Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[amber1109]

Hi, rehabbers! I'm still hesitant to dunk light color like the camel. So I try to dunk a British tan first. When I dunk it, I find out there are some watermarks(honestly not sure what it is) that can't be removed. Do you have any idea of how to remove it?

 

[Lake Effect]

Hi, rehabbers! I'm still hesitant to dunk light color like the camel. So I try to dunk a British tan first. When I dunk it, I find out there are some watermarks(honestly not sure what it is) that can't be removed. Do you have any idea of how to remove it?
View attachment 5095788

I like to generally dunk in my kitchen sink, where I can flatly submerge the bag completely ( and also stand comfortably). I take an old soft toothbrush and with a very light touch, go over every surface inside and outside the bag I can get to, working the suds into the bag. I will make a few passes over a stained area. After twenty minutes, I usually get as good as I am going to get and start the rinse process. Others may vary in their approach to stains.

 

[whateve]

Hi, rehabbers! I'm still hesitant to dunk light color like the camel. So I try to dunk a British tan first. When I dunk it, I find out there are some watermarks(honestly not sure what it is) that can't be removed. Do you have any idea of how to remove it?
View attachment 5095788

You can't really tell those are watermarks when it is wet. True water marks will disappear when the leather is wet and reappear when it dries. You can create water marks by not dunking completely. Then the dye kind of melts off and goes back on unevenly. If there are watermarks before you dunk, sometimes extra hot water works.

 

[amber1109]

You can't really tell those are watermarks when it is wet. True water marks will disappear when the leather is wet and reappear when it dries. You can create water marks by not dunking completely. Then the dye kind of melts off and goes back on unevenly. If there are watermarks before you dunk, sometimes extra hot water works.

Thank you for your tips! Maybe I will need a second dunk, let me see how it goes for the first time!

 

[amber1109]

I like to generally dunk in my kitchen sink, where I can flatly submerge the bag completely ( and also stand comfortably). I take an old soft toothbrush and with a very light touch, go over every surface inside and outside the bag I can get to, working the suds into the bag. I will make a few passes over a stained area. After twenty minutes, I usually get as good as I am going to get and start the rinse process. Others may vary in their approach to stains.

Thank you for sharing!! I use a brush to go over the whole purse as well, let me see how it goes for the first dunk!

 

[Lake Effect]

Thank you for sharing!! I use a brush to go over the whole purse as well, let me see how it goes for the first dunk!

I had a few bags with water stains that by the end of the process were so faint, I could see them If I looked for them. So yes, le't see! When stain don't come out, I am guessing they were not caused by water. I have a few mystery droplet stains with a dark outline on Court and a smudge on a Plaza that did not budge with my usual process.

 

[ArengoKC]

I don’t pretend to the knowledge and experience of some of our Coach rehab bees but I’d advise you to go slowly. The dunk can help redistribute the dye in the leather. I have never used dye on my bags. Just lots of CPR starting when the bag is damp. You may be surprised at the results.

Colour refreshing is a great idea when a bag is faded, unevenly coloured or the piping worn. The trick is to mix only a TINY bit of acrylic paint with the CPR:

View attachment 5095713

Plenty of CPR and mix THOROUGHLY:

View attachment 5095714

The ideal is for the acrylic paint to be absorbed into the leather along with the conditioner, rather than creating an obviously painted surface. Make sure the acrylic paint is completely mixed with the CPR before applying and do thin, even coats. I apply in a circular motion like straight conditioning. Watch for any accidental streaks of colour and blend in/disperse immediately with straight CPR.

Blacks are much easier and more forgiving to colour refresh than colours!

Good luck and have fun!

I agree with @whateve ! Here’s how I shaped mine:
View attachment 5095743
Here it is stuffed with some packaging material:
View attachment 5095744
And here it is when I last used it:
View attachment 5095742

I have gotten some very satisfying results with the deep and finishing conditioners mentioned. However, I did a have black Plaza that while in great condition, it did have universal fading. I used a leather recolorant, Saphir Juvacuir. I bought it off a website, www.hangarproject.com but I believe others have since bought it off Amazon. The bag had been fully cleaned and conditioned. I applied it with a make up sponge, let it dry for a few days. I would have to look at my old posts to see if I did Black Rock after that.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise and experiences. Will definitely keep them in mind as I go along in rehabbing the duffle sac.

I have actually started the rehab this afternoon (two bags - the duffle sac and asheville). After the dunk, i blotted the excess water with a towel and immediately applied one layer of CPR. Attached are the pictures.

I have a few questions if you don't mind:
1. Am I drying/shaping them right?
2. As you can see in the pics, the asheville is more black than the duffle sac. Do you think the duffle sac warrants a color refresh? In fairness in real life it doesn’t look as streaky and faded as that in the pics.
3. Do you think the lines in the duffle sac are natural grains of the leather or are they creases? In that case, any advise on how to straighten the leather?

Thank you so much once again!

 

[ArengoKC]

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise and experiences. Will definitely keep them in mind as I go along in rehabbing the duffle sac.

I have actually started the rehab this afternoon (two bags - the duffle sac and asheville). After the dunk, i blotted the excess water with a towel and immediately applied one layer of CPR. Attached are the pictures.

I have a few questions if you don't mind:
1. Am I drying/shaping them right?
2. As you can see in the pics, the asheville is more black than the duffle sac. Do you think the duffle sac warrants a color refresh? In fairness in real life it doesn’t look as streaky and faded as that in the pics.
3. Do you think the lines in the duffle sac are natural grains of the leather or are they creases? In that case, any advise on how to straighten the leather?

Thank you so much once again!

Sorry! Here is the pic.

 

[ConnieinSeattle]

I love the character lines on the back of your camel Willis! You did an awesome job restoring her, too! Thank you so much for posting your rehabs, @katev! They are informative and oh so inspiring!

I've almost finished my jade Kimball! The colour is glorious and accurately depicted in these outdoor, rainy day photos for those of you who haven't seen jade in person. "Jade" was in very good shape, but had some minor colour loss all around the piping.

BEFORE:
View attachment 5095353

AFTER: Mostly restored with CPR and heated Renapur on the sponge... I will do some Blackrocks now to complete the process:
View attachment 5095356

View attachment 5095374

No hangtag, but she's exquisite with the stunning tearose from @LunaSilver!!!
View attachment 5095378

View attachment 5095379

Zipper and ring were polished with Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloths:
View attachment 5095381

Thanks for looking!

Beautiful!!!

 

[LadaZuri]

@ArengoKC , I neglected to mention a really important piece of information. It is the tiny amount of acrylic paint which needs to match your bag, not the mixture with CPR.

This dab of dark blue acrylic paint


Makes this colour mixture


For this navy blue Chester 9901




Although the Leather CPR is white from the bottle, it becomes clear when absorbed. It doesn't alter the colour of the acrylic paint.

Other opinions most welcome.

Have fun with your project and show us your progression!

 

[ConnieinSeattle]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but thought I'd share the story. I got this bag online for $1. Beautiful bag. when it arrived, I found out why it was so inexpensive. It reeked! Horribly of perfume. Nice perfume, but, I mean, overpowering. Either someone who carried it transferred it to the bag, or a perfume "accident" happened inside the bag. Anyway, two washes in the washing machine (I have a "hand wash" cycle). The smell was still there. I aired it out outside. The smell was still there. Here's what worked best. A sock filled with used coffee grounds. I tied the purse in a pillowcase with the sock. Two days later, and I gave it the sniff test. MUCH better. So again, into the pillow case for another 2 days with a fresh sock cachet. Now, better yet. there's still a faint scent. But not an instant headache overpowering scent. Any other ideas on the best method to remove smells from leather?

 

[Lake Effect]

I agree with @whateve ! Here’s how I shaped mine:
View attachment 5095743
Here it is stuffed with some packaging material:
View attachment 5095744
And here it is when I last used it:
View attachment 5095742

That is one sexy looking pile of leather

 

[Coachaddict4020]

3. Do you think the lines in the duffle sac are natural grains of the leather or are they creases? In that case, any advise on how to straighten the leather?

Sorry! Here is the pic.

Those wrinkles on your duffle look natural to the bag. I have them on a pocket purse & they never came out after rehabbing. I don’t mind the lines but if it’s bothersome, Im not sure how you could get the creases out. Past suggestion was putting something over the leather & ironing it. I tried that method on a different bag & it didn’t really make a big difference. More opinions welcome

 

[LadaZuri]

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise and experiences. Will definitely keep them in mind as I go along in rehabbing the duffle sac.

I have a few questions if you don't mind:
1. Am I drying/shaping them right?
2. As you can see in the pics, the asheville is more black than the duffle sac. Do you think the duffle sac warrants a color refresh? In fairness in real life it doesn’t look as streaky and faded as that in the pics.
3. Do you think the lines in the duffle sac are natural grains of the leather or are they creases? In that case, any advise on how to straighten the leather?

Thank you so much once again!

1) They look well shaped. You could add a bit more packing to the bottom of your Asheville if you wanted to smooth any sagging out further. What I do is change out the damp cloths for dry ones every day. You could wait until then to add a bit more support. In my experience the second and third 24 hour periods of reshaping are more crucial than the first.

2) Vintage blacks tend to fade a bit so colour refreshing can be helpful. It is also easier to learn to do it on a black bag.

3) I think the lines are original from the hide, although they may have been enhanced by the duffle being allowed to sag. I personally think those lines are gorgeous!!!

More opinions most welcome.

Sorry! Here is the pic.

Beautiful!

 

[Busykitty]

So I discovered I despise polishing hardware.

I used 0000 steel wool and brasso, and it turned out OK, I guess. I can still see the swirls/microscratches from the steel wool. I'd like to do better, if I can (not sure if my expectations are in the realm of reality).

I've seen a few recommendations for Mother's polish and Wenol. Are either of those any better than Brasso at getting rid of the steel wool marks?

And for those of you that use a Dremel, what bits do you recommend, both for removing the coating on the hardware and for polishing it up?

If you don’t want swirl marks, I suggest using mothers and hand polishing. Especially on flat surfaces like the faces of turnlocks.