Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[klc2021]

I have this exact bag and had similar issues. For the piping I used a leather adhesive "shoe goo." It is intended for leather shoes but worked just fine. I put some just slightly inside with a tooth pick, gently pressed the leather back into place on the piping and allowed to dry after washing the bag, of course.

For my bags that did not take the conditioner as well, I am currently using a polish to help re-establish some color and evenness. The only bag I have done this to is a Macdougal in "tan" with Kiwi polish. It turned out really well and looks so much better. I have sinced ordered some polish from amazon in colors that will suit the other browns in my collection, including the companion. I believe the color is "tabac" or medium brown if you look at polishes to match.

Good luck. I love this bag and managed to score it for only $12 on ebay from a man and his wife who carried it for decades as a purse then camera bag. Even came with the original booklet. I will try to post photos when mine is done, hopefully this week.

Thanks for replying! Do you like the Companion? I haven't used mine yet, but it looks like it should fit a fair bit. I love the personal stories and history that are connected to these bags (and lucky you for scoring the book too!), I wish I knew more about who owned mine. I'm hoping to use as a hybrid bike bag/purse, so lots of time at the farmers market and library.

I have Shoe Goo in the house, so that's a great recommendation I can try soon! Can I ask, is Kiwi polish the exception to shoe polish on bags? I see a lot of discussion about the challenges of removing shoe polish on this thread, but I know there are different brands and ingredients.

I'd love to see your rehab when it's ready!

 

[klc2021]

That's a challenge of a first rehab! Looks good!

I know, dang it. I originally thought there isn't much I could do to make this bag any worse and it's kind of a catchall of issues--saggy, dry, stained, tarnished, piping (whoa)--so it'll be a good rehab learning experience. In hindsight, I should have tried something a little more straightforward. Oof.

Thanks for the encouragement, I need it!

 

[SloaneTailor]

Thanks for replying! Do you like the Companion? I haven't used mine yet, but it looks like it should fit a fair bit. I love the personal stories and history that are connected to these bags (and lucky you for scoring the book too!), I wish I knew more about who owned mine. I'm hoping to use as a hybrid bike bag/purse, so lots of time at the farmers market and library.

I have Shoe Goo in the house, so that's a great recommendation I can try soon! Can I ask, is Kiwi polish the exception to shoe polish on bags? I see a lot of discussion about the challenges of removing shoe polish on this thread, but I know there are different brands and ingredients.

I'd love to see your rehab when it's ready!

Edit: So I edited my post after reading about shoe polish on bags and I will retract my previous statement. I did use Kiwi on the Macdougal bag but now I am thinking that was not the best route. I will re-consider for the companion. I can't afford to mess that bag up! lol

I have not used my companion yet and I am not sure I will for a while. It is one of the oldest bags in my collection and I tend to keep those for special occasions and limited use. I can say however it is very large inside and deceptive on the outside. It takes quite a bit of stuffing to keep it full while in storage. It has many pockets and just the perfect size for anything. I look forward to both of our rehabs and your photos!

 

[Narnanz]

Chelsea is done...really happy with the size.

Have to repair the hole on the flap at some stage...still trying to find a good fabric paint.

 

[whateve]

Thanks for replying! Do you like the Companion? I haven't used mine yet, but it looks like it should fit a fair bit. I love the personal stories and history that are connected to these bags (and lucky you for scoring the book too!), I wish I knew more about who owned mine. I'm hoping to use as a hybrid bike bag/purse, so lots of time at the farmers market and library.

I have Shoe Goo in the house, so that's a great recommendation I can try soon! Can I ask, is Kiwi polish the exception to shoe polish on bags? I see a lot of discussion about the challenges of removing shoe polish on this thread, but I know there are different brands and ingredients.

I'd love to see your rehab when it's ready!

I would really encourage you to find a different solution than shoe polish.

I personally have found shoe goo hard to work with. I like leather cement for gluing edges back together and fabric puff paint for reshaping where there are still holes. If you just need a color refresh, use a tiny bit of acrylic craft paint mixed in conditioner. It might take several layers to get the color you desire but at least it will still feel like leather.

Your bag is extra dry because you ran it through the wash twice. You need to condition it many times to restore the moisture.

 

[klc2021]

Edit: So I edited my post after reading about shoe polish on bags and I will retract my previous statement. I did use Kiwi on the Macdougal bag but now I am thinking that was not the best route. I will re-consider for the companion. I can't afford to mess that bag up! lol

I have not used my companion yet and I am not sure I will for a while. It is one of the oldest bags in my collection and I tend to keep those for special occasions and limited use. I can say however it is very large inside and deceptive on the outside. It takes quite a bit of stuffing to keep it full while in storage. It has many pockets and just the perfect size for anything. I look forward to both of our rehabs and your photos!

Oh no! Well, at least you can think more about the best way to approach your Companion. I appreciate you sharing your rehab experiences!

And thanks for the feedback on the size.

 

[klc2021]

I would really encourage you to find a different solution than shoe polish.

I personally have found shoe goo hard to work with. I like leather cement for gluing edges back together and fabric puff paint for reshaping where there are still holes. If you just need a color refresh, use a tiny bit of acrylic craft paint mixed in conditioner. It might take several layers to get the color you desire but at least it will still feel like leather.

Your bag is extra dry because you ran it through the wash twice. You need to condition it many times to restore the moisture.

Those glue, color, and filler tips are great, thanks! Do you have a leather cement brand you like or is anything ok?

I know the washer was extreme, but soaking wasn’t doing it. I won’t go the shoe polish route, but do you think I need something more intense than Leather CPR or is that good but I’ll need to apply many, many layers? I don’t mind the time, but I’d like to use the best materials for the job.

Thank you so much!

 

[Coachaddict4020]

Has anyone ever reinforced the leather loops on a 9991 lunchbox bag where the strap attaches? I received my black one today but it looks like it was always carried full of stuff so those loops are stretched out from the weight. I was thinking of sliding them back in & using a curved sewing needle on the inside to pass some thread through & tighten it (making sure to stay beneath the leather so the repair doesn’t show on the outside). If anyone has any other suggestions they can think of, I’d greatly appreciate it. TYIA

If this makes no sense, I can include pictures too

Photos would help.

First pic is the leather loop on my navy lunchbox, second & third are from my unrehabbed black one. As you can see, it’s “stretched out” . I think my only option is to somehow get the loop back in & thread it to retighten it. I don’t think glue or anything will hold it in place cause it’ll just get pulled out again:

View attachment 5098301View attachment 5098302View attachment 5098303

I figured since there were no replies & I couldn’t find anything on my forum search, I was entering uncharted territory with this repair. I went ahead & pushed the leather loops back in & secured them with a nylon thread. They look way better now, I filled the bag up with stuff & left it hanging to see if the thread would break under tension & it didn’t. I’ll see how I feel about this bag after I rehab it, the navy one is in much better condition.

Before:


After:

 

[whateve]

Those glue, color, and filler tips are great, thanks! Do you have a leather cement brand you like or is anything ok?

I know the washer was extreme, but soaking wasn’t doing it. I won’t go the shoe polish route, but do you think I need something more intense than Leather CPR or is that good but I’ll need to apply many, many layers? I don’t mind the time, but I’d like to use the best materials for the job.

Thank you so much!

Leather CPR is the best and safest for most bags. Sometimes I'll use leather honey for extremely dry bags but it can cause uneven darkening and make stains more apparent so I don't use it often. Conditioner soaks in better when the bag is still damp from washing and in the first few days. I wouldn't suggest redunking as the leather has already been so much but you might try heating it when you apply conditioner. You could slather on a layer of conditioner and then put the bag out in the sun, or heat it with a hair dryer. It should help the conditioner soak in better.

I use Fiebings leather cement. It seems a lot like Alenes tacky glue, so that might work too, but I've never tried it.

 

[RadhaDB]

Chelsea is done...really happy with the size.
View attachment 5098576View attachment 5098577View attachment 5098578
Have to repair the hole on the flap at some stage...still trying to find a good fabric paint.

We are bag twins! I bought mine on a whim and really love it. It's a great size and I like the look quite a bit. I'm surprised this style isn't more popular.

 

[ArengoKC]

Hello! I’m about to rehab a Vintage Coach Duffle Sac. The leather is soft and smooshy to touch but its flattened and dirty so this would have to be dunked. I would just like to ask if duffle sacs are supposed to be structured? Like when you put it upright, is it supposed to stand on its own? I’m always seeing that in pictures but somehow i can’t see that happening with this one because the leather is so soft and a little heavy. Should i expect it to be formed/structured after the rehab? Thanks in advance for your insights!

Hi! Just sharing the output of my rehab. So happy with the outcome. I just wish i was able to take before pictures. Thank you to all those who took the time to share their knowledge and passion for rehabbing! Keep on inspiring amateur rehabbers like me.

 

[katev]

Hi! Just sharing the output of my rehab. So happy with the outcome. I just wish i was able to take before pictures. Thank you to all those who took the time to share their knowledge and passion for rehabbing! Keep on inspiring amateur rehabbers like me.

It looks fantastic, congratulations!

 

[LaVinCoach]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this blog and I was wondering if you guys had any tips on how I could restore a vintage bone colored Quincy (#9919) I recently got off of poshmark. It's in great condition but unfortunately the dye on the corners has worn off. I'm attaching a picture to this post. Currently washing it to see if I can get that stain out too. Any recommendations on dye brands/dye colors I could use to fix up those corners? And how would I go about dyeing it? Never dyed a bag before. I'd really appreciate any help!

 

[katev]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this blog and I was wondering if you guys had any tips on how I could restore a vintage bone colored Quincy (#9919) I recently got off of poshmark. It's in great condition but unfortunately the dye on the corners has worn off. I'm attaching a picture to this post. Currently washing it to see if I can get that stain out too. Any recommendations on dye brands/dye colors I could use to fix up those corners? And how would I go about dyeing it? Never dyed a bag before. I'd really appreciate any help!

Light-colored bags can be difficult to rehab. I would probably start by giving the bag a sink bath with dawn and scrubbing the stained area and the corners then rinse with clean water. Scrub the inside as well, the stain my have started on the inside. Stuff the bag with towels or clean rags to shape it while drying and start to apply conditioner while it is still damp. At that point you can assess the worn areas and decide what to do. With luck the stain may disappear.

Hopefully you won't need to dye the bag. I would probably just try to touch up the corners with acrylic hobby paint. Take the bag (or just the hangtag) with you to Joann's Fabrics, or Hobby Lobby or other craft store and pick out a small bottle of paint. Try to find a matching color. Sometimes you have to mix paints to find a match but that's hard to do.

Mix the paint with some Leather CPR or other conditioner and use an artist paint brush to dab paint on the corners, the conditioner helps the paint to absorb into the leather. The acrylic paint cleans up with soap and water but it is permanent after it dries.

If you need to recolor or dye the entire bag others here on TPF will be better able to advise you.

Please let us know how it turns out and good luck!

 

[LaVinCoach]

Thanks for the advice!

Just finished washing it with dawn (added a little white distilled vinegar too since it definitely smelled like a vintage coach bag ) and it's nice and stuffed and ready to be conditioned! Looks like the stain came out! Hopefully the stain will still be out when it dries haha

In regards to the corners, they definitely look a little better after washing, but I may have to wait for it to dry to better assess. I guess I'm leaning more to a dye or some sort of leather color retouching product to match the texture of the leather more. I assumed acrylic paint would feel/look different and be more likely to crack, especially since its around the corners. I'm not looking to redye the whole bag, definitely would prefer to just touch up the parts that need it.

Attaching some progress pics below