I ended up selling my Ranch bag even though it was the perfect size. There was a perfume smell I could never get rid of.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
- Thread starter greenpixie
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My Precreed Convertible Clutch has that problem.
I'm planning to start working on the bags I've acquired and I hope you can offer me some feedback on my plans. The thing is that the black ones don't really require much to be done to them. The same can't be said of the two green ones I have, one in jade and the other in leaf. But this also means that I've had a hard time finding any detailed examples of how others have tackled this process and what to watch out for in particular etc. So I've put together an initial game plan that covers the issues of both bags although they don't necessarily have all the same issues.
I would really appreciate any pointers if you have experience with bags in various brighter colors or if you perhaps know if someone has already covered their process and I simply wasn't able to uncover that here in the forum.
PS: I've added a photo of the Megan in jade that shows the type of wear to the color that I'm hoping to mask/even.
- The bag in leaf has some ballpoint pen marks on the outside and I figured as this is like top layer of grime I'd tackle this first before cleaning the whole bag. The marks are on the surface and not deep stains. I discovered this collab video with Coach and Debi The Restorer who uses cuticle remover to remove those types of ink stains.
Has anyone tried this out? Is this effective if the stain is not fresh? - General clean to get the grime off (was thinking of using Fiebing's saddle soap)
- Dunk and dry to reshape the bag. (The Megan in jade needs this especially)
- Deglaze & recolor:
I am under the impression that my only real option to restore their appearance is to repaint them? But due to their original finish I first need to remove whatever's on top of the original color and then paint/dye it for the best result. This is really where I have the most questions. I was thinking that I would use all Angelus products for these steps. First the deglaze, then mix the right shade and use the Angelus thinner if necessary to get a thinner and perhaps more transluscent coat. Ideally I would like the least invasive option that still masks the wear. Is there something better like a different type of dye/paint (other than Angelus) that you would recommend for bags in such colors? - Finish / condition: Depending on what I have used to paint/dye the bag, would I need to plan for a particular sealing finish after it, or would the conditioning/buffing fill that role and be the last step?
I would really appreciate any pointers if you have experience with bags in various brighter colors or if you perhaps know if someone has already covered their process and I simply wasn't able to uncover that here in the forum.
PS: I've added a photo of the Megan in jade that shows the type of wear to the color that I'm hoping to mask/even.
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Be very careful with anything to remove ink stains. In most cases, the removal makes the marks look worse. Here are some discussions about cuticle remover in this thread: https://forum.purseblog.com/search/3097311/?q=cuticle&t=post&c[thread]=833400&o=relevance
I don't see the point of the saddle soap step if you are going to dunk, and you should definitely dunk. Dunking almost always improves a bag.
I'd be very sad to see a rare bag like the Megan in jade get recolored. If you are just touching up color, you don't need to deglaze. Dunking will remove whatever would keep the paint/dye from soaking in.
I think with dunking and conditioning, most of those wear marks, like the whitish scratches will nearly disappear. The only mark that will likely remain is the dark spot over the snap. That happens to all bags with a snap.
Thank you! it's also definitely a relief knowing that I can perhaps bypass recoloring altogether. I definitely prefer to go the least invasive route possible.
Hello all! I've been lurking here for a while now and am always thankful for all the tips and tricks I've learnt here. I just had this fletcher bag kindly authenticated by BeenBurned and would like to seek some advice. As you can see in the photos, there are some creases in the flap and back of the bag. From old posts I saw some comments mentioning having good results dunking their fletcher bag so I was wondering if dunking would help with the creases. Mostly worried about potential warping as I heard the lightweights have cardboard in the base and straps for reinforcement.
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Hi, welcome to the forum. Hope you'll share your progress with this beautiful bag. Q. Are those creases natural markings or a result of storage/mishandling? Can't do much about natural markings-- I had this one bag, Chelsea Zip, and I dunked/reshaped and got the crease gone. As it dried it came back. Sometimes, we can't make these bags "perfect," but we can improve them!
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Thank you so much for the great example! I can clearly see what you mean in the before-during-after pics. I believe the creases in my bag are due to the previous owner's improper storage.. like the flap was folded up when stored hence the straight crease across. I figured if I can improve it I'll try, but I'm also plenty happy with it as is. My fear when rehabbing is that I overthink and end up doing more harm than good haha.
After dunking and the leather is soft and pliable, roll the leather between your fingers on the creased areas, changing angles a few times (and I've also done this on indentations). Do it for a few minutes. It really helps.
Dunked this morning and now sunbathing. I tried rolling the leather as you suggested in a few directions, hopefully it helps
After a day of drying.. here's the results. The crease is not completely gone but overall it looks much better now and the bag now has structure even without anything inside! Crease on the flap is only noticeable in certain angles/lighting, the rest of the creases on the body of the bag was too difficult to rub out but I'm ok with that. The irony of how stubborn creases and dents are.. but one dunk and the creed decides to fade away sheesh. lol.
The crease is not completely gone but overall it looks much better now and the bag now has structure even without anything inside! Crease on the flap is only noticeable in certain angles/lighting, the rest of the creases on the body of the bag was too difficult to rub out but I'm ok with that. The irony of how stubborn creases and dents are.. but one dunk and the creed decides to fade away sheesh. lol.
It looks great. Go ahead and do some more of that rolling between your fingers thing. I think it'll help and the leather CPR.After a day of drying.. here's the results.
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I bought a bag on Etsy that reeked of perfume. And it was undisclosed! 😡 I put it in a lidded plastic bin with several bowls of aquarium charcoal. It took over a month, but eventually the smell was gone. Of course, it may not have been as stinky as your bag.