Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[klc2021]

Welcome! I don't have a Willis so can't advise on dowel but for most rehabs I would definitely say dunk + CPR whilst damp and finish with Renapur (or Blackrock) and buff, which should be enough for your bag as it doesn't look particularly parched so shouldn't need a really intense conditioner like LT. Yes, vinegar for the smell.

Thank you!

 

[houseof999]

Finally finished my Currant Companion flap. It took a while as I had been busy gardening instead.
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[LadaZuri]

Finally finished my Currant Companion flap. It took a while as I had been busy gardening instead.
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Gorgeous!!! And Bag Twins!!!

 

[Narnanz]

Finally finished my Currant Companion flap. It took a while as I had been busy gardening instead.
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Nice!!!....man...now I want one as well.

 

[Tiggerhawk]

I’m working a flannel grey rehab. That be some murky water.

ETA: post dunk pic of a 9076.

 

[americandreaming]

Redunked the NYC Dinky and it's drying at the moment with about a million layers of CPR. Not sure why I think it'll help the look of the front flap but it cost me just under £10 (which is SUPER cheap for me in the UK) so why not? Lol.

So it looks more or less the same but WOW does it feel different!!!!!

I found my microfibre cloth and buffed it vigorously to a shine and now the front flap is soooo smooth. Before the redunk, it was still quite coarse yet tacky. I think I timed my conditioning poorly. This time, I started slathering the CPR on straight after patting dry instead of waiting for it to dry to damp.

It still has the annoying dry patch on the front but I'm so pleased with the new smooth feel of the leather. Will take photographs tomorrow in the natural light.

 

[Alasselina]

Here’s some pictures of the process. When polishing jewellery, I usually get impatient and default to a brushed finish. For some reason I have a lot more patience with purse jewellery. I take the IKEA approach and spend most of my efforts on the visible parts. Anything that won’t be seen, I’m just mostly concerned that it’s clean with no verdigris. You can see it getting smoother as I go up with the finer grit.

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Thank you for the photos - it really helps. And that turnlock looks great!

 

[katev]

How would you repair the stitching on this bag?

I recently picked up a black Willis that was made in Turkey in 1998 at a good price and it is in pretty good shape except for one major issue.

The stitching is ripped on both sides where the flap attaches to the dowel rod, see picture below. I have occasionally sewn up a couple of loose/missing stitches on a few bags and it worked okay, but it was hard work and I don't know if my limited skills are up to this major challenge.

What do you think? Should I take it straight to the Cobbler and ask to have it sewn professionally or should I first try to repair it myself?

If you've ever done a major sewing rehab on a leather bag, how would you advise me to proceed? Please be specific - what type of thread, needle, and tools would you use? Would you start at the ends and work toward the middle or vice versa? Would you try to glue it before you start stictching to hold it in place?

Help! And thanks in advance for your advice!


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I would take it to a cobbler! I did the same type of sewing on my Post Pouch on just one side and it was sooooo hard to get the needle straight through. There’s some sort of hard layer (maybe plastic?) in between the leather layers that you need to get the needle through as well, or at least there was on my Post Pouch.

I'm really interested in learning how you end up fixing this. I have an aubergine Willis that needs to be re-stitched.

I dropped it off at the cobbler's shop this afternoon, I will let you know how it works out, thanks!

 

[LadaZuri]

I dropped it off at the cobbler's shop this afternoon, I will let you know how it works out, thanks!

I am really grateful to have found an excellent, old school, cobbler a few months ago. She has done 3 absolutely invisible repairs for me on piping that had pulled away from the seam. The only downside is that she is quite elderly and likely to retire at any time. With our hobby finding one we can trust is so helpful!

 

[katev]

I am really grateful to have found an excellent, old school, cobbler a few months ago. She has done 3 absolutely invisible repairs for me on piping that had pulled away from the seam. The only downside is that she is quite elderly and likely to retire at any time. With our hobby finding one we can trust is so helpful!

I tried some others before finding this guy; he's not the nearest Cobbler but I think that he's the best for vintage bags in my area so I hope that he is able to do a good job on this willis.

I know what you mean about retirement worries. He has shortended his work hours because business is down and said that he's "hoping that people start going back to work soon and start wearing out their shoes!" I was standing there in tennis shoes at the time so I felt sorry for him!

 

[katev]

I’m working a flannel grey rehab. That be some murky water.

ETA: post dunk pic of a 9076.

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Nice color bag especially with the nickel hardware!

 

[MrsGAM]

Just finished my United Airlines Stewardess! With how well used this bag is, I’m surprised the piping was in such good shape. All she needed was a bath and conditioning.
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Finished her just in time for our road trip this weekend! I’ll be using her when we go antiquing.

 

[Tiggerhawk]

Nice color bag especially with the nickel hardware!

FG and nickel is my favorite!!

 

[Tiggerhawk]

I’m working a flannel grey rehab. That be some murky water.

ETA: post dunk pic of a 9076.

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Looking good so far!! Will need some more CPR and black rocks

 

[americandreaming]

Just finished my United Airlines Stewardess! With how well used this bag is, I’m surprised the piping was in such good shape. All she needed was a bath and conditioning.
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Finished her just in time for our road trip this weekend! I’ll be using her when we go antiquing.

Nice! What are those huge gashes?!