Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[GoStanford]

Have you tried a stiff brush to get the verdigris off? I use almost a nail brush during cleaning and have a mix of dawn water with cleaning vinegar that i use to clean crusty areas. I bought one bag that was the worst I've ever seen and used a salt dawn vinegar water solution to clean it

Thank you for the tip. I spent some time working on this after I saw your post. I used a thin bristle brush (like a really thin bottle brush) and made a dilute vinegar solution and worked on the leather for a while. It is improved now, will check in the sunlight tomorrow. I think the *yuk* factor is the worst part, as from what I have read, the verdigris is not inherently dangerous unless ingested in large amounts, and I'm certainly not planning on that!

I ended up having to rinse out the bag again to clean it of the vinegar thoroughly, so I'm basically starting over with the leather moisturizing tomorrow once it dries a bit.

 

[whateve]

Hello all,

a recent unplanned trip to the thrift store has sent me down the Coach rehab rabbit hole. I have a Willis bag (mine from the 90s) needing a dunk & LOTS of TLC, but I am going to start on something small and hopefully a little easier. I picked up this little gal yesterday. She's got water stains on the bottom and a LOT of dirt that needs to come off..It's hard to tell from the photos thought!

Like all new obsessions, I want to get started PRONTO and have gathered up all the supplies (brushes, Leather CPR, Renapur, Blackrock..) But I'm a little scared to dunk because I think there's some kind of paper stiffener sewn in under a band inside the top edge. Has anyone had experience with dunking this style or another where there is some kind of support sewn in?

Thanks all..
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If it is the style I think it is, there should be no trouble dunking it. Nearly all vintage bags can be dunked. However I think this is a Lightweights so the leather won't respond as beautifully to rehabbing as your Willis will. Don't do a lot of scrubbing. Lightweights have thinner leather so the dye isn't as saturated. Your bag looks like it doesn't have much fading so it should rehab nicely but you may not be able to do much about the stains other than get them to blend in with conditioning.

 

[VintageEnthusiast]

Up late rehabbing - the cat thinks everything related to this exercise is a potential toy....

 

[VintageEnthusiast]

If it is the style I think it is, there should be no trouble dunking it. Nearly all vintage bags can be dunked. However I think this is a Lightweights so the leather won't respond as beautifully to rehabbing as your Willis will. Don't do a lot of scrubbing. Lightweights have thinner leather so the dye isn't as saturated. Your bag looks like it doesn't have much fading so it should rehab nicely but you may not be able to do much about the stains other than get them to blend in with conditioning.

On this topic - what does one do with bags that have paper/cardboard stiffeners sewn in? Is dunking a problem here? I saw an online post of a Court rehab that went wrong - the reinforced bottom of the bag did not turn out well.

 

[VintageEnthusiast]

Usually my bags feel nice when they’re dry after these treatments but if they need something else I’ll switch to another product that is a heavier conditioner. Which one depends on each bag and it’s color. I always do lots of buffing with a horsehair brush too on the later treatments. But you probably already know that! It really helps the leather and gives it a nice finish.

Thanks. What other conditioners do you use if you don't mind sharing? After arriving here I got Apple conditioner, Chamberlains leather milk (no 1), Leather Therapy, Leather Honey, plus Black Rocks, Obenaufs and Renapur but my experience with all these products is limited. I don't really know which to use for what. I also have/have also tried Angeles mink oil compound on some black bags. Sorry, a lot of questions!

 

[kaokite]

If it is the style I think it is, there should be no trouble dunking it. Nearly all vintage bags can be dunked. However I think this is a Lightweights so the leather won't respond as beautifully to rehabbing as your Willis will. Don't do a lot of scrubbing. Lightweights have thinner leather so the dye isn't as saturated. Your bag looks like it doesn't have much fading so it should rehab nicely but you may not be able to do much about the stains other than get them to blend in with conditioning.

Thank you.. I haven't heard of Lightweights styles before, but it does seem thinner than some of my other bags. The serial puts this back in the 80s, before I was paying much attention to Coach, so it's not a surprise that I've got some learning to do.

This crescent style is completely new to me, but liked the color, and the price was cheap enough that if there are problems, I can chalk it up to a learning experience and won't be too upset.

 

[MrsFord04]

Up late rehabbing - the cat thinks everything related to this exercise is a potential toy....

Between my dogs and my sister’s dogs, I’ve lost 2 good horsehair brushes. They are apparently the BEST chew toys.

 

[pammbw]

Hi everyone,
I needed some advice in post dunking. I've dunked a few bags now and am not happy with the way the leather turns out post dunk! It feels stiff and unyielding. I have tried conditioning with leather CPR and BR leather 'n' rich even before the leather is dry but the bag still dries “stiff” and the softness of the leather is lost. I live in Los Angeles - could the water be a contributing problem? How many treatments of conditioner & Black Rocks are needed? Do I need other products as well?

I have hard water here and don’t feel like it’s been a factor in my rehabs. I dunk with Dr Bronners Castile soap, and start CPR right after the bag stops dripping water. I keep applying about every 8-12 hours until the bag is completely dry. Usually 4 or so coats. Then if the bag is still soaking it up, do 1-2 more, let dry 12 hrs or so then blackrocks. Adding vinegar to the rinse water is a good idea for hard water.

 

[pammbw]

There was an active, rehabbing member named, I think, @momtok (apparently no longer a member) who recommended folding and 'massaging' the bag when the leather CPR is applied. That would allow the conditioner to get more into the lower layers of the leather. (she had quite a good explanation with better language for why this works). I rehab a lot of bags and I've seen the same stiffness that you mention. The folding and 'massaging' makes a big difference. I will see if I can find the original posts. I saved all of her rehabbing instruction posts but they are on another computer.

Some members have mentioned using a hair dryer on a very low setting to warm the leather and increase the absorption of the cpr.

 

[VintageEnthusiast]

I have hard water here and don’t feel like it’s been a factor in my rehabs. I dunk with Dr Bronners Castile soap, and start CPR right after the bag stops dripping water. I keep applying about every 8-12 hours until the bag is completely dry. Usually 4 or so coats. Then if the bag is still soaking it up, do 1-2 more, let dry 12 hrs or so then blackrocks. Adding vinegar to the rinse water is a good idea for hard water.

Thanks. About how much vinegar?

 

[Michelle1x]

Hi ladies, I looked briefly but couldn't find any discussion on color fade... of course there are 2600+ pages on this forum..... so, I gave up!

I bought this briefcase at Goodwill for $25. To look at it from the front and back, it doesn't look too bad - but when you lay it flat you can see the front flap and top have faded to a lighter shade than the rest of the bag.
Any ideas on how to improve this? Also there are some strange spots that I think are just water spots? TIA

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Hi guys, I am rehabbing this briefcase now - has anyone actually tried to lightly sand the brass as Debbie says to do? I know, Debbie is not always right but I have used brasso and while it improved the brass, it isn't as bright as y'all seem to accomplish......

 

[houseof999]

Hi guys, I am rehabbing this briefcase now - has anyone actually tried to lightly sand the brass as Debbie says to do? I know, Debbie is not always right but I have used brasso and while it improved the brass, it isn't as bright as y'all seem to accomplish......

I find sanding unnecessary. I use Mothers automotive polish and it works great for me.

 

[Michelle1x]

I find sanding unnecessary. I use Mothers automotive polish and it works great for me.

Great thank you, and thanks for the link..... ordered

 

[houseof999]

Great thank you, and thanks for the link..... ordered

It will smell like it came from an auto mechanic store. I like to wash my hardware with dawn after I'm done polishing.

 

[kaokite]

Hi guys, I am rehabbing this briefcase now - has anyone actually tried to lightly sand the brass as Debbie says to do? I know, Debbie is not always right but I have used brasso and while it improved the brass, it isn't as bright as y'all seem to accomplish......

I think sanding may help if you have a lacquered Brass - it will take off the worn lacquer. Otherwise I wouldn't see a need and would be concerned I'd scratch the brass or the surrounding leather.

I just polished up brass connectors on a Dooney with my trusty Simichrome polish and they came out fantastic! (I have the SimiChrome forwhen I'm rehabbing pencil sharpeners - but I digress) my other favorite metal polish is Nevr-Dull, which is a fiber wadding (cotton?) that has been impregnated with polish. Both are readily available on Amazon.