Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Minchanka]

Has anyone dunked a lime green or geometric bag? I’m curious how the color may come out and how the angled top may change.
On a side note I got the pen marks off this bag completely with the chemical guys sprayable leather cleaner/conditioner. They just melted off with no color loss.

I dunked two geometric bags - an orange and a mahogany. No problems with reshaping.

Are you sure those were pen marks? I got out a purple stain once that looked like an ink leak in the pictures, but when I touched it, I realized that it’s definitely not ink.

 

[Lake Effect]

View attachment 4468900 View attachment 4468901 View attachment 4468902 View attachment 4468903
At your convenience, please authenticate. Flea market purchase.
The front from seam to seam is 12” x 12” high, about 7 1/2 “ deep/across the base.

So at a local flea market sitting on a table with a mix of vintage and fake Coach bags, I see this big pink puddle of leather with a Creed indicating it was from 2008. It was a bit grimy, but compared to other bags I’ve seen, the corners and seams did not look too far gone. There were a few ink stains. The big metal links do make it heavy. I was really curious just how it would look cleaned up. For $10, I thought it would be a fun summer bag to tote to the office.

 

[Lake Effect]

New to me! Flea market find, $10, cleaned View attachment 4472219 View attachment 4472220 up wonderfully. 2008 Resort tote in Punch!

I have dunked a few other bags from around that manufacture time. I have been pleasantly surprised that thinner leather can also be dunked (I would guess, depending on the bag). I did more or less my standard immersion bath, with about 2 tablespoons of Lexol Cleaner in warm water. For 20 minutes, I scrubbed/brushed it as lightly as I could, as not to be abrasive to the leather surface. I paid a lot of attention to the seams, which close up you could see the dirt there. The bottom was dirty but I wasn’t concerned if that didn’t come out entirely. Gave it a rinse ( forgot vinegar in the excitement) for 10 minutes. There was no dye loss in the water. Let it drain upside down in the sink for about 20 minutes. Stuffed it with a huge beach towel. After a few hours gave it a very sparing app of CPR, as the leather was not overly dry. The next day I let it hang by the big handle hoops empty to finish drying and gave it a cloth buff and then another light app of CPR . I finished with a light app of Cadillac Supreme conditioner.
There are a few pen marks I can ignore. There is some wear on areas it is expected. There is still dirt on the bottom and a little on one corner, but overall she cleaned up wonderfully. When I look at my other bags like the brown Ranch bag or BT Oliver, it is clear I have Multiple Purse Personality Syndrome.
This big pink puddle of leather , which is what it looks like empty, is a real Diva. I’ve named her Mariah!

 

[Aku_no_Hana]

Could you post a picture with the cracked area? I have been able to fix cracks on vintage strap edges and one on the body, but of course it all depends on how and where it is.

It's pretty extensive on the one side only. The rest of the bag is becoming softer and more pliable, with a couple of small cracks along the edge of the flap.

 

[mrk2014]

On a side note I got the pen marks off this bag completely with the chemical guys sprayable leather cleaner/conditioner. They just melted off with no color loss.

Oh wow! If it really cleaned it with no damage to the leather, you have discovered the holy grail of ink removal!

I dunked two geometric bags - an orange and a mahogany. No problems with reshaping.

Are you sure those were pen marks? I got out a purple stain once that looked like an ink leak in the pictures, but when I touched it, I realized that it’s definitely not ink.

Yes, it happens sometimes. I had once a bag with several "pen marks" that I thought it would be very hard to remove, but a regular soft eraser took care of them, they really looked like ink but there were not, LOL

 

[mrk2014]

It's pretty extensive on the one side only. The rest of the bag is becoming softer and more pliable, with a couple of small cracks along the edge of the flap.

I see... it's not what I thought, I was thinking more like a split or cut "looking". I would recommend to keep applying conditioner to that area, and (not 100% sure of this, but...), may be mixing the conditioner with some acrylic paint and apply carefully to the cracks with a toothpick or something that thin, so if you can match the color of the bag, the cracks might become less noticeable, because now they look darker than the rest of the area.

As I said, just an idea.... I never have worked on something like that. In my "splits" I have used leather glue to join the sides as much as I could, and when dry applied the paint+conditioner with the toothpick to match the color of the leather.

We all have lost some... but is always worth to try. Good luck!

 

[Catbird9]

I have dunked a few other bags from around that manufacture time. I have been pleasantly surprised that thinner leather can also be dunked (I would guess, depending on the bag). I did more or less my standard immersion bath, with about 2 tablespoons of Lexol Cleaner in warm water. For 20 minutes, I scrubbed/brushed it as lightly as I could, as not to be abrasive to the leather surface. I paid a lot of attention to the seams, which close up you could see the dirt there. The bottom was dirty but I wasn’t concerned if that didn’t come out entirely. Gave it a rinse ( forgot vinegar in the excitement) for 10 minutes. There was no dye loss in the water. Let it drain upside down in the sink for about 20 minutes. Stuffed it with a huge beach towel. After a few hours gave it a very sparing app of CPR, as the leather was not overly dry. The next day I let it hang by the big handle hoops empty to finish drying and gave it a cloth buff and then another light app of CPR . I finished with a light app of Cadillac Supreme conditioner.
There are a few pen marks I can ignore. There is some wear on areas it is expected. There is still dirt on the bottom and a little on one corner, but overall she cleaned up wonderfully. When I look at my other bags like the brown Ranch bag or BT Oliver, it is clear I have Multiple Purse Personality Syndrome.
This big pink puddle of leather , which is what it looks like empty, is a real Diva. I’ve named her Mariah!

Great rehab story! I like all the technical details you put in. I had to laugh at your "MPPS" idea. Definitely true for me, and I have named some of my bags too.

 

[Aku_no_Hana]

I see... it's not what I thought, I was thinking more like a split or cut "looking". I would recommend to keep applying conditioner to that area, and (not 100% sure of this, but...), may be mixing the conditioner with some acrylic paint and apply carefully to the cracks with a toothpick or something that thin, so if you can match the color of the bag, the cracks might become less noticeable, because now they look darker than the rest of the area.

As I said, just an idea.... I never have worked on something like that. In my "splits" I have used leather glue to join the sides as much as I could, and when dry applied the paint+conditioner with the toothpick to match the color of the leather.

We all have lost some... but is always worth to try. Good luck!

Thanks! I'm letting her rest for now. Once all the conditioner is completely dry and sunken in I think I may try something like that.

 

[aerinha]

It's pretty extensive on the one side only. The rest of the bag is becoming softer and more pliable, with a couple of small cracks along the edge of the flap.

Some of the Dooney ladies use Wood n Stuff to fix piping on all weather bags and supposedly it can fix a really messed up leather couch....it actually covers the damage with a coating, but you might be able to use it on the panel if you can find the right color.

 

[whateve]

Some of the Dooney ladies use Wood n Stuff to fix piping on all weather bags and supposedly it can fix a really messed up leather couch....it actually covers the damage with a coating, but you might be able to use it on the panel if you can find the right color.

It does feel plasticky if you put it on too thick, and if too thick, it could peel off.

 

[Ava_13579]

It's pretty extensive on the one side only. The rest of the bag is becoming softer and more pliable, with a couple of small cracks along the edge of the flap.

So sad. =(

I haven’t repaired cracked leather. I was thinking about your situation, and Googled a bit.


I was wondering if it might be worth looking into a leather repair kit. This one seems to be the most popular on Amazon. In the reviews, there are some examples of repairs that looks quite good (along with others that don’t look so great.)
https://www.amazon.com/Strongman-To...&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1#customerReviews


I saw this on YouTube but lol, I’m skeptical. Looks too good to be true!



If you plan to fix the cracks on the outside, I’d maybe think about trying to prevent the leather from ripping, especially when the bag is filled. Maybe you could put something on the inside of the bag (on the suede) to reinforce things, like a piece of scrap leather. (I get it at Michael’s. I sometimes do experimentation on scrap leather, before working on a bag.)
For example, in this video, she places a patch on the inside of the sofa, before repairing the damage.



Again, I’ve never repaired cracked leather. Just wanted to share, even if there's only a very small chance that it could be helpful for you.

Keep us posted, and I wish you success.

 

[Ava_13579]

I don't think that is mold. I think those are scratches.

Thanks so much for letting me know! That's SO much better than mold! (Including because this bag has been sitting on shelves with the rest of my collection since last week.)

 

[Ava_13579]

Hey, and hope everyone's good!
I'd like to see what you guys think about this.
I recently purchased a purple Devon. It was delivered last week, and I haven't rehabbed it.

Some of the leather has what look like tiny pits.
(That's the best way I can think of to describe what they look like.)

The pitting is mostly on the bottom-left side of the bag.

I realize mold can cause pitting. Do you think this is mold damage?
(Even if the bag doesn't have mold now, do you think mold in the past would have caused this?)

Or do you think this is from something else? (Normal? Scuffs? Or...?)

Have you seen this on bags before?


On the bottom-left side of the bag, looks like there are a bunch of tiny pits.

View attachment 4472533

Closeups
View attachment 4472535
View attachment 4472536
View attachment 4472537
View attachment 4472538
View attachment 4472539

The leather loop holding the strap looks a bit fuzzy and a bit green. I'm assuming this is just from the hardware, but including a picture, anyways.
View attachment 4472540

Inside the bag. Some bits are lighter purple, compared with the color of the rest of the bag.
View attachment 4472541

Front of the inside of the pocket is white.
I'm assuming this is just shaved leather, which @Catbird9 told me about recently, when I asked about a different bag.
View attachment 4472542

The leather on most of the bag looks fine. Like this.
View attachment 4472543

If people have opinions on this, I'd be interested to hear them: do you think the scratches are a big deal?
Would this kind of damage stop you from wanting to carry the bag? (And for example, would you carry it to an office?)
Please be super honest.

The scratches weren't mentioned in the eBay listing, and it's still within the 30 days.

I haven't rehabbed the bag yet, but I'm kind of assuming that because they're deeper than what I've seen in the past, they'll still be visible after a rehab...?

Here's a picture taken in early evening light, just using my camera phone. The scratches are hard to see here.



The scratches are most visible in bright light.

 

[Catbird9]

If people have opinions on this, I'd be interested to hear them: do you think the scratches are a big deal?
Would this kind of damage stop you from wanting to carry the bag? (And for example, would you carry it to an office?)
Please be super honest.

The scratches weren't mentioned in the eBay listing, and it's still within the 30 days.

I haven't rehabbed the bag yet, but I'm kind of assuming that because they're deeper than what I've seen in the past, they'll still be visible after a rehab...?

Here's a picture taken in early evening light, just using my camera phone. The scratches are hard to see here.
View attachment 4473488


The scratches are most visible in bright light.
View attachment 4473496
View attachment 4473492

I think the bag looks great, but I do see the scratches. They might or might not be more or less visible after rehab (no rehab is 100% predictable).

I would carry the bag (it's so cute, and what a color!), but over time, I think the scratches would bother me.

Even though no one else may see them, you'll know they are there, and you may wish you'd returned it.

On the other hand, you could keep it, do the rehab, wear it a few times, and decide whether to keep or sell it.

 

[Aku_no_Hana]

So sad. =(

I haven’t repaired cracked leather. I was thinking about your situation, and Googled a bit.


I was wondering if it might be worth looking into a leather repair kit. This one seems to be the most popular on Amazon. In the reviews, there are some examples of repairs that looks quite good (along with others that don’t look so great.)
https://www.amazon.com/Strongman-To...&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1#customerReviews


I saw this on YouTube but lol, I’m skeptical. Looks too good to be true!



If you plan to fix the cracks on the outside, I’d maybe think about trying to prevent the leather from ripping, especially when the bag is filled. Maybe you could put something on the inside of the bag (on the suede) to reinforce things, like a piece of scrap leather. (I get it at Michael’s. I sometimes do experimentation on scrap leather, before working on a bag.)
For example, in this video, she places a patch on the inside of the sofa, before repairing the damage.



Again, I’ve never repaired cracked leather. Just wanted to share, even if there's only a very small chance that it could be helpful for you.

Keep us posted, and I wish you success.

Thank you so much! I will check all of this out and will keep you posted!