Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

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#9,556
Hi all. I'm new to this thread and I must say, it's amazing what y'all have done with "old" bags.

I bought my first Bonnie Tote (2001 black) about a decade ago and fell in love with the style. Now, I have a red one in my possession, but it needs what may be a lot of TLC to look and feel like my black one. There are a lot dark spots, pen marks, wear on piping, and the edge sealant on various parts have thinned or worn away completely. Oddly enough, the leather is also seems thinner and saggier than the black one. Any suggestions?




 
#9,557
10schick said:
Hi all. I'm new to this thread and I must say, it's amazing what y'all have done with "old" bags.

I bought my first Bonnie Tote (2001 black) about a decade ago and fell in love with the style. Now, I have a red one in my possession, but it needs what may be a lot of TLC to look and feel like my black one. There are a lot dark spots, pen marks, wear on piping, and the edge sealant on various parts have thinned or worn away completely. Oddly enough, the leather is also seems thinner and saggier than the black one. Any suggestions?




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I would wash it. It should plump up from the bath, and then you can reshape it. Pen marks are permanent. I've had good luck fixing the edge sealant, by removing all the jagged stuff, then using leather cement to form a new edge. Then cover it with edge kote. You can mix a dab of acrylic paint with conditioner to refresh the color and cover the worn corners.
 
#9,558
whateve said:
I would wash it. It should plump up from the bath, and then you can reshape it. Pen marks are permanent. I've had good luck fixing the edge sealant, by removing all the jagged stuff, then using leather cement to form a new edge. Then cover it with edge kote. You can mix a dab of acrylic paint with conditioner to refresh the color and cover the worn corners.
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Thanks Whateve. Wash it with??? Dawn? Or, Leather Therapy Wash? Also, how do you reshape? Sorry for all the noob questions. lol
 
#9,559
10schick said:
Thanks Whateve. Wash it with??? Dawn? Or, Leather Therapy Wash? Also, how do you reshape? Sorry for all the noob questions. lol
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You can use either. I just use dishwashing liquid in warm water. It isn't even Dawn. Pull out the lining and wash. Let the bag soak. Rinse thoroughly. Pat dry and then lay it on a towel to dry. Pull the lining out to dry. Once the lining is close to dry, put it back in and put a towel in the bag to shape it. Don't overstuff, but try to get it in the shape you want. I've used books wrapped in towels, propped bags up against a wall, hung them, etc. You have to figure out how to get it to dry in the shape you want. You may have to reposition it several times. Don't forget to make sure the handles are also shaped how you want them.

When the leather is almost dry, you can start to condition. You can remove the stuffing when the bag holds it shape.
 
#9,560
whateve said:
You can use either. I just use dishwashing liquid in warm water. It isn't even Dawn. Pull out the lining and wash. Let the bag soak. Rinse thoroughly. Pat dry and then lay it on a towel to dry. Pull the lining out to dry. Once the lining is close to dry, put it back in and put a towel in the bag to shape it. Don't overstuff, but try to get it in the shape you want. I've used books wrapped in towels, propped bags up against a wall, hung them, etc. You have to figure out how to get it to dry in the shape you want. You may have to reposition it several times. Don't forget to make sure the handles are also shaped how you want them.

When the leather is almost dry, you can start to condition. You can remove the stuffing when the bag holds it shape.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much Whateve! What would I do without you! :D
 
#9,561
10schick said:
Hi all. I'm new to this thread and I must say, it's amazing what y'all have done with "old" bags.

I bought my first Bonnie Tote (2001 black) about a decade ago and fell in love with the style. Now, I have a red one in my possession, but it needs what may be a lot of TLC to look and feel like my black one. There are a lot dark spots, pen marks, wear on piping, and the edge sealant on various parts have thinned or worn away completely. Oddly enough, the leather is also seems thinner and saggier than the black one. Any suggestions?




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Unrelated, but that is already a beautiful bag 10schick!
 
#9,562
yellowjello said:
Unrelated, but that is already a beautiful bag 10schick!
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Thanks yellowjello. I agree. It is already a beautiful bag, but that just goes to show how beautiful it was and still can be. My black one is in as mint condition as I've seen anywhere and I would LOVE to see this one at least at that level. Heck... I'll even dunk the black one if this turns out to be better than it! :giggles:
 
#9,564
10schick said:
Thank you so much Whateve! What would I do without you! :D
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You're welcome! I'm sure you'd manage very well without me!
10schick said:
Has anyone used hairspray to get out pen marks from leather?
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I haven't and I don't think I would try it. I think the ingredient in hairspray that works on ink is alcohol, so you could use just plain alcohol, but I still wouldn't recommend it. In 99% of cases, the alcohol lightens the area around the ink but the ink stubbornly stays. Then it is even more noticeable because of the lightened area around it. Alcohol works wonderfully on ink stains on fabric.
 
#9,565
whateve said:
You're welcome! I'm sure you'd manage very well without me!

I haven't and I don't think I would try it. I think the ingredient in hairspray that works on ink is alcohol, so you could use just plain alcohol, but I still wouldn't recommend it. In 99% of cases, the alcohol lightens the area around the ink but the ink stubbornly stays. Then it is even more noticeable because of the lightened area around it. Alcohol works wonderfully on ink stains on fabric.
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Gotcha. Well, then I won't try it either though I'll continue to "think" :giggle: on it. Perhaps even stumble upon something already tried. :graucho: Thanks again.

I've bathed and soaked my red... gently in mildly warm water with plenty of 2x strength Dawn along with my other red leather items in need of a good bath. It's drying off outside on coated shelf stuffed with towels and books after a good rinse; however, it's trapezoid shape is giving me a bit of a hard time in the shaping area.

To shape the sides (vertically elongated trapezoid), I've placed cardboard cutouts of the sides' silhouettes in the bag between the 2 books meant to shape the front and back. This seems to be working out okay, but it could be better.

To shape the front and back (vertically elongated slight trapezoid), I've placed 2 books that fit the opening and placed towels at the bottom to push out the books; however, the bottom areas are still dipping/slouching because the bag is wider at the bottom. Do any of you have any special methods to shape bags that aren't square or rectangular?

Here's what she looks like currently. See how square she looks and slumped at the bottom? :(


One more thing... Why are the handles' sewn in part look red while the rest of the bag appears brown?
 
#9,566
10schick said:
Gotcha. Well, then I won't try it either though I'll continue to "think" :giggle: on it. Perhaps even stumble upon something already tried. :graucho: Thanks again.

I've bathed and soaked my red... gently in mildly warm water with plenty of 2x strength Dawn along with my other red leather items in need of a good bath. It's drying off outside on coated shelf stuffed with towels and books after a good rinse; however, it's trapezoid shape is giving me a bit of a hard time in the shaping area.

To shape the sides (vertically elongated trapezoid), I've placed cardboard cutouts of the sides' silhouettes in the bag between the 2 books meant to shape the front and back. This seems to be working out okay, but it could be better.

To shape the front and back (vertically elongated slight trapezoid), I've placed 2 books that fit the opening and placed towels at the bottom to push out the books; however, the bottom areas are still dipping/slouching because the bag is wider at the bottom. Do any of you have any special methods to shape bags that aren't square or rectangular?

Here's what she looks like currently. See how square she looks and slumped at the bottom? :(


One more thing... Why are the handles' sewn in part look red while the rest of the bag appears brown?
Click to expand...
Sometimes it helps to hang the bag or to balance it on something so it hangs upside down. Gravity is pulling it down.

I think the red part has already dried, which is why it is redder than the rest.
 
#9,568
So, I've been combing through this thread to figure out the best products to use when rehabbing and guess what? (drum roll) I'm confused. lol I had planned on purchasing Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner, but what's this stuff about Obenauf's and Blackrock? Also, which specific Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner, Obenauf's, and Blackrock do I buy? They seem to have several different products... even the LT Restorer and Conditioner. TIA for setting me straight. :D
 
#9,569
10schick said:
So, I've been combing through this thread to figure out the best products to use when rehabbing and guess what? (drum roll) I'm confused. lol I had planned on purchasing Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner, but what's this stuff about Obenauf's and Blackrock? Also, which specific Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner, Obenauf's, and Blackrock do I buy? They seem to have several different products... even the LT Restorer and Conditioner. TIA for setting me straight. :D
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I'm not sure there is more than one Blackrocks. It is Blackrock leather n' rich, like this: https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...X&ved=0CHsQuSRqFQoTCP-B86rWiccCFcWkiAod-fEKZA

For Obenauf's, I get Heavy Duty LP, like this one: https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...0...1ac.1.64.products-cc..1.6.374.kxsNocReyCA It's not the oil.

I don't use Leather Therapy. I tried it and it doesn't do anything special for me. I tried the sample and now I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHM3WY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
I usually use Leather CPR, which you can find at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but if you are lucky you might find it at Tuesday Morning or Marshalls a lot cheaper.

I also use Leather Honey and mink oil in certain situations, but if you are just starting out and have a basic rehab, I don't think you even need the Obenaufs. Just a moisturizer and Blackrocks would probably be enough.

If you've already washed your bag, you are going to want to get moisturizer on it very soon. You may not be able to wait until something gets delivered. You can wait for Blackrocks, but you'll need to start moisturizing it before it dries out completely.
 
#9,570
whateve said:
I'm not sure there is more than one Blackrocks. It is Blackrock leather n' rich, like this: https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...X&ved=0CHsQuSRqFQoTCP-B86rWiccCFcWkiAod-fEKZA

For Obenauf's, I get Heavy Duty LP, like this one: https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...0...1ac.1.64.products-cc..1.6.374.kxsNocReyCA It's not the oil.

I don't use Leather Therapy. I tried it and it doesn't do anything special for me. I tried the sample and now I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHM3WY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
I usually use Leather CPR, which you can find at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but if you are lucky you might find it at Tuesday Morning or Marshalls a lot cheaper.

I also use Leather Honey and mink oil in certain situations, but if you are just starting out and have a basic rehab, I don't think you even need the Obenaufs. Just a moisturizer and Blackrocks would probably be enough.

If you've already washed your bag, you are going to want to get moisturizer on it very soon. You may not be able to wait until something gets delivered. You can wait for Blackrocks, but you'll need to start moisturizing it before it dries out completely.
Click to expand...

I found Leather CPR at TJMaxx yesterday, but didn't buy it since I had it in my head to buy Leather Therapy. Guess who's going back to the Maxx today? :yahoo:

As for all my dunked red leather, they are in the drying process and I've been using the standard leather restore and conditioner wipes regularly. It's the kind you find at any grocery store so I don't really trust it to do enough. Can leather be overconditioned? :blushing: Anyway, I'll be heading out back out shortly for Leather CPR.

What's confusing me about all these products is that they all say they do the same thing. Do you use them in a specific order, time during drying process, and/or special situation as you mentioned above? The thought of ruining one of my babies is giving me a bit of anxiety! lol

Also, do I need to put on a preserver, finish(er), or waterproofing solution/treatment?
 
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