Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[SloaneTailor]

Make sure you use very thin coats, as this stuff is acrylic. It might be cheaper through Wood n stuff directly. For most projects, the 1 ounce sample is enough.

Thank you. I suspect I may have been too thick with the paint re-fresh my first go around. I am excited to try another method though. I think I've seen it featured on that Beto guys channel on Youtube. He does mostly LV but I saw him use it on a vintage Gucci. I agree I will be using thinner coats and trying to build better next time around.

 

[SloaneTailor]

WHEW. I’m exhausted. Think this will be my last rehab for a bit. Feel like they’ve been more stressful than relaxing for me lately

You did a beautiful job. Red is tough in my opinion. I have only experience with "burgundy." I feel red is hard like green to get just right. It IS exhausting! I feel you on that. But rehabs like yours give the rest of us hope so I'll press on. lol. Good job!

 

[Paris Girl]

I see now that Coach is trying to get customers to trade in pre-loved bags for credit and they will very responsibly see that it gets a new life. Isn’t that wonderful they are thinking about our environment!$$$$!!!

 

[shannastory]

Madison satchel all finished!

Before:


After:

 

[Paris Girl]

Madison satchel all finished!

Before:
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After:
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Gorgeous! Nice job!

 

[LadaZuri]

I see now that Coach is trying to get customers to trade in pre-loved bags for credit and they will very responsibly see that it gets a new life. Isn’t that wonderful they are thinking about our environment!$$$$!!!

I hope they are wise enough to get them authenticated by the BEST... right here!

 

[whateve]

I hope they are wise enough to get them authenticated by the BEST... right here!

I doubt they will. Thanks for the compliment!

 

[Morgan_Bellini]

Patricia’s Legacy saga continues. Below she is completely dry. Like bone dry. I tried painting her and I hated it. Did not look good at all. So I ordered some refresh for British tan and Mahogany. There is a chance the spots won’t take the BT and will come through so if that happens I’ll have to make her a different color all together. Anyway, she has been sanitized, dunked, wiped with everything under the sun and got a nice sun bath. I was feeling quite defeated TBH but we will see how a refresh turns out. That is most likely mold spots that have stained the bag. I feel bad for her really. Stayed tuned for part 3 or part 50 at this point…




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I'm so sorry your bag turned out this way. I have a BT ranch that looks exactly like this after dunking and I'm incredibly disappointed because the Ranch is very hard to find and I really like the style. I'm going to follow your journey with your bag, I hope you find a solution!

 

[tinytrees11]

I am new to rehab and need some help!

I recently purchased a 1996 made in the US backpack (style 9992). I didn't dunk it because I felt like the shape was still really good. However, the leather is so dry. The piping on the bag looks and feels almost a little powdery. So far, I removed the strap, wiped it down with a wet rag and then conditioned with Sterling Essentials conditioner (clear in colour, a good quality all-natural conditioner which is meant for saddles and tack so I don't think it will damage anything).

The leather darkened very slightly, but I don't have a problem with this as you can barely tell. I am just stuck on how much conditioner to apply, and how do I prevent it from looking uneven. I had also conditioned my 1996 made in Turkey city bag (style 9790), and I barely needed any conditioner because the leather was not thirsty. However, I applied 3 coats of conditioner to the strap on my backpack and it got absorbed almost immediately, without me having to wipe off any excess. Does this mean I need to apply some more?

I'm also worried about uneven colouring when conditioning. There are parts of the strap that are ever so slightly darker than other parts, where I applied more conditioner. My husband can't tell the difference, but I can. Should I keep applying more conditioner until the colour evens out, or will the uneven colour fade by itself over time?

I haven't moved on to the actual bag yet. I'm scared to ruin it as it wasn't cheap.

Pics of the patient in question:

 

[RadhaDB]

I am new to rehab and need some help!

I recently purchased a 1996 made in the US backpack (style 9992). I didn't dunk it because I felt like the shape was still really good. However, the leather is so dry. The piping on the bag looks and feels almost a little powdery. So far, I removed the strap, wiped it down with a wet rag and then conditioned with Sterling Essentials conditioner (clear in colour, a good quality all-natural conditioner which is meant for saddles and tack so I don't think it will damage anything).

The leather darkened very slightly, but I don't have a problem with this as you can barely tell. I am just stuck on how much conditioner to apply, and how do I prevent it from looking uneven. I had also conditioned my 1996 made in Turkey city bag (style 9790), and I barely needed any conditioner because the leather was not thirsty. However, I applied 3 coats of conditioner to the strap on my backpack and it got absorbed almost immediately, without me having to wipe off any excess. Does this mean I need to apply some more?

I'm also worried about uneven colouring when conditioning. There are parts of the strap that are ever so slightly darker than other parts, where I applied more conditioner. My husband can't tell the difference, but I can. Should I keep applying more conditioner until the colour evens out, or will the uneven colour fade by itself over time?

I haven't moved on to the actual bag yet. I'm scared to ruin it as it wasn't cheap.

Pics of the patient in question:

Hi and welcome! You bag is gorgeous and looks to be in very good condition.

I'm not familiar with the conditioner you are using. Many of us here use lotion like conditioner first and apply several layers, and then 'finish' with a thicker, waxy conditioner in a layer or two to seal in moisture. Forum favorites are Leather CPR for the lotion style, and then Blackrocks or Renapur for the waxy. Some conditioners are known for darkening leather; we try to stay away from those in general. Is your conditioner lotion like or more solid/waxy?

Dry bags do often require several applications. Dunking can also help very dry leather as it soaks in the water (and then you begin applying conditioner before the leather completely dries, locking in moisture). And, some areas often look darker when conditioned. This *usually* fades as the bag dries and can take several days. Straps are also tricky because they tend to be the dirtiest and oiliest part of the bag due to hand oils. I find straps tend to be a shade or two darker on many bags because of this and don't consider it an issue unless it's noticeable to non-bag people
People with more experience than I will chime in soon. You may want to take pictures of the strap for us to look at.

I would ask myself if the strap is getting tacky/sticky, or if each conditioner application is being fully absorbed. If you are using a lotion style conditioner and it's being fully absorbed and seems to be improving the leather, I would apply another coat or two. If it keeps darkening the strap I would stop and work on the bag and see if it is also thirsty and darkening with each application. In the end you want your bag and strap to mostly match and be equally hydrated, so work with an eye toward making that happen. Really gorgeous backpack!

 

[tinytrees11]

Hi and welcome! You bag is gorgeous and looks to be in very good condition.

I'm not familiar with the conditioner you are using. Many of us here use lotion like conditioner first and apply several layers, and then 'finish' with a thicker, waxy conditioner in a layer or two to seal in moisture. Forum favorites are Leather CPR for the lotion style, and then Blackrocks or Renapur for the waxy. Some conditioners are known for darkening leather; we try to stay away from those in general. Is your conditioner lotion like or more solid/waxy?

Dry bags do often require several applications. Dunking can also help very dry leather as it soaks in the water (and then you begin applying conditioner before the leather completely dries, locking in moisture). And, some areas often look darker when conditioned. This *usually* fades as the bag dries and can take several days. Straps are also tricky because they tend to be the dirtiest and oiliest part of the bag due to hand oils. I find straps tend to be a shade or two darker on many bags because of this and don't consider it an issue unless it's noticeable to non-bag people
People with more experience than I will chime in soon. You may want to take pictures of the strap for us to look at.

I would ask myself if the strap is getting tacky/sticky, or if each conditioner application is being fully absorbed. If you are using a lotion style conditioner and it's being fully absorbed and seems to be improving the leather, I would apply another coat or two. If it keeps darkening the strap I would stop and work on the bag and see if it is also thirsty and darkening with each application. In the end you want your bag and strap to mostly match and be equally hydrated, so work with an eye toward making that happen. Really gorgeous backpack!

Thank you!

My conditioner is definitely waxy.

I took some photos of the strap overlaid with the bag, so you can see how the conditioned strap looks like vs. non-conditioned bag. The edges of the strap are quite dark in particular, but the strap was like this when I bought it. I also conditioned the tag as well, and I took a photo of that too. I conditioned the strap last night, and again this morning (right before I took the photos), and I did notice that the leather lightened overnight. It is also a lot less stiff, and more supple and soft. I'm not finding that it is sticky.

 

[LaVinCoach]

You did a beautiful job. Red is tough in my opinion. I have only experience with "burgundy." I feel red is hard like green to get just right. It IS exhausting! I feel you on that. But rehabs like yours give the rest of us hope so I'll press on. lol. Good job!

Thank you so much for your kind, encouraging words It’s so rewarding when the rehab goes right but so painful to see it go wrong especially when you thought it would be an easy fix. I felt extra guilty since the bag was an anniversary gift and a little pricey but thankfully my mistake with this bag was fixable this time

 

[Cate103]

Hello! I’m working on some really tough corners. I remember a post where someone did a beautiful job, but can’t seem to find it! Any tips are greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone

 

[katev]

Thank you!

My conditioner is definitely waxy.

I took some photos of the strap overlaid with the bag, so you can see how the conditioned strap looks like vs. non-conditioned bag. The edges of the strap are quite dark in particular, but the strap was like this when I bought it. I also conditioned the tag as well, and I took a photo of that too. I conditioned the strap last night, and again this morning (right before I took the photos), and I did notice that the leather lightened overnight. It is also a lot less stiff, and more supple and soft. I'm not finding that it is sticky.

Lovely bag! It's possible that it will just take parts of the bag longer to absorb the conditioner and that what is making the color appear uneven. I've had that happen to me, especially with red bags.

It's also possible that different dye lots or different types of leather were used for parts of the bag. I once rehabbed a Buckskin Soho Leather Laced Flap 11879 that appeared to be all one color in the original catalog photos, but over time the strap and the hangtag took on a lighter color; now it almost looks colorblock, see the picture below. I don't actually mind the variation in color because it is consistent and not spotty.

 

[whateve]

Hello! I’m working on some really tough corners. I remember a post where someone did a beautiful job, but can’t seem to find it! Any tips are greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone

I would use leather cement to glue all the parts together, then fabric puff paint to achieve the correct shape and texture. The puff paint is usually a bit shiny so you might want to use a bit of regular acrylic craft paint mixed with conditioner over the top when you are done, just to tone down the shininess.