" situation.

The lining was hideously stained and badly torn; I was (optimistically) going to attempt to repair it. After dunking, the bag looked much better, the lining was much cleaner, but the tears were beyond my skills. I salvaged the hang tag and the handles, and donated the bag to a local leather shop for scrap value.

BEFORE:
View attachment 4297872 View attachment 4297873 View attachment 4297874

DURING:
View attachment 4297875 View attachment 4297876 View attachment 4297877

Once I had a bag that had holes in all 4 corners. It wasn't vintage. I had bought it in a lot of bags and fully intended to just donate that one since it was in such bad shape. But then I decided to practice my rehabbing skills. When I was done I listed it at auction, and I was surprised when it got a lot of bids. It sold for around $50 and the buyer loved it!

I think the first bag that I repaired corners on with puff paint was a Sheridan. The puff paint was a perfect match. I think I could have added another coat and smoothed it out better.
This is the bag I experimented on and sold at auction. Two of the corners came out perfect.

 

[houseof999]

Once I had a bag that had holes in all 4 corners. It wasn't vintage. I had bought it in a lot of bags and fully intended to just donate that one since it was in such bad shape. But then I decided to practice my rehabbing skills. When I was done I listed it at auction, and I was surprised when it got a lot of bids. It sold for around $50 and the buyer loved it!

I think the first bag that I repaired corners on with puff paint was a Sheridan. The puff paint was a perfect match. I think I could have added another coat and smoothed it out better.View attachment 4297901
This is the bag I experimented on and sold at auction. Two of the corners came out perfect.View attachment 4297903

Do you have to shape the puffy paint to look like the piping? It does it already look like piping as dispensed?

 

[whateve]

Do you have to shape the puffy paint to look like the piping? It does it already look like piping as dispensed?

If you squeeze it right, it will come out the right shape. Otherwise, you have to shape it.

 

[Catbird9]

Once I had a bag that had holes in all 4 corners. It wasn't vintage. I had bought it in a lot of bags and fully intended to just donate that one since it was in such bad shape. But then I decided to practice my rehabbing skills. When I was done I listed it at auction, and I was surprised when it got a lot of bids. It sold for around $50 and the buyer loved it!

I think the first bag that I repaired corners on with puff paint was a Sheridan. The puff paint was a perfect match. I think I could have added another coat and smoothed it out better.View attachment 4297901
This is the bag I experimented on and sold at auction. Two of the corners came out perfect.View attachment 4297903

One of these days I am going to find the right bag to practice that puff paint technique on!

I'm surprised sometimes when things I thought wouldn't sell do in fact sell. Yesterday I listed a piece of jewelry that I thought would take a long time to sell, and it sold right away.

 

[houseof999]

If you squeeze it right, it will come out the right shape. Otherwise, you have to shape it.

Do you still have the puffy paint? What brand was it? I have a few bags that need piping repair and would like to know yours please as it was an exact color match.