Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

[mrk2014]

Nice! How did you cut the strips straight?

I used tailor's chalk to draw lines with a ruler, (you can use a sliver of a regular bar of soap. Then using a sharp blade tool and guide by the ruler make the cuts. It's not hard, the more patience you have the better

 

[Catbird9]

I used tailor's chalk to draw lines with a ruler, (you can use a sliver of a regular bar of soap. Then using a sharp blade tool and guide by the ruler make the cuts. It's not hard, the more patience you have the better

Great tip about using the bar of soap to draw the lines!

 

[mrk2014]

Great tip about using the bar of soap to draw the lines!

When in a pinch do things "MacGyver style" LOL

 

[mrk2014]

Good luck, let us know how it comes out!

Sorry to update with bad news. I bought the Oxi Clean Gel, applied it to the whole strap, let it sit for several minutes and then to the wash machine. It made no difference whatsoever. I think I might try on the bigger mark (the one where the shoulder piece was), some diluted peroxide or bleach, perhaps the paste with the baking soda. I really do not want to do anything to scrub, because the strap is looking worse, not only dirty but worn. I love this purse, it was my everyday one last summer, perfect because I like to have both hands free, not heavy at all for the shoulder, and not to worry too much if I am going to ruin a pricey bag, LOL

I will give more updates as I go. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[Ravvie99]

Posting this Avenue bag here since it has a suspicious shine and the spring lock looks like it's been pushed in too far and might need work. Price is right for a project, though.
Not officially authenticated and not my auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/14237400368...e11010.m3747.l3160%26rvr_id%3D0&ul_noapp=true

 

[runcocorun3]

I need a little bit of advice on rehabbing this city bag spectator. I really like the color combination but I might have over-reached here for my rehab skills lol. There are a lot of pen marks under the flap-- which don't necessarily bother me, but I worry about any bleeding when I dunk. Should I treat them prior to dunking? There is also quite a bit of general wear throughout both the camel and ivory parts of the bag. I've added a bit of acrylic paint to the conditioner to cover up color loss on navy and black bags in the past but am not sure if this also works with very light colored leather? Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Catbird9]

I need a little bit of advice on rehabbing this city bag spectator. I really like the color combination but I might have over-reached here for my rehab skills lol. There are a lot of pen marks under the flap-- which don't necessarily bother me, but I worry about any bleeding when I dunk. Should I treat them prior to dunking? There is also quite a bit of general wear throughout both the camel and ivory parts of the bag. I've added a bit of acrylic paint to the conditioner to cover up color loss on navy and black bags in the past but am not sure if this also works with very light colored leather? Any advice would be appreciated View attachment 3691357 View attachment 3691358 View attachment 3691356 View attachment 3691359 View attachment 3691360

I love that color combination too!

In my experience, faint ink strikes like the ones on the underside of the flap don't bleed in a water and Dawn bath. Bigger ink stains (round, with lots of ink) are more likely to bleed.

What is that small red spot on the bottom edge next to the piping? Does it show on the inside? Do you think it's ink? I'd be a little concerned about that one.

Is that some kind of sticky substance (gum?) on the suede, near the end of the zipper? That should probably be worked on before dunking.

The superficial marks on the tan leather will probably improve a lot with bath and conditioner. I'd go ahead and dunk and see what needs work after the bath.

For the color loss on the ivory piping, you'll probably need to cover with paint + conditioner.

 

[mrk2014]

I need a little bit of advice on rehabbing this city bag spectator. I really like the color combination but I might have over-reached here for my rehab skills lol. There are a lot of pen marks under the flap-- which don't necessarily bother me, but I worry about any bleeding when I dunk. Should I treat them prior to dunking? There is also quite a bit of general wear throughout both the camel and ivory parts of the bag. I've added a bit of acrylic paint to the conditioner to cover up color loss on navy and black bags in the past but am not sure if this also works with very light colored leather? Any advice would be appreciated View attachment 3691357 View attachment 3691358 View attachment 3691356 View attachment 3691359 View attachment 3691360

I agree with Catbird9 that pen marks do not bleed when the bags are dunked. Totally scary to me are the round (big and small) ink marks, even on liners of newer bags, I had a very small ink mark the size of a lentil, that when I tried to clean it started to bleed and bleed all over the liner, it turned out to be a huge mess! With patience I was able to clean it all, but on suede or leather... um not! Afraid for life, LOL
Paint and conditioner will work for the edges. I also have used with great results Wood-N-Stuff Leather Refinish Color Restorer. Good luck! It's a great color bag to restore.

 

[whateve]

I need a little bit of advice on rehabbing this city bag spectator. I really like the color combination but I might have over-reached here for my rehab skills lol. There are a lot of pen marks under the flap-- which don't necessarily bother me, but I worry about any bleeding when I dunk. Should I treat them prior to dunking? There is also quite a bit of general wear throughout both the camel and ivory parts of the bag. I've added a bit of acrylic paint to the conditioner to cover up color loss on navy and black bags in the past but am not sure if this also works with very light colored leather? Any advice would be appreciated View attachment 3691357 View attachment 3691358 View attachment 3691356 View attachment 3691359 View attachment 3691360

I agree with the advice you have already gotten. Make sure not to scrub too much, especially on the ivory trim. At least some of what looks like stains is just that the color has worn off. I've rehabbed one of these, and it was difficult. Very difficult for me to paint the trim without touching the leather. Check out the acrylic paint color called linen. That might be a close match. Mine is the FolkArt brand.

 

[Lake Effect]

When in a pinch do things "MacGyver style" LOL

mrk, that made me chuckle. On a regular basis, I will hear my niece, nephew and brother-in-law, who all watched the show back in day, use " MacGyver it" as a verb.

 

[klb4556]

I have tried going through this whole thread with different searches but I can't find out enough of what I need to know about soaking?

What is the standard process? in the bath or sink, in what temp water? with what detergent? for how long and then what to do after?

Also, will this work for getting dirtiness out of the inside of an unlined vintage bag?

 

[whateve]

I have tried going through this whole thread with different searches but I can't find out enough of what I need to know about soaking?

What is the standard process? in the bath or sink, in what temp water? with what detergent? for how long and then what to do after?

Also, will this work for getting dirtiness out of the inside of an unlined vintage bag?

In the sink, usually a larger one, like your kitchen or laundry sink. Generally warm water. Many people use Dawn. I use whatever I happen to be using for my dishes at the time. Don't use anything with bleach in it. If your bag has a removable strap, remove it and soak with the bag. I usually take off hangtags and don't usually wash them. Soak for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. You can vigorously scrub the suede portions of the interior. You should be gentler with the smooth leather parts. If there is any ink on the bag, inside or out, that needs to be taken care of before you soak. If it is a large deep stain, the ink will spread when the bag gets wet; if it is just lines, then it won't, but the water will set in the stain, so if you want to try to remove it, you need to do it before the bath.

After you are satisfied that the bag is completely saturated and stains have been addressed, rinse thoroughly. Then wrap in a towel and blot off the excess water, inside and out. At this point, I usually lay the bag out on a towel, propped open to dry. I don't worry about shaping too much at this point because it usually takes several days to dry. The next day when the bag is drier, then I'll place some small towels inside to shape the bag. When the bag is mostly dry, I start conditioning, usually with Leather CPR. I'll do a coat a day until I'm satisfied that the leather is moisturized thoroughly. Then I'll do one or two coats of Blackrocks, a day apart.

When the strap is rinsed, you can wrap it in a towel and lay it out flat with weights on it so it will dry flat. I usually use piles of books.

You can address the hardware at any stage. If it is very tarnished or has verdigris, you might want to remove it, if possible. It can be soaked in vinegar. I often leave the ends of my straps soaking in vinegar before the bath. Later, you might want to use a brass polish. In that case, you'll need to be careful to keep it off the leather. That is why it is sometimes preferable to take care of it before the bath. However, often it needs repolishing later.

 

[klb4556]

In the sink, usually a larger one, like your kitchen or laundry sink. Generally warm water. Many people use Dawn. I use whatever I happen to be using for my dishes at the time. Don't use anything with bleach in it. If your bag has a removable strap, remove it and soak with the bag. I usually take off hangtags and don't usually wash them. Soak for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. You can vigorously scrub the suede portions of the interior. You should be gentler with the smooth leather parts. If there is any ink on the bag, inside or out, that needs to be taken care of before you soak. If it is a large deep stain, the ink will spread when the bag gets wet; if it is just lines, then it won't, but the water will set in the stain, so if you want to try to remove it, you need to do it before the bath.

After you are satisfied that the bag is completely saturated and stains have been addressed, rinse thoroughly. Then wrap in a towel and blot off the excess water, inside and out. At this point, I usually lay the bag out on a towel, propped open to dry. I don't worry about shaping too much at this point because it usually takes several days to dry. The next day when the bag is drier, then I'll place some small towels inside to shape the bag. When the bag is mostly dry, I start conditioning, usually with Leather CPR. I'll do a coat a day until I'm satisfied that the leather is moisturized thoroughly. Then I'll do one or two coats of Blackrocks, a day apart.

When the strap is rinsed, you can wrap it in a towel and lay it out flat with weights on it so it will dry flat. I usually use piles of books.

You can address the hardware at any stage. If it is very tarnished or has verdigris, you might want to remove it, if possible. It can be soaked in vinegar. I often leave the ends of my straps soaking in vinegar before the bath. Later, you might want to use a brass polish. In that case, you'll need to be careful to keep it off the leather. That is why it is sometimes preferable to take care of it before the bath. However, often it needs repolishing later.

wow!! thank you so much!! what do you recommend using to scrub the inside suede part? ( I mean in terms of the tool) and also do you add more soap of any kind of just use the water you have been soaking it in?

And I do have dawn but is it better than a gentle laundry detergent? I also have an organic less harsh laundry detergent.

Lastly, how sudsy does the water need to be? how many drops of dawn?

thanks, I just don't want to mess this up. Didn't get it for real cheap, around 30, but still worried about just plunging it till I know all the ends and outs.

 

[Couturexec]

This is one of my favorite topics. I've been at this several years, and I have tried tons of different products for dunking and conditioning. If you are rehabbing old bags, the best thing you can do is get a high quality conditioner, Blackrocks, and a horsehair brush.

As far as a soap for dunking, I don't think it makes much of a difference. I'm now using Castile soap because it is gentle and doesn't make too many suds. My second favorite soap for dunking is Woolite. I like Woolite because it is also very gentile and rinses out easily. I've tried soap specially formulated for leather, and I wasn't impressed. Don't waste your money on anything special. Just about anything should be fine. Personally, I find it hard to rinse out regular dishwashing liquid like Dawn. If you don't rinse the bag really well, the leather can get stiff. If you use something like Dawn, just be sure to rinse until the water is clean and clear and no soap is left in the bag. I've also been adding a bit of vinegar to the bath when I dunk.

As far as conditioners go, for really dry bags or old bags, my favorite product is Montana Pitch Blend Leather Oil and Conditioner. http://www.montanapitchblend.com
Leather Therapy is a close second. I think oil-based conditioners do a better job than cream conditioners in really getting into the pores of a bag, which you need to do if the bag is super dry. (Note: both of these products will darken lighter bags.) I also just love the feel of hand oiling a bag.

I usually use cream conditioners or what I would term mid-level conditioners on bags that aren't so dry or after I've oiled them and they've started to come back. Leather CPR is a favorite of this group, and I think it does a good job. I also think Cadillac is good. Two mid-level conditioners are Skidmore's and Leather Honey. I love Skidmore's. I've had mixed results using Leather Honey on Coach bags, but it is the only thing I use for my older Balencigia. If I had to pick one, I'd say go with Leather CPR. It's tried and true. Second would be Skidmore's.

For finishing, Blackrocks is a must in my opinion. It gives bags a glow that you can't get from anything else. Obenauf's LP can also be used for finishing and waterproofing, but isn't as good as Blackrocks as far as I'm concerned. (If you are working on vachetta, however, Obenauf's is a must.)

Get a good horsehair brush. They are cheap. I find that brushing a bag makes a huge difference. It helps get the conditioner into the pores of the leather.

Finally, I highly recommend reading through all of this thread and all of the old thread. I know they are long, but the information will help you tremendously.

Here is a good post, as well.

ETA: @klb4556

 

[klb4556]

And even if the bags exterior looks really good and you could probably just condition it to make it better, but the inside is really dirty, there's nothing wrong with wanting to give a true vintage bag a bath anyways right?