Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Luvpurplepurses]

Haha! I think part of the reason is I’m not feeling a lot of the new releases. I still love my Rogues and want them all [emoji23] and Charlie, and I want a Parker eventually. I’m finding I REALLY like the Chelsea line from the mid to late 2000s so maybe I can focus on those for now! And you can get them at pretty great prices which is a nice change lol

NIce job Syren. My first Coach purse was from the Chelsea line, a hand-me-down from a friend. The leather on that bag was so thick and wore like iron! Yours cleaned up beautifully!

 

[whateve]

Thanks for that link! Can you use any kind of conditioner such as Leather CPR or Blackrocks on that pebbled leather? Or is that a no-no? I noticed you mentioned only using an oil while it was drying and Apple on the tan trim.

I use Blackrocks on my Sheridans and Dakotas.

 

[tealocean]

I picked up a pretty little Hampton Demi at Goodwill the other day, after tpf came through with another timely authentication. I need a small bag to carry while shopping when I don't have pockets, because my Willis suffers from being too roomy (and therefore too full...), and while I carry the Willis daily, I wanted something small to keep in the car to throw my phone, wallet, and keys in. She is 16 years old and needed just a little TLC, so I did a quick clean and reshape.

Before, saggy and dirty:
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After, shapely and neat:
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You really brought this back to life! It looks like you could even add a longer strap if you wanted to.

 

[tealocean]

I have some questions lol

I’ve seen it mentioned often that lined bags shouldn’t be dunked, why is this? Does the lining color run and dye the leather? Does a wet lining prevent the bag from fully drying?

Also, I’m curious about dunking pebbled leather. I see it mentioned as being delicate but I’ve always found it to be sturdy [emoji23] Why does pebbled leather not handle dunking as well? TIA!

I was still new to rehabbing when I dunked the Sheridan Glenwood - because it really needed it! So I was cautious and only used leather therapy restorer oil on it.

Since then I have dunked many lined bags and pebbled leather bags and lots of different bags and generally they handle the treatment very well! It's fine to use a regular conditioner like Leather CPR or BRs on a pebbled bag but use it lightly, rub it in and wipe off the excess quickly. You can always add more later but you don't want to put it on thick and leave it on because it might "cake up" in the valleys between the pebbles when it dries.

I try to buy rehab project bags cheaply so that it won't be a disaster if the rehab doesn't work out as well as I had hoped. It's harder to take chances with bags that were expensive (or are very beloved) but sometimes you have to take a chance because you can't wear the bag in the current condition and it really needs drastic measures! In those case I usually just close my eyes, dump it in the bath, and hope for the best!

A word of caution, avoid nubuc bags as rehab projects - nubuc is very difficult to work with and often resists rehabbing. I've also learned (the hard way) to avoid light-colored bags in bad shape. Good luck!

I was wondering about which bags can be dunked too. Thank you for all of this great info!

 

[Syren]

NIce job Syren. My first Coach purse was from the Chelsea line, a hand-me-down from a friend. The leather on that bag was so thick and wore like iron! Yours cleaned up beautifully!

Thanks! I remember back in the day around the time when these bags were originally released I was invited to those terrible purse parties where they sold counterfeit bags. That was before I knew anything about bags and I probably couldn’t even have afforded the knock offs lol I went to one and it felt so weird and I didn’t buy anything. Long story haha but I’m guessing there were knock offs of the Chelsea line at that party and I just find it funny that now I’m going back and buying the originals [emoji23]

 

[Lothruin]

You really brought this back to life! It looks like you could even add a longer strap if you wanted to.

Thank you!
Yeah, my Willis is black with nickel finish hardware, and I've already thought I could probably use the long strap on the little guy, too. I think the Demi would sling pretty comfortably.

 

[Luvpurplepurses]

Thanks! I remember back in the day around the time when these bags were originally released I was invited to those terrible purse parties where they sold counterfeit bags. That was before I knew anything about bags and I probably couldn’t even have afforded the knock offs lol I went to one and it felt so weird and I didn’t buy anything. Long story haha but I’m guessing there were knock offs of the Chelsea line at that party and I just find it funny that now I’m going back and buying the originals [emoji23]

My girlfriend could afford Coach purses and I was so envious and grateful when she gave me her hand-me-downs - a brown and black Chelsea. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Now that I can afford to buy whatever purse I chose I think the reason I love the Rogues so much is their beautiful pebbled leather remind me of that earlier quality of my "first". It sounds weird but I'm sure you get it!!

 

[Syren]

My girlfriend could afford Coach purses and I was so envious and grateful when she gave me her hand-me-downs - a brown and black Chelsea. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Now that I can afford to buy whatever purse I chose I think the reason I love the Rogues so much is their beautiful pebbled leather remind me of that earlier quality of my "first". It sounds weird but I'm sure you get it!!

I totally get it! I would have given an arm and a leg back in the day for a REAL Coach bag lol

And yes I was into Coach around 2011. I sold off a lot of my bags and came back about 2 years ago. The 1941 bags brought me back. And now I see how AMAZING these older styles were from even not that long ago (if you think 2006 wasn’t that long ago [emoji23]). I’m excited to discover some other lines and other eras [emoji1]

 

[Syren]

I finished up the rehab-light on my “Vintage” Leather Chelsea Hobo in Mineral! If you don’t see much of a difference in the before and after don’t worry the change is minimal [emoji23] Even though the leather is delicate I gave it a healthy wipe down with water, vinegar and dawn and then wiped clean with water. The surface of the bag was soooo uneven while wiping down I was scared I was just making huge ugly water marks, but it eventually saturated to an even color. It took a couple of days to dry. And then I slopped on a healthy coat of CPR and by the time I went to grab a towel to wipe off, it was completely absorbed! [emoji33] It felt really dry and stiff at first so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Then I added a coat of Blackrocks and buffed with a horsehair brush. The scrapes buffed out a bit but I think all the marks are what make it look lived in and pretty. The big front scrape blended in a bit but not much. The biggest change is the how the leather now feels, much more supple and fluid. It is less stiff and has a much nicer leather scent [emoji1] So visually not a big change but it feels a whole ton better!

Before:



After:

 

[houseof999]

I finished up the rehab-light on my “Vintage” Leather Chelsea Hobo in Mineral! If you don’t see much of a difference in the before and after don’t worry the change is minimal [emoji23] Even though the leather is delicate I gave it a healthy wipe down with water, vinegar and dawn and then wiped clean with water. The surface of the bag was soooo uneven while wiping down I was scared I was just making huge ugly water marks, but it eventually saturated to an even color. It took a couple of days to dry. And then I slopped on a healthy coat of CPR and by the time I went to grab a towel to wipe off, it was completely absorbed! [emoji33] It felt really dry and stiff at first so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Then I added a coat of Blackrocks and buffed with a horsehair brush. The scrapes buffed out a bit but I think all the marks are what make it look lived in and pretty. The big front scrape blended in a bit but not much. The biggest change is the how the leather now feels, much more supple and fluid. It is less stiff and has a much nicer leather scent [emoji1] So visually not a big change but it feels a whole ton better!

Before:

View attachment 4391500View attachment 4391501

After:

View attachment 4391502View attachment 4391503

I'm so glad to see you already have it! After your first rehab reveal I browsed some from the Chelsea collection and thought oh Syren would love that mineral color! [emoji38] I didn't even have to enable! You already got it! [emoji16]

 

[whateve]

I finished up the rehab-light on my “Vintage” Leather Chelsea Hobo in Mineral! If you don’t see much of a difference in the before and after don’t worry the change is minimal [emoji23] Even though the leather is delicate I gave it a healthy wipe down with water, vinegar and dawn and then wiped clean with water. The surface of the bag was soooo uneven while wiping down I was scared I was just making huge ugly water marks, but it eventually saturated to an even color. It took a couple of days to dry. And then I slopped on a healthy coat of CPR and by the time I went to grab a towel to wipe off, it was completely absorbed! [emoji33] It felt really dry and stiff at first so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Then I added a coat of Blackrocks and buffed with a horsehair brush. The scrapes buffed out a bit but I think all the marks are what make it look lived in and pretty. The big front scrape blended in a bit but not much. The biggest change is the how the leather now feels, much more supple and fluid. It is less stiff and has a much nicer leather scent [emoji1] So visually not a big change but it feels a whole ton better!

Before:

View attachment 4391500View attachment 4391501

After:

View attachment 4391502View attachment 4391503

I can see the difference! It's glowing! I love this color. Which style do you like better - this or the east west barrel-shaped one?

 

[catthecurious]

I owned 3 or 4 of those bags over time, but I don't have any of them anymore as that style of bag had issues with getting verdigris around the hardware. I just found it too much of a pain to keep it off--and it developed on all of them except for one of the bags. Such a shame, it was a perfect bag in regard to size, pockets, etc. And it had the legacy striped lining inside.

Speaking of striped lining, did you have any issues with wet leather bleeding onto it? My wristlet was black, not BT like yours, and an ugly blackish-blue border appeared where the leather meets the liner. I didn't even dunk it - only cleaned the lining with gentle baby wipes, trying not to get the leather wet (it did, though). The extremely dirty striped lining improved, but that black border was just getting worse while the leather was drying. It was such huge turnoff, I pushed the wristlet to the back of my closet and haven't touched it since.
So, the question for people who successfully washed 65th anniversary bags: how did you make it work?

 

[whateve]

Speaking of striped lining, did you have any issues with wet leather bleeding onto it? My wristlet was black, not BT like yours, and an ugly blackish-blue border appeared where the leather meets the liner. I didn't even dunk it - only cleaned the lining with gentle baby wipes, trying not to get the leather wet (it did, though). The extremely dirty striped lining improved, but that black border was just getting worse while the leather was drying. It was such huge turnoff, I pushed the wristlet to the back of my closet and haven't touched it since.
So, the question for people who successfully washed 65th anniversary bags: how did you make it work?

Lots of bags get a dirty line about 1/2 inch from the zipper. I think it is staining caused by the zipper, not the leather. I've never been able to get it clean.

 

[aerinha]

How long should it take a Willis to dry? I can’t get the creases and pockets fully dry and I washed it Saturday

 

[Alexa5]

Speaking of striped lining, did you have any issues with wet leather bleeding onto it? My wristlet was black, not BT like yours, and an ugly blackish-blue border appeared where the leather meets the liner. I didn't even dunk it - only cleaned the lining with gentle baby wipes, trying not to get the leather wet (it did, though). The extremely dirty striped lining improved, but that black border was just getting worse while the leather was drying. It was such huge turnoff, I pushed the wristlet to the back of my closet and haven't touched it since.
So, the question for people who successfully washed 65th anniversary bags: how did you make it work?

I didn't have any issues with the green bag that I did ( the picture I had was just to represent the type of bag). But I actually had trouble with a striped lining once--the colors in the lining bled a little when wet.