Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Paris Girl]

Yes, I saw the policy on Mercari about the return request within 3 days, but I guess I'm just concerned about what would happen if the seller refuses the return? She seems convinced that the bag closes properly... I wouldn't want to be left bagless and without a refund. Not sure if that is how it works when you ask for a return on Mercari, but it was what I understood from reading the policy.

I do also really like the bag and wouldn't mind making some alterations to it, I'm just not sure how feasible it would be.



I did see that post when looking for how to repair the springlock. It's definitely an option I would consider, but I do like the look of the spring lock on the Chrystie. I was also considering maybe keeping the outside "button" looking part as decorative and maybe swapping the inside with some kind of magnetic closure? I'm just not sure how to remove the spring lock or if the outside part would remain on once removing the inside part.


Yea, I'm seeing that it's a pretty difficulty part to replace. I did see the post by Catbird9, but she had a different issue with her bag, she had to replace a washer-type piece.





Good to know that my taupe bag should be safe with a good dunking

And thank you both for helping with figuring out the colors! I think I'm going to start saving catalog images when I come across them. Unfortunately the ones I do see typically are just segments of the catalog and I can never tell what year they're from. From what @Paris Girl mentioned, my olive bag is from 1995 so it seems that it would be the olive color. As for the "taupe" Watson the number is B6D. I really appreciate your help!

Your Watson was made Feb 1996 and the fall 1995 catalog showed taupe so it’s probably taupe as well.

 

[Paris Girl]

Your Watson was made Feb 1996 and the fall 1995 catalog showed taupe so it’s probably taupe as well.

Hey, I just found taupe in my Willis notes from a 1996 catalog so your Watson is taupe.

 

[americandreaming]

I use a hairdryer to heat and actually melt the Renapur on the sponge, then I apply it to the whole bag. I will also very carefully make a few passes with the hairdryer over the bag. I let it rest for a few days to completely absorb and then buff my heart out.

Here's an example of the result. Red Basic Bag.
View attachment 5127837

I need to redunk my Basics. I can't reshape them properly.

 

[Lake Effect]

Seeking some advice as I begin a rehab I’m excited about: a red made-in-NYC tote!

View attachment 5127853

There are stray pen marks on the outside (I’m doing what I can for those with vinegar dabbing) and what look like small ink puddles on the inside. Nothing from the inside ink puddles has bled through to the outside of the bag, but I’m a little afraid they will when I dunk.

Im attaching some pictures - how would you handle these to lessen any risk of ink bleed through? Or are these little puddles too small to worry about? Many thanks for input!

View attachment 5127850View attachment 5127851View attachment 5127852

I know I have seen posts on "filing" marks like this down with an emory board/nail file. Hopefully someone will reply. Or do a search on this thread. It struck me an an excellent solution. Amazing bag. I'm a little jelly!

 

[LaVinCoach]

Gotcha! Yup, taupe is offered for your bag, per the paper Holiday Preview 95 and 96 Preview catalogs. I started with paper catalogs because I wanted something concrete too. I was lucky to get a bunch prior to somebody who got the ball rolling by asking for $75 or something like that for just one! I specifically go to flea markets hoping to find them.
I remember picking up a Patti cheap, with poor photos expecting it to be mahogany. I was disappointed with the taupe color. Then it grew on me and it's a fav. Dunked just fine, too.

I would love some paper catalogs! I've seen some that are pretty expensive. I've also seen some people selling USBs with multiple catalogs on them for $20-30.. considered it but thought it might be better spent on an actual bag I'll get my hands on some catalogs one day though! I absolutely love the taupe color! I've been wanting one for a while but could never find it for a decent price in a style I wanted. I'm very excited to dunk and pretty-fy mine

 

[LaVinCoach]

Hey, I just found taupe in my Willis notes from a 1996 catalog so your Watson is taupe.

Thank you so much for looking into this! Still not sure what the difference between taupe and putty is but at least I know what taupe looks like now

 

[LaVinCoach]

My mind is churning with a million weird solutions to fix the broken chrystie.

I could replace the spring lock for a turn lock, but I like the look of the spring lock and I think I'd feel kinda weird changing the whole look of the bag, plus I'd have to make a bigger hole in the bag and then there's no going back.

Another option I'm considering is keeping the outside for decoration and somehow attaching a magnetic closure to the bag? But I'm not sure how to even remove the spring lock, and I don't know if the outside part won't stay on if I remove the inside part? (btw does anyone know how to remove the spring lock.. I keep staring at it like it's gonna start talking to me but I can't figure out where to start pulling! )

Another magnetized option... magnetic paint? If I paint the female piece with magnetic paint and add a magnetic closure to the other side of the bag maybe they'll stick together?

And the simpler option I guess would be to just wait for a replacement piece to pop up or for a really cheap chrystie bag to steal parts off of.. which I would then use that chrystie for experimentation and perhaps even adding a turnlock..

I'm kinda strongly considering the magnetic paint option because it seems the easiest/fastest/cheapest option but I have no idea if it'll work.

Anybody got any other weird (or better yet, normal) suggestions? lol

My fiancé is wondering why I've got to have a hobby that always has me in a "dilemma" and I'm starting to ask myself the same thing

 

[shannastory]

My mind is churning with a million weird solutions to fix the broken chrystie.

I could replace the spring lock for a turn lock, but I like the look of the spring lock and I think I'd feel kinda weird changing the whole look of the bag, plus I'd have to make a bigger hole in the bag and then there's no going back.

Another option I'm considering is keeping the outside for decoration and somehow attaching a magnetic closure to the bag? But I'm not sure how to even remove the spring lock, and I don't know if the outside part won't stay on if I remove the inside part? (btw does anyone know how to remove the spring lock.. I keep staring at it like it's gonna start talking to me but I can't figure out where to start pulling! )

Another magnetized option... magnetic paint? If I paint the female piece with magnetic paint and add a magnetic closure to the other side of the bag maybe they'll stick together?

And the simpler option I guess would be to just wait for a replacement piece to pop up or for a really cheap chrystie bag to steal parts off of.. which I would then use that chrystie for experimentation and perhaps even adding a turnlock..

I'm kinda strongly considering the magnetic paint option because it seems the easiest/fastest/cheapest option but I have no idea if it'll work.

Anybody got any other weird (or better yet, normal) suggestions? lol

My fiancé is wondering why I've got to have a hobby that always has me in a "dilemma" and I'm starting to ask myself the same thing

One thought - you might consider bringing it to a good cobbler for advice/potentially repair.

Many years ago, before I started asking questions like “what are the mechanisms that make a turn lock turn?”, I brought a Coach wallet to a cobbler with - among other issues - a loose turning piece on a turn lock. I don’t know what he did to repair it, but the wallet came back to me with repaired hardware and has never been an issue since. Maybe you’ll get similarly lucky with your spring lock!

 

[LaVinCoach]

One thought - you might consider bringing it to a good cobbler for advice/potentially repair.

Many years ago, before I started asking questions like “what are the mechanisms that make a turn lock turn?”, I brought a Coach wallet to a cobbler with - among other issues - a loose turning piece on a turn lock. I don’t know what he did to repair it, but the wallet came back to me with repaired hardware and has never been an issue since. Maybe you’ll get similarly lucky with your spring lock!

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, one of the “best” local cobblers doesn’t really impress me. Their shop has rave reviews but I feel all he’s really able to do is glue back torn sandal straps and retouch leather that’s black or brown But the worst part is that he’ll confidently tell you he can fix it and the job is always subpar. I once brought in a periwinkle bag that had some color fading and when I got it back it had a greenish metallic sheen to the faded areas!! Wish he would’ve just told me he couldn’t match the color. I could try others, but they’re not even rated as high as this guy so I’m not too keen in finding out what they would do.

The only cobbler that I would consider would be the Rago brothers in New Jersey. I can’t speak from experience, but I follow them on Instagram and the work they do is unbelievable! Unfortunately, they’re pretty pricey, I’ve sent them some pictures for price quotes and it’s all been +$100, not even including the shipping

That’s really great that you have a good cobbler nearby! But I’ve just resorted to trying to learn how to rehab things myself to avoid them as much possible. I might give this guy one last try once I’ve given up

 

[LaVinCoach]

OH MY GOSH GUYS!
I feel like I’ve been obsessive today about finding a fix for this bag and I’m so sorry for all the spam, BUT I THINK I FOUND THE SOLUTION!

I found a bag that has a spring lock closure for cheap!! However, I’m pretty sure the bag is a fake which on one hand makes me extra happy because I didn’t want to ruin an actual coach bag, but on the other hand it makes me wonder if the lock is a fake and wouldn’t work?

what do you guys think?

 

[shannastory]

I know I have seen posts on "filing" marks like this down with an emory board/nail file. Hopefully someone will reply. Or do a search on this thread. It struck me an an excellent solution. Amazing bag. I'm a little jelly!

Thanks, and yes that was one piece of advice I was remembering, too! That, and running hot water/vinegar through the leather in the direction I want the ink to go (outside to inside). I was wondering if the spots on my bag looked problematic to anyone else, or no big deal…but just to be safe I’ve started down the path of better safe than sorry. I’m in process right now, here’s what I’ve done…

I don't have an emory board durable enough to file rough leather, so I got a little creative: I used my trusty suede brush first, then filed the spots with fine steel wool (use whatcha got!), and finally a rough scrub pad. With all the fibers as loose as they were going to get, I actually did a little trimming with a cuticle trimmer, nothing dramatic. This didn’t remove any of the ink puddles though, more just broke them up.

The bag was inside out anyway, so I dumped some vinegar (maybe a cup?) into the bottom of the bag, and let it absorb through for 20 min or so. Then I added hot water. Mostly I just left it to drip into the sink, since the worst ink puddles were at the bottom. But I blotted the “outside” (the suede side) with paper towels a few times - got mostly red dye, but def a little ink. Right now I’m letting the hot water/vinegar mix drain through the spot with the worst little ink stain that wasn’t on the bottom of the bag. Will thoroughly dunk after I guess.



Please keep fingers crossed for this one, haha!

 

[LaVinCoach]

Thanks, and yes that was one piece of advice I was remembering, too! That, and running hot water/vinegar through the leather in the direction I want the ink to go (outside to inside). I was wondering if the spots on my bag looked problematic to anyone else, or no big deal…but just to be safe I’ve started down the path of better safe than sorry. I’m in process right now, here’s what I’ve done…

I don't have an emory board durable enough to file rough leather, so I got a little creative: I used my trusty suede brush first, then filed the spots with fine steel wool (use whatcha got!), and finally a rough scrub pad. With all the fibers as loose as they were going to get, I actually did a little trimming with a cuticle trimmer, nothing dramatic. This didn’t remove any of the ink puddles though, more just broke them up.

The bag was inside out anyway, so I dumped some vinegar (maybe a cup?) into the bottom of the bag, and let it absorb through for 20 min or so. Then I added hot water. Mostly I just left it to drip into the sink, since the worst ink puddles were at the bottom. But I blotted the “outside” (the suede side) with paper towels a few times - got mostly red dye, but def a little ink. Right now I’m letting the hot water/vinegar mix drain through the spot with the worst little ink stain that wasn’t on the bottom of the bag. Will thoroughly dunk after I guess.

View attachment 5128158View attachment 5128159

Please keep fingers crossed for this one, haha!

Thanks, and yes that was one piece of advice I was remembering, too! That, and running hot water/vinegar through the leather in the direction I want the ink to go (outside to inside). I was wondering if the spots on my bag looked problematic to anyone else, or no big deal…but just to be safe I’ve started down the path of better safe than sorry. I’m in process right now, here’s what I’ve done…

I don't have an emory board durable enough to file rough leather, so I got a little creative: I used my trusty suede brush first, then filed the spots with fine steel wool (use whatcha got!), and finally a rough scrub pad. With all the fibers as loose as they were going to get, I actually did a little trimming with a cuticle trimmer, nothing dramatic. This didn’t remove any of the ink puddles though, more just broke them up.

The bag was inside out anyway, so I dumped some vinegar (maybe a cup?) into the bottom of the bag, and let it absorb through for 20 min or so. Then I added hot water. Mostly I just left it to drip into the sink, since the worst ink puddles were at the bottom. But I blotted the “outside” (the suede side) with paper towels a few times - got mostly red dye, but def a little ink. Right now I’m letting the hot water/vinegar mix drain through the spot with the worst little ink stain that wasn’t on the bottom of the bag. Will thoroughly dunk after I guess.

View attachment 5128158View attachment 5128159

Please keep fingers crossed for this one, haha!

Hmm, seeing as you got some of the ink out after running water through it and blotting makes me worry that if left in water long enough it would bleed. I’m not sure how to remove the ink stains but I feel like dunking it may make things worse. Maybe you can try just dunking that inner flap while leaving the rest of the bag out dry just to see how/if the ink spreads. If it does, at least it would just be on an inner pocket rather than on the outside of the bag!

 

[katev]

Seeking some advice as I begin a rehab I’m excited about: a red made-in-NYC tote!

View attachment 5127853

There are stray pen marks on the outside (I’m doing what I can for those with vinegar dabbing) and what look like small ink puddles on the inside. Nothing from the inside ink puddles has bled through to the outside of the bag, but I’m a little afraid they will when I dunk.

Im attaching some pictures - how would you handle these to lessen any risk of ink bleed through? Or are these little puddles too small to worry about? Many thanks for input!

View attachment 5127850View attachment 5127851View attachment 5127852

I know I have seen posts on "filing" marks like this down with an emory board/nail file. Hopefully someone will reply. Or do a search on this thread. It struck me an an excellent solution. Amazing bag. I'm a little jelly!

Thanks, and yes that was one piece of advice I was remembering, too! That, and running hot water/vinegar through the leather in the direction I want the ink to go (outside to inside). I was wondering if the spots on my bag looked problematic to anyone else, or no big deal…but just to be safe I’ve started down the path of better safe than sorry. I’m in process right now, here’s what I’ve done…

I don't have an emory board durable enough to file rough leather, so I got a little creative: I used my trusty suede brush first, then filed the spots with fine steel wool (use whatcha got!), and finally a rough scrub pad. With all the fibers as loose as they were going to get, I actually did a little trimming with a cuticle trimmer, nothing dramatic. This didn’t remove any of the ink puddles though, more just broke them up.

The bag was inside out anyway, so I dumped some vinegar (maybe a cup?) into the bottom of the bag, and let it absorb through for 20 min or so. Then I added hot water. Mostly I just left it to drip into the sink, since the worst ink puddles were at the bottom. But I blotted the “outside” (the suede side) with paper towels a few times - got mostly red dye, but def a little ink. Right now I’m letting the hot water/vinegar mix drain through the spot with the worst little ink stain that wasn’t on the bottom of the bag. Will thoroughly dunk after I guess.

View attachment 5128158View attachment 5128159

Please keep fingers crossed for this one, haha!

Hmm, seeing as you got some of the ink out after running water through it and blotting makes me worry that if left in water long enough it would bleed. I’m not sure how to remove the ink stains but I feel like dunking it may make things worse. Maybe you can try just dunking that inner flap while leaving the rest of the bag out dry just to see how/if the ink spreads. If it does, at least it would just be on an inner pocket rather than on the outside of the bag!

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but when I see big splotches of ink I think that it was a fountain pen that leaked a long time ago.

Every time I've dunked a bag with bad ink stains (not just stray pen marks) the ink ran and bled into the leather. If it was a black or navy bag then it's usually not too noticable but a red bag like that is risky. If you can avoid dunking it that would be safer but if you have to dunk then do it quickly.

I've never tried filing the leather or using wax so if you have any luck with those methods please let us know. It's a shame because it is such a pretty red bag, but if the leather bleeds you might want to consider dying it navy or black, good luck!

 

[Paris Girl]

Thank you so much for looking into this! Still not sure what the difference between taupe and putty is but at least I know what taupe looks like now

Here is my Willis in taupe and my 9685 tote in putty. The taupe has a grayish tint to it. If you like, I can take a photo of the inside suede which is a better representation of colors and with same lighting. Not home at the moment though.

 

[Paris Girl]

Thank you so much for looking into this! Still not sure what the difference between taupe and putty is but at least I know what taupe looks like now

Here is my Willis in taupe and my 9685 tote in putty. The taupe has a grayish tint to it. If you like, I can take a photo of the inside suede which is a better representation of colors and with same lighting. Not home at the moment though.