Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[Catbird9]

Move over Brasso and steel wool, I found something better: Flitz! Well, someone on tPF found it (I can't remember who, but thank you!) and I read about it. Wowee was I impressed! Less strain on the hands, less mess, no smell, a faster process, and better results, IMO. $7 at True Value Hardware.

Tried it on a brass-plated (?) Kelsi Dagger snap I'd gently rubbed with Brasso. Flitz shined it up considerably and removed some of the scratches.

Tried it on a Dooney post I'd already hit with steel wool/Brasso. Got such a mirror-shine that my phone camera couldn't focus well.

Moved to the good stuff and it shined an untouched Legacy zip buckle beautifully without leaving any tiny scratches.

I'm sold!

Awesome!

 

[HI5O]

Hello fellow Coach lovers! I recently purchased a new Patricia's Legacy bag and haven't taken it out yet. Do you recommend me pre-treating the bag with either Leather CPR and/or Blackrock first before carrying it? Thanks for any advice!

 

[catthecurious]

Move over Brasso and steel wool, I found something better: Flitz! Well, someone on tPF found it (I can't remember who, but thank you!) and I read about it. Wowee was I impressed! Less strain on the hands, less mess, no smell, a faster process, and better results, IMO. $7 at True Value Hardware.

Tried it on a brass-plated (?) Kelsi Dagger snap I'd gently rubbed with Brasso. Flitz shined it up considerably and removed some of the scratches.

Tried it on a Dooney post I'd already hit with steel wool/Brasso. Got such a mirror-shine that my phone camera couldn't focus well.

Moved to the good stuff and it shined an untouched Legacy zip buckle beautifully without leaving any tiny scratches.

I'm sold!

ETA: found the source: gilliana in the Louis Vuitton forum: http://forum.purseblog.com/showpost.php?p=1082141&postcount=5[/QUOTE]


Hey, thanks, Ravvie! Sounds almost too good to be true, but I guess I better believe it! So it works great, doesn't smell, and as I see in the picture it's also... green? Wow. My first question would be if it'd damage the metal in the long term, but I guess this is also answered. Great find!

 

[whateve]

Hello fellow Coach lovers! I recently purchased a new Patricia's Legacy bag and haven't taken it out yet. Do you recommend me pre-treating the bag with either Leather CPR and/or Blackrock first before carrying it? Thanks for any advice!

I have mixed feelings about this because sometimes conditioners make random spots show up. I usually treat my lighter colored bags to make them stain resistant so I think I would treat yours. I think Blackrocks would help more.

 

[Ravvie99]

Hey, thanks, Ravvie! Sounds almost too good to be true, but I guess I better believe it! So it works great, doesn't smell, and as I see in the picture it's also... green? Wow. My first question would be if it'd damage the metal in the long term, but I guess this is also answered. Great find!

I guess I'm volunteering to be the guinea pig to see how it does over time! I don't think it has any tarnish protection built in so I expect to repolish And yes it's mint green out of the bottle! Since it's non-toxic, I bet it may struggle on hardware with a lot of verdigris or lacquer/sealant. I'd just try Brasso first and then Flitz for those. We'll see how it goes but boy are my hands thanking me right now...

 

[HI5O]

I have mixed feelings about this because sometimes conditioners make random spots show up. I usually treat my lighter colored bags to make them stain resistant so I think I would treat yours. I think Blackrocks would help more.

Thanks whateve! I have Coach moisturizer, Lovin My Bags vachetta collection, Leather CPR and Blackrock, and I even have Scotchgard, a regular leather supply store I'm amassing! I'll lightly treat it with Blackrocks as advised. Thanks again!

 

[whateve]

I guess I'm volunteering to be the guinea pig to see how it does over time! I don't think it has any tarnish protection built in so I expect to repolish And yes it's mint green out of the bottle! Since it's non-toxic, I bet it may struggle on hardware with a lot of verdigris or lacquer/sealant. I'd just try Brasso first and then Flitz for those. We'll see how it goes but boy are my hands thanking me right now...

I wonder if it is similar to toothpaste? I've heard you can use toothpaste to polish metal. Also ketchup.

 

[catthecurious]

I guess I'm volunteering to be the guinea pig to see how it does over time! I don't think it has any tarnish protection built in so I expect to repolish And yes it's mint green out of the bottle! Since it's non-toxic, I bet it may struggle on hardware with a lot of verdigris or lacquer/sealant. I'd just try Brasso first and then Flitz for those. We'll see how it goes but boy are my hands thanking me right now...

Green I mean as environmentally friendly green I read this on the bottle so that's why I said my question about the damage is already answered - I assume, if it's environmentally friendly, it should also be leather friendly, right?

 

[catthecurious]

I wonder if it is similar to toothpaste? I've heard you can use toothpaste to polish metal. Also ketchup.

You sure can clean/polish metal with toothpaste (gel paste, although works, is way less effective). That's always been my everyday method for refreshing my silver jewelry. On really tarnished pieces it's not very effective though - it requires a lot of effort and time.

 

[Catbird9]

I like these Cape Cod pre-moistened polishing cloths for brass. You can use them over and over, and they seem to last a long time. No messy liquids to handle. "Vanilla" scented.

 

[Belicious]

Move over Brasso and steel wool, I found something better: Flitz! Well, someone on tPF found it (I can't remember who, but thank you!) and I read about it. Wowee was I impressed! Less strain on the hands, less mess, no smell, a faster process, and better results, IMO. $7 at True Value Hardware.

Tried it on a brass-plated (?) Kelsi Dagger snap I'd gently rubbed with Brasso. Flitz shined it up considerably and removed some of the scratches.

Tried it on a Dooney post I'd already hit with steel wool/Brasso. Got such a mirror-shine that my phone camera couldn't focus well.

Moved to the good stuff and it shined an untouched Legacy zip buckle beautifully without leaving any tiny scratches.

I'm sold!

ETA: found the source: gilliana in the Louis Vuitton forum: http://forum.purseblog.com/showpost.php?p=1082141&postcount=5

Wow! I need to get me some of that stuff! I really really hate brasso. Hate the smell, hate that it often enough doesn't do a very good job.. in fact it's the part about cleaning up vintage bags I despise. I have so many bags sitting around waiting for me to shine up the hardware and I just never do it. Maybe some of that stuff might get me working at it. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Almmac]

Hello. I am about to attemp my first major rehab on a white Coach Hampton satchel. This was my first Coach bag and it definitely shows signs of wear. The edge coat was cracking and starting to peel so I had the bright idea to peel off what I could and sand down the cracks... Then I read this forum and realized I should have just glued down the loose pieces and used Edge Kote on the cracks. Oops. So now I have a bag with large sections of missing edging and some scuffs and rub marks. I've bought Tarrago dye kits in Midnight and Navy and I have both Dura Edge and Edge Kote in brown. Fiebings clear Resolene is on the way. I also have a multitude of conditioners. (BlackRock, Obenaufs, Leather Rescue, Bicks5) My question is: Should I dye first or repair the edges first? Also, will the dye cover the brown edging? The whole purse is edged in brown. I've also ordered Feibings acrylic paint in navy just in case.
I didn't start this project half cocked. I initially took the bag to a leather repair shop and they told me they couldn't do anything about the edges (this was before I started peeling and sanding) and they could only dye the bag to remedy the rub marks and scuffs. I told them I would consider it and left a leather jacket with them to clean and condition. That was over a month ago and my jacket is still not ready. I've also sent the bag to Coach and they said nothing could be done due to the bag's age. They did send it back to me though. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point and it will be a good learning experience, if nothing else. Thanks for all information on here. I wish I had read the rehab forum long ago. I will try to post progress notes on the rehab process. I will post pics once I have the right to do so. I may just be doing this wrong as this is only my second post.
How do I post pics? I've tried copying and pasting but that doesn't seem to work.

 

[HI5O]

Walmart doesn't carry much of what we use. I consider Lexol to be a thinner conditioner, really only good for maintenance. I don't use it for a rehab except to mix with paint for touch-ups. Most of my conditioners I get online. I find Blackrocks to be essential. I believe you have to order that online. I get mine from ebay. I also use Leather CPR, which is usually available at Bed Bath and Beyond. If you are lucky, you can find it discounted at Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Some tack shops also carry it. I consider Apple to be similar to Lexol, not really for rehabs. Leather Therapy you would have to order online, most likely. I wouldn't use the Coach moisturizer.

I use different products for different situations but I always use Blackrocks. I use Leather CPR most of the time as my first conditioning treatment. For really dry bags, I'll use Leather Honey or mink oil. Some deep conditioning treatments make marks more obvious and sometimes bags look worse after than before, so I wouldn't use these unless the bag really needed it.

There is no consensus here on the forum. We all have our favorites but I think nearly everyone uses Blackrocks. Personally, I haven't had great results with Leather Therapy but others love it.

Just before and after pics of my first project. Thanks to all of you TPFers out there, an old dog can learn new tricks!

 

[Almmac]

👜💪🏻😊👍🏻

 

[Almmac]

Hello. I am about to attemp my first major rehab on a white Coach Hampton satchel. This was my first Coach bag and it definitely shows signs of wear. The edge coat was cracking and starting to peel so I had the bright idea to peel off what I could and sand down the cracks... Then I read this forum and realized I should have just glued down the loose pieces and used Edge Kote on the cracks. Oops. So now I have a bag with large sections of missing edging and some scuffs and rub marks. I've bought Tarrago dye kits in Midnight and Navy and I have both Dura Edge and Edge Kote in brown. Fiebings clear Resolene is on the way. I also have a multitude of conditioners. (BlackRock, Obenaufs, Leather Rescue, Bicks5) My question is: Should I dye first or repair the edges first? Also, will the dye cover the brown edging? The whole purse is edged in brown. I've also ordered Feibings acrylic paint in navy just in case.
I didn't start this project half cocked. I initially took the bag to a leather repair shop and they told me they couldn't do anything about the edges (this was before I started peeling and sanding) and they could only dye the bag to remedy the rub marks and scuffs. I told them I would consider it and left a leather jacket with them to clean and condition. That was over a month ago and my jacket is still not ready. I've also sent the bag to Coach and they said nothing could be done due to the bag's age. They did send it back to me though. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point and it will be a good learning experience, if nothing else. Thanks for all information on here. I wish I had read the rehab forum long ago. I will try to post progress notes on the rehab process. I will post pics once I have the right to do so. I may just be doing this wrong as this is only my second post.
How do I post pics? I've tried copying and pasting but that doesn't seem to work.

I found out how to post photos from my computer so here are a few of my damaged purse that I managed to upload.