Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Hoku44]

I recently finished a Stewardess (K9C - 9525) for a friend, and having been a flight attendant for 27 years, I really enjoyed working on this bag!

BEFORE:
View attachment 5177650 View attachment 5177651 View attachment 5177652

This is the bag that had the tiny divots on the front flap!
View attachment 5177655

AFTER:
View attachment 5177661 View attachment 5177663 View attachment 5177664

The strap was washed, conditioned and straightened under weights and is now at my local cobbler having this slipped stitch repaired:
View attachment 5177676

And after the hot teaspoon and Leather CPR technique suggested by @LunaSilver the divots were much improved!
View attachment 5177659

Another hot spoon treatment and they disappeared altogether!
View attachment 5177715


Thanks for looking!

That looks beautiful!! Love it!

 

[Hoku44]

Hello,

I’ve been quiet of late, work stress stuff, but here’s my latest rehab, a 1989/1990 Classic Satchel in British Tan.

I forgot to take a before photo, this one is the Seller’s image.

This bag had a quick dunk, 2 coats of CPR and a top coat of Renapur.

No hangtag but I do have the original from that ink-ruined Station bag that I might pop on if she doesn’t sell.

Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and inspirational rehabs.

Take care

Zoe x

Another bag saved! Looks great! How dry was the leather before you put on the first coat of CPR?

 

[madyvtg]

Before discovering Leather CPR I used Apple Conditioner for most of my bags and it is a good product. I prefer Leather CPR but Apple and Black Rocks are probably be a fine combination.

Just ordered the Leather CPR. I will use it instead of the Apple since is highly recommended

 

[Happy_bag_lady!]

A very helpful trick I've learned here (I believe from @whateve ) is to carefully use a hairdryer on the creed immediately after a dunk so that it dries quickly. The longer the leather remains wet, the more time the creed embossing has to swell causing it to become more faint. Watch that the heat is on the medium setting only, or if only hot is available, keep it at a distance from the leather so as not to damage it.

That's an amazing tip, thanks. I have found drying taking ages. Looking forward to Summer when the process should speed up a bit. I am guessing that the bags shouldn't be placed in direct sun unless a coat of CPR has been applied to prevent cracking?

Thanks again.

 

[LunaSilver]

I don't understand how the hot spoon trick works. This is driving me nuts. How? Will it also fix scratches where the leather flaps over the scratch? My rust Stewardess has a deeply angled scratch that might be fixed this way.

I have no idea how it works either, MB! Does the CPR act as a glue? Possibly. I just know that it is magical.

I would definitely try it on your rust Stewardess! It won't do it any harm, and may just be the answer! Be sure to take clear before photos and let us know the outcome!!!

Hi. Thought I'd chime in...I tried it on my red NY saddlery. The little holes did diminish somewhat, but it did darken the leather around them. I'm hoping with a bit of time, and a lot of buffing they will go away. I imagine that any leather darkening would go unnoticed on a black bag. Just proceed with caution.

First of all , very sorry @Birdie13 for it darkening the leather of your red saddlery, I should think about it and pointed out at here. it works similar to leather burnishing, to condense the fibres and press them down, so it sort of attache to & blend in with surrounding leather, it works if just bits of leather lifted, won’t work if Leather is missing ( will require leather filler)/ or large area of leather lifted ( will require glue).

 

[LunaSilver]

Good morning, rehabbers. I'm here looking for some advice. I recently purchased a beautiful duffle sac, with the Coach imprint (pre-creed) with some issues on the strap. I used two coats of Chamberlain's Healing Balm and, while it greatly restored the bag itself and softened the strap, there are still many cracks in the leather along the edges of the strap. I can only think of two choices: carry the bag as is or take it to my (truly expert) cobbler and ask about replacing the edge leather. I have multiple concerns: I wonder if carrying the bag with the strap as is will result in more damage to the strap. I also wonder about what's involved in replacing the leather strips--if the current edges are removed I'm assuming there will be damage to the leather center piece of the strap. If leather edges are put over the existing leather, will the strap then be too thick to fit the buckles correctly? (thick width-wise or even just thickness of the strap) Any ideas or experience would be greatly appreciated. Photos attached.

View attachment 5177581View attachment 5177582

ETA: I was aware of the strap issues when I purchased it.

I haven't tackled this issue myself, but would probably look into replacing the piping if I had an expert cobbler to work with. If he/she could use the existing holes to stitch on the new piping it might help preserve the integrity of the leather. I recall @LunaSilver stitching the piping back on the flap of the Casey she was working on. She might have some sage suggestions for you.

It appears to me the pipping need to be replaced, most pro cobbler should have proper leather and a good machine stitcher, it is a simple job for them, and won’t weaken the leather, at least not enough to make any difference. For the length of strap, hand stitching is a bit work and not necessary. I hand stitched the Casey back using the existing holes, because only partial stitching were removed, I was using the same pipping leather, it was easier since all the holes already lined up.

 

[LunaSilver]

That is really beautiful! How nice of you to do that for your friend. I have a lot of admiration for flight attendants and the entire flight crew. As a nervous flyer, I'm always reassured when I see the calm and collected crew around me.

Do you know Gimli Glider? She was a crew member of that flight! Talking about people with stories!

Gimli Glider - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Birdie13]

First of all , very sorry @Birdie13 for it darkening the leather of your red saddlery, I should think about it and pointed out at here. it works similar to leather burnishing, to condense the fibres and press them down, so it sort of attache to & blend in with surrounding leather, it works if just bits of leather lifted, won’t work if Leather is missing ( will require leather filler)/ or large area of leather lifted ( will require glue).

Oh,don’t worry. I think it is fading a bit. I think it was the CPR not being totally absorbed as well. It’s a pretty old bag and it’s managed to survive this long in pretty great shape. I find if I stress about every little mark, I can’t enjoy carrying the bag. It’s just a bit more “patina”. Keep the tips coming!

 

[LunaSilver]

Oh,don’t worry. I think it is fading a bit. I think it was the CPR not being totally absorbed as well. It’s a pretty old bag and it’s managed to survive this long in pretty great shape. I find if I stress about every little mark, I can’t enjoy carrying the bag. It’s just a bit more “patina”. Keep the tips coming!

Thank you for the reply, now I feel a little better.

 

[LadaZuri]

Thank you LadaZuri! What temp on the hairdryer? I will get the Leather CPR. I'm planning on bathing her tomorrow and post a pic.

I am comfortable with medium heat, but even then I am careful not to come in too close, or concentrate on the same spot for too long.

That's an amazing tip, thanks. I have found drying taking ages. Looking forward to Summer when the process should speed up a bit. I am guessing that the bags shouldn't be placed in direct sun unless a coat of CPR has been applied to prevent cracking?

Thanks again.

A lot of rehabbers feel there is a benefit to putting their conditioned drying bags in the sun. I worry about the uv rays possibly altering the colour and dry mine in the shade.

 

[GoStanford]

Do you know Gimli Glider? She was a crew member of that flight! Talking about people with stories!

Gimli Glider - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oh WOW! I just read a portion of the Wikipedia entry and I can already feel palpitations. What a remarkable story about calm, courage, and resourceful thinking in the face of adversity! I can’t imagine what was going through passengers’ minds and how the crew worked to keep the situation as calm as possible.

 

[Dragonflyzoe]

Another bag saved! Looks great! How dry was the leather before you put on the first coat of CPR?

Thank you!
She was really dry, so the 1st coat went on while still wet from the dunk. She took about 4 days to dry (indoors, ambient heat only), but it seemed to help.

 

[Dragonflyzoe]

I recently finished a Stewardess (K9C - 9525) for a friend, and having been a flight attendant for 27 years, I really enjoyed working on this bag!

BEFORE:
View attachment 5177650 View attachment 5177651 View attachment 5177652

This is the bag that had the tiny divots on the front flap!
View attachment 5177655

AFTER:
View attachment 5177661 View attachment 5177663 View attachment 5177664

The strap was washed, conditioned and straightened under weights and is now at my local cobbler having this slipped stitch repaired:
View attachment 5177676

And after the hot teaspoon and Leather CPR technique suggested by @LunaSilver the divots were much improved!
View attachment 5177659

Another hot spoon treatment and they disappeared altogether!
View attachment 5177715


Thanks for looking!

Stunning! She’s gorgeous x

 

[Dragonflyzoe]

A very helpful trick I've learned here (I believe from @whateve ) is to carefully use a hairdryer on the creed immediately after a dunk so that it dries quickly. The longer the leather remains wet, the more time the creed embossing has to swell causing it to become more faint. Watch that the heat is on the medium setting only, or if only hot is available, keep it at a distance from the leather so as not to damage it.

I didn’t know that…very useful advice, thank you x

 

[Roro]

I haven't tackled this issue myself, but would probably look into replacing the piping if I had an expert cobbler to work with. If he/she could use the existing holes to stitch on the new piping it might help preserve the integrity of the leather. I recall @LunaSilver stitching the piping back on the flap of the Casey she was working on. She might have some sage suggestions for you.

If it were my bag, I would have concerns about further deterioration with use, as it is. Would like to hear other opinions!

It appears to me the pipping need to be replaced, most pro cobbler should have proper leather and a good machine stitcher, it is a simple job for them, and won’t weaken the leather, at least not enough to make any difference. For the length of strap, hand stitching is a bit work and not necessary. I hand stitched the Casey back using the existing holes, because only partial stitching were removed, I was using the same pipping leather, it was easier since all the holes already lined up.

Thank you for the replies. The more I look at this strap the more clearly I know I will be heading to the cobbler this week to inquire about replacing the piping. He's resewn strap piping for me, fashioned a zipper pull and done many, many projects on family members' shoes and bags. Anyone in SE PA, let me know and I'm happy to pass on the contact info. He's in Roslyn, PA in Montgomery County.