How do you repair tarnishes/corroded buttons/feet/hardware that was a brushed silver color?
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
- Thread starter greenpixie
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I really like the idea of a shorter strap. wonder if that would work on my Demi. You did a beautiful job on this bag!So here's my latest acquisition: A 1997 black Pocket crossbody. (original photo was from seller's listing).
Very straightforward rehab: remove hardware, dunk in dawn, 10 coats of CPR, 2 coats of Blackrock, polish and replace hardware. And I have a fantastic crossbody, the perfect size for popping into a large tote bag when I travel.
I loved the size and look of it so much, I wished it had a top handle so that I could use it as a small purse for evening. Soooo, I did a little sleuthing, and found a 20"L x 1/2"W replacement strap from Mautto with exactly the same hardware, and a leather identical to the original strap, and voila! An evening bag. (Never mind the strap cost half as much as the bag!!)
Super thrilled with this crazy-versatile bag!
(Edit: Okay, so in my excitement, I forgot to remove my finger from the last photo, but you get the idea!)
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I have a, authenticated by tPH, 1993 “Willis” in Mahogany (I think). I have a few questions as follows:
1. It came without a hangtag. Was there ever a hangtag for that bag? What should I do about a replacement if there was a hangtag.
2. The piping edges around the bag are faded. Is there any way to recover that color since the leather is dyed through? Should I re-dye those corners. I’ve read lots of different thoughts on that. Whose ideas should I follow?
3. I see several different options for restoration, i.e., Blackrock, Obenauf, NPR, etc., but no Coach Leather Moisturizer, which I did buy.
If anyone would like to tackle my questions I would really appreciate the advice. I have noodled around on tPF but am still confused. I will continue looking for answers.
1. It came without a hangtag. Was there ever a hangtag for that bag? What should I do about a replacement if there was a hangtag.
2. The piping edges around the bag are faded. Is there any way to recover that color since the leather is dyed through? Should I re-dye those corners. I’ve read lots of different thoughts on that. Whose ideas should I follow?
3. I see several different options for restoration, i.e., Blackrock, Obenauf, NPR, etc., but no Coach Leather Moisturizer, which I did buy.
If anyone would like to tackle my questions I would really appreciate the advice. I have noodled around on tPF but am still confused. I will continue looking for answers.
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Yes, it came with a hangtag. Sometimes people sell them on ebay, or you can get another bag and have them share hangtags. Coach sells hangtags that they will customize for you. I don't think the edges are bad enough to require redyeing. A standard dunk and conditioning with CPR and Blackrocks should make it look nearly new. The steps for a dunk are detailed many times in this thread.
I just received this bag style, in red (very faded), 4025 shoulder pouch. However, it's missing this piece as shown in photo of a similar bag. It's the loop of leather which holds the strap in place beyond the buckle. How do I manufacture one of these, or can you buy it somewhere? Not sure how to make the color match, either. Or maybe find a piece of brass hardware to do the same function... What do you think of something like this? https://tandyleather.com/products/solid-brass-strap-loops?variant=31977379364995
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They might sell a similar piece at Tandy leather or on etsy. I bet you could find a brass replacement but I don't know how you would insert it. If you got leather, you could paint it to match.
Right as you were posting this, I was on the Tandy leather website. There's an open space on the back of the strap for this to be inserted. The hardware I linked above has an opening, with a pliers I could probably get it in and tighten it.
Thanks for helping!!
Thank you whateve. You made my day. First dunk of my life coming up. I’ve read all sorts of articles and looked at videos. Blackrock in my Amazon list now. Will order. I’m very excited to see how this process goes. Oh, there are some deep gouges on the back. I was thinking sanding as seen on a long time Coach rehabbed video.
I would be very careful at sanding. I can't imagine how that would help. Sanding destroys the surface of the leather. You'd be basically turning it into suede. Any conditioner you put on would soak in differently than on other parts and that part would turn darker than the rest. Want to guess how I know this? There is a technique for using conditioner and heat to "heal" deep scratches discussed somewhere in this thread; I think by @LunaSilver
Thank you for the advice.
I would agree with the iron/steaming technique before I would go to something as drastic as sanding. Do the dunk first, see how the leather responds then go from there. Post some pics so we can see the gouges.
As someone who has dunked a lot of vintage bags and a few non-vintage bags, I can honestly say I learned by doing after a bit a reading here and some videos on the internet. If you have the patience to do a search of my posts here, with some going back to 2017, I gave a brief description of my process and included the products. My favorite was Buckle Bag Tote from last summer! It’s worth a look. I also recommend a search of katev’s posts, she includes lots of helpful info. A member here made a great video on YT, will look for the link.
I like to encourage newbie’s to hold off on rehabbing a rare or special bag until you have a few dunks under your belt. I was lucky to start my rehab journey on a few black bags that were in good condition and a few 10 buck flea market specials that were purchased specifically to try the process on as test bags. They actually came out great and hooked me on rehabbing.
Happy rehabbing and I hope you have storage space for dozens of bags
This is your warning!
In a pinch, you could get creative with a pretty piece of grosgrain ribbon.Right as you were posting this, I was on the Tandy leather website. There's an open space on the back of the strap for this to be inserted. The hardware I linked above has an opening, with a pliers I could probably get it in and tighten it.
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