Thanks again, I will try the cornstarch and heat first in case that it is grease and could improve, then I will dunk it.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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Thanks again, I will try the cornstarch and heat first in case that it is grease and could improve, then I will dunk it.
I'm calling "uncle" on my cat scratched duffle sac. I think it is now the best I can possibly do with it. I've been working on it periodically for the last few years. This bag was mess when I got it. It looked like this:
I can't even remember everything I have done to it. For really deep scratches where the surface of the leather was damaged, I tried several things. I used fine sandpaper and fine steel wool to get the surface flat again. (In a couple spots, I may have sanded a little too much as they have darkened a lot). I tried filling the holes with a couple different types of filler that I bought. One that said it dried clear did a great job filling the holes, but it dried white and left a residue all over the bag, which resulted in this:
I washed it again to get rid of the reside (and the filler). I tried just dabbing in the filler and then using steel wool to smooth it out, but I don't really think it did much. Ultimately, I conditioned again really well and am leaving it as-is. My step-mother expressed an interest in the bag, so I'm going to give it to her. Here is the final result. It definitely has some character, but it still has a lot of life left.
I can't even remember everything I have done to it. For really deep scratches where the surface of the leather was damaged, I tried several things. I used fine sandpaper and fine steel wool to get the surface flat again. (In a couple spots, I may have sanded a little too much as they have darkened a lot). I tried filling the holes with a couple different types of filler that I bought. One that said it dried clear did a great job filling the holes, but it dried white and left a residue all over the bag, which resulted in this:
I washed it again to get rid of the reside (and the filler). I tried just dabbing in the filler and then using steel wool to smooth it out, but I don't really think it did much. Ultimately, I conditioned again really well and am leaving it as-is. My step-mother expressed an interest in the bag, so I'm going to give it to her. Here is the final result. It definitely has some character, but it still has a lot of life left.
I LOVE A DUFFLE SAC! I know it's a bottomless pit. Carrying one makes me feel like I'm on vacation. The size and length fits me perfectly. It's very comfortable and lazy feeling!!
I dunked crispy last night for over an hour. The main leather is scrumptious. The piping however, is a hot mess. I've never seen so much dye in the wash AND rinse water. My hands were stained British tan, I think.
I'm ordering the sno seal.
I'm ordering the sno seal.
You want to start using conditioner while it is still wet. Be careful drying in the sun if it is hot where you live. You don't want the leather to dry too fast without conditioning. That leather appears to be in pretty good shape, so it is probably fine to use what you have. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Coach's leather conditioner. It is too thin (and I think the older stuff has silicone in it, which breaks down stitching. I think they recently reformulated, but I'm not sure.) I like Leather Therapy or Montana Pitch Blend Leather Oil. Many here use Leather CPR. I use Leather CPR if the bag isn't too dry.
If you are going to be doing a lot of rehabs (and especially if you are rehabbing old bags), I recommend getting a high quality conditioner and also getting Blackrocks to add as a finishing layer.
Is there a way to fix this kind of damage? It's not a stain and didn't come off in the bath. 
Is it like worn or the leather lost the color? I normally use Wood n Stuff Leather Refinish, it does what it says... it adds color back to worn out leather, etc...They sell small sample bottles and they have plenty of colors. I love it for those corners that are not worn out, but lost some of the color.
I'm also a total lover of the big duffle sacks, and the distressed british/camel tans are my total favorite Coach leather!
Wait for someone with more expertise to advise you, JMO is that if it evens out the color it would be less noticeableIt looks like the top layer peeled off.Would that work in this case?
What kind of bag is it you are working on? How old is it? Is this the bag you dunked from a few posts ago? It doesn't look like the same bag. The leather looks really, really dry. Have you thoroughly conditioned the leather? It almost looks like the outer layer of the leather has dried out to the point that it has started to crack and peel. If you recondition and brush, you may be able to blend it in so it isn't as noticeable. I always wait until I've fully reconditioned a bag before trying to fix any of those types of flaws as the reconditioning process will often take care of many issues. From the picture, that bag looks like it is in need of major conditioning.
Yes the same bag. I think it's called a Willis Murphy crossbody. Here are the before photos:
All the photos above are daytime photos. It's a dark taupe color
This is after one bath and one treatment of conditioner. Photos taken at night. Left is no flash. Right is with flash.
This is after one bath and one treatment of conditioner. Photos taken at night. Left is no flash. Right is with flash.