Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Bag peace]

Thank you so much for your reply!

Is the bag suede or is it nubuck?

It's suede.

Why do you want to dye the bag? If it is dirty and/or stained have you tried cleaning and restoring the original appearance?

It's pretty badly faded and bald in some spots. It had black markings that I've managed to get out but the colour looks really terrible. I'm hoping dyeing it darker will make it look presentable again. I really want to save it.
(sorry, I tried to attach pics but the forum isn't cooperating with me these days. I'll post some later if I'm able)

I've posted these links before so my apologies if you've already seen this but my Oat Fringe Suede Dinky was probably my most ambitious suede rehab project. It was a lot of work but I am happy with the results and I still enjoy carrying this bag.

Thank you so much for linking me to this and for detailing your process so thoroughly. What a wonderful job you did! It's a gorgeous Dinky. I'm familiar with the vintage ones but have never seen the Fringe version. It's just stunning! I hope you're getting lots of use out of it!

 

[katev]

Thank you so much for your reply!


It's suede.


It's pretty badly faded and bald in some spots. It had black markings that I've managed to get out but the colour looks really terrible. I'm hoping dyeing it darker will make it look presentable again. I really want to save it.
(sorry, I tried to attach pics but the forum isn't cooperating with me these days. I'll post some later if I'm able)


Thank you so much for linking me to this and for detailing your process so thoroughly. What a wonderful job you did! It's a gorgeous Dinky. I'm familiar with the vintage ones but have never seen the Fringe version. It's just stunning! I hope you're getting lots of use out of it!

Sometimes I have to resize photos to a smaller size in order to post them to TPF.

You might try taking the bag to a leather/shoe repair shop and ask for advice about dying. Is the inside also dirty or damaged? If it is then you should also ask about dying the inside, too.

 

[Bag peace]

Sometimes I have to resize photos to a smaller size in order to post them to TPF. You might try taking it to a leather/shoe repair shop and ask for advice about dying. Is the inside also dirty or damaged? If it is then you should also ask about dying the inside, too.

Thank you. The pics are small but they won't upload. I can't run searches either. I'll be contacting admin to see what's up if it doesn't resolve by itself.
The inside is actually in pretty decent shape. It's just the outside that looks battered. Great idea about getting some experts to look at it and advise. I usually just have a go myself and manage okay but I'm out of my depth when it comes to suede. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[bellebel03]

It's so hard to tell colors via the internet, and monitor differences. To me, the "black" looks blue on that inner flap. That's the best place to see true color, it hasn't been exposed to finger oils, the elements, the sun, and/or any products applied to the outside bag which may have changed its color, etc.

Your green bag is gorgeous! It doesn't need much in the way of rehab. Coach had a lot of color names. If you find the catalog image from Coach describing your item you may find the name of the color--it lists the colors offered. I had a marble bag it was "ivy." I have a sling bag. It's "bottle green."

ETA: I read that KiltyR45 looked it up for you and it's "forest green."

I don't think that darker area near the strap attachment is anything "wrong." I think it's just how that piece of leather aged. Of course, it's hard to tell without examining it in hand. Maybe it's a replacement piece of leather resewn in. Either way, I'm not sure that you need to "do" anything about it unless it bothers you.

Thanks a lot for your help, I appreciate it )
Tommorow I’ll condition this bag, I’m really excited ☺️

 

[Belicious]

I need to touch up the edges of a british tan bag. Does anyone have experience with this Angelus:

Amazon.com

or Edge Kote or something that is a perfect match for Coach NYC era BT? I don't feel like messing about trying to mix up the right color of acrylic, though I have done it in the past. I feel it would be handy to have something like this on hand pre mixed.

Also want to provide an update on my mildew smelling kisslock bag I posted back a couple of weeks ago: I got one of those boxes of baking soda that has the special air vents, designed not to make a mess and so on as I came accross it at Dollar Tree and I figured for $1.25 it was worth a shot. Within a couple of days it is totally stink free! The tried and true, simple solution saved the day! The bag does have some mold dimpling/freckles but you can barely see them thanks to the dark color. Yay! So she is saved and maybe one day I will actually use it.

 

[katev]

Here are the Before pictures of my latest rehab project. I've always loved the 65th Anniversary Legacy Bags and the Bridgit Bag (11622, 2007) is one of my favorite Legacy styles. I already have this bag in both Black/Brass and Rose/Brass, but when I had a chance to get it in Camel/Brass from Shopgoodwill for $51, I couldn't resist; and thank you to @BeenBurned for authenticating this lovely bag!

Here are the before pictures from the auction site:

 

[katev]

Here are the After pictures of my Camel/Brass 65th Anniversary Legacy Bridgit. The bag looked to be intact and in good shape in the auction pictures, just a little dry and grubby.

I've had good luck rehabbing other 65th Anniversary Legacy bags but they were mostly darker colors, like blacks and browns, but light colors can be tricky; so I hoped that it would just need to be "lightly refreshed", but I was wrong!

When I received the bag it was actually more dirty, spotted, and worn than I had anticipted. First, I tried wiping it down with leather cleaner and then applying Leather CPR. It looked better, but it still looked dirty and and the lining was also dirty. So, I decided to go for the full rehab treatment.

I gave the bag a bath in Dawn and Water and scrubbled the worst areas and I also scrubbed the lining. Next, I rinsed the bag in clean water, stuffed it with towels and let it dry. Then I applied Leather CPR followed by Black Rocks, and I buffed the outside of the bag with a soft horsehair brush. The hardware is antique brass so I didn't try to polish it. The bag survived the bath very well and I am much happier with the results after dunking it.

Here are the After pictures of my Camel/Brass 65th Anniversary Legacy Bridgit 11622.

Also below are screenshots of the Coach listings for this bag as found on the Wayback Machine, it retailed for $398 in 2008:

 

[whateve]

Thank you so much for your reply!


It's suede.


It's pretty badly faded and bald in some spots. It had black markings that I've managed to get out but the colour looks really terrible. I'm hoping dyeing it darker will make it look presentable again. I really want to save it.
(sorry, I tried to attach pics but the forum isn't cooperating with me these days. I'll post some later if I'm able)


Thank you so much for linking me to this and for detailing your process so thoroughly. What a wonderful job you did! It's a gorgeous Dinky. I'm familiar with the vintage ones but have never seen the Fringe version. It's just stunning! I hope you're getting lots of use out of it!

Fiebings suede dye is terrible. I don't know how they can continue to sell it. I tried it twice and as soon as I brushed it, all of it came off. It didn't matter how long I waited before brushing.

What I ended up doing is using RIT liquid fabric dye. I painted it on. It is tricky getting it on evenly. It won't help with the bald spots. I would recommend lightly sanding those areas to try to raise some nap.

 

[houseof999]

Here are the After pictures of my Camel/Brass 65th Anniversary Legacy Bridgit. The bag looked to be intact and in good shape in the auction pictures, just a little dry and grubby.

I've had good luck rehabbing other 65th Anniversary Legacy bags but they were mostly darker colors, like blacks and browns, but light colors can be tricky; so I hoped that it would just need to be "lightly refreshed", nut I was wrong!

When I received the bag it was actually more dirty, spotted, and worn than I had anticipted. First, I tried wiping it down with leather cleaner and then applying Leather CPR. It looked better, but it still looked dirty and and the lining was also dirty. So, I decided to go for the full rehab treatment.

I gave the bag a bath in Dawn and Water and scrubbled the worst areas and I also scrubbed the lining. Next, I rinsed the bag in cleaned water, stuffed it with towels and let it dry. Then I applied Leather CPR followed by Black Rocks, and I buffed the outside of the bag with a soft brush. The hardware is antique brass so I didn't try to polish it. The bag survived the bath very well and I am much happier with the results after dunking it.

Here are the After pictures of my Camel/Brass 65th Anniversary Legacy Bridgit 11622.

Also below are screenshots of the Coach listings for this bag as found on the Wayback Machine, it retailed for $398 in 2008:

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Amazing transformation! OMG I see another bag I didn't know that existed! My eyes are fixed on that Emma kisslock bag! 😍

 

[whateve]

I need to touch up the edges of a british tan bag. Does anyone have experience with this Angelus:

Amazon.com

or Edge Kote or something that is a perfect match for Coach NYC era BT? I don't feel like messing about trying to mix up the right color of acrylic, though I have done it in the past. I feel it would be handy to have something like this on hand pre mixed.

Also want to provide an update on my mildew smelling kisslock bag I posted back a couple of weeks ago: I got one of those boxes of baking soda that has the special air vents, designed not to make a mess and so on as I came accross it at Dollar Tree and I figured for $1.25 it was worth a shot. Within a couple of days it is totally stink free! The tried and true, simple solution saved the day! The bag does have some mold dimpling/freckles but you can barely see them thanks to the dark color. Yay! So she is saved and maybe one day I will actually use it.

At one time I used Leather Color Doctor in light brown. It isn't available on Amazon anymore. It's thin. I really liked it. It's not the same as Leather Colour Doctor, a British company.

Another thing you could try is Wood n Stuff leather refinisher. I think some of the colors are designed for vintage Coach. It is acrylic so you want to use it sparingly. If you put it on too thick, it will feel plasticky.

 

[Aurora-B]

@bellebel03 - I am working on some of my older bags and noticed that the piping on the court bag has a much different texture and color affinity than the main body leather. Maybe your bag is similar? The experts here have been kind enough to provide input and assistance. I really appreciate hearing their thoughts so that I can learn better techniques to restore my bags. I'm surprised what a little leather cpr can do to restore moisture and color. Your bags are really cool! I am anxious to see what they become with a little TLC.

 

[mochicake]

If a bag has "mold measles" but no surface mold is the mold all dead or one would still have to work into the leather/lining to get the spots out? I'm so afraid it will infect my other bags or aggravate my allergies The bag is a vintage Prairie from mid-90s in Bone. The seller was super misleading about the condition (painted over scuffs/wear) and probably altered the picture as the mold spots on close-ups didn't even show. Unfortunately there's no refund. There is also pitting in the leather on the back of the bag where the black dots are faded but plentiful (almost like a pattern) so the mold before this seller had it had already been eating through the bag.

So far I've done a dunk in Dawn dish soap then vinegar while scrubbing with a toothbrush. It's still in the process of drying 24hrs+. So are these spots mold or is it just the lining trying to dry out? I went back in with alcohol on q-tips to these dots on the lining but when it dries it comes back. There is absolutely no smell, even when it was received in the mail.

Additionally how would one store this bag? Separately from all other bags ofc but would it be ok in the house in a storage box? Should I throw it away? Any advice is appreciated, thank you.

 

[Bag peace]

Fiebings suede dye is terrible. I don't know how they can continue to sell it. I tried it twice and as soon as I brushed it, all of it came off. It didn't matter how long I waited before brushing.

What I ended up doing is using RIT liquid fabric dye. I painted it on. It is tricky getting it on evenly. It won't help with the bald spots. I would recommend lightly sanding those areas to try to raise some nap.

It's not just me, then! It fell off like a powder. I was so confused and was wondering where I went wrong. I have painted and dyed smooth and pebbled leather before, but never suede, so this was a completely foreign experience. I'll try Angelus suede dye or RIT next (depending on which I can get locally), and if that doesn't stick, I'll try to find a local repair shop to fix it up. I'll lightly sand the bald spots, thanks for that awesome tip.

 

[bellebel03]

@bellebel03 - I am working on some of my older bags and noticed that the piping on the court bag has a much different texture and color affinity than the main body leather. Maybe your bag is similar? The experts here have been kind enough to provide input and assistance. I really appreciate hearing their thoughts so that I can learn better techniques to restore my bags. I'm surprised what a little leather cpr can do to restore moisture and color. Your bags are really cool! I am anxious to see what they become with a little TLC.

Yess I have 4 bags to restore and I’m really excited, I’ll do the green one today and post some before and after. I will also pay attention to how the leather feels!
Thank you 🤗😍

 

[whateve]

If a bag has "mold measles" but no surface mold is the mold all dead or one would still have to work into the leather/lining to get the spots out? I'm so afraid it will infect my other bags or aggravate my allergies The bag is a vintage Prairie from mid-90s in Bone. The seller was super misleading about the condition (painted over scuffs/wear) and probably altered the picture as the mold spots on close-ups didn't even show. Unfortunately there's no refund. There is also pitting in the leather on the back of the bag where the black dots are faded but plentiful (almost like a pattern) so the mold before this seller had it had already been eating through the bag.

So far I've done a dunk in Dawn dish soap then vinegar while scrubbing with a toothbrush. It's still in the process of drying 24hrs+. So are these spots mold or is it just the lining trying to dry out? I went back in with alcohol on q-tips to these dots on the lining but when it dries it comes back. There is absolutely no smell, even when it was received in the mail.

Additionally how would one store this bag? Separately from all other bags ofc but would it be ok in the house in a storage box? Should I throw it away? Any advice is appreciated, thank you.

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The mold spots are permanent, even if you've killed the mold. It's likely the mold was already dead when you got it. If not, the vinegar would have finished it off. I don't see any problem storing it with your other bags, now that the mold is dead.