Docride's Hermes vintage bag nightmares & Hermes leather care
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WOw what a cool vintage bag congratulations! Im not sure which leather you have either.. it kind of looks similar to Gulliver or Evergrain or even well used charmonix but no matter
Well at this point seeing how much of the discoloration you see is actual wear with color loss...and you like the look correct? Then I would just go over it gently on the back of a strap or some other hidden spot as a test area with a soft pink eraser and see if any dirt comes off... be very careful and make sure you aren't removing the finish when you do so. If you are actually lifting off surface dirt continue to the rest of the bag's panels. Then have a look.... now you can choose a leather cleanser use a proper leather cleanser and not a leather cleaner/conditioner product. Then after its dry have a look. Is this the look you want? If this is not the look you want , then do not condition at this point you will want to have the bag professionally color restored. However if you like the look and you are good with the over all look you can condition with a cleanser/conditioner or a light non greasy non waxy type conditioner, a lotion type would be a good start. There are many good light leather lotion conditioners to choose from and lots of good companies who produce them. You can go to your local cobbler and see what they have on the shelf . or try google or amazon or ebay search boxes. Meltonian , Woly, Kelly,saphir etc... all make great products
However I would stay away from saphir renovateur and any other very greasy conditioners on this project because your bag has so much missing finish and top skin rubs.. using greasy and or waxy products will make the worn areas darker still and I doubt you would be happy with this result.
Lets see how it looks after the cleaning OK? Good luck!
doc
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Hi Doc. At what point/age should we start conditioning our Togo/Clemence bags? Box calf? Thanks for your advice.
Hi doc, last year I posted a question on this thread regarding gator CDC maintenance, which you kindly answered.
You recommended using Fiebling's cleaner and Saphir Reptan on my gator CDCs.
Today, my BFF said that I should use NOTHING ~ no products ~ on my lisse, shiny gator CDCs and I disagreed with her.
We did agree to take this issue to the highest authority ~ you.
Please advise, is there a difference in caring for matte gator CDCs as compared to lisse, shiny gator CDCs?
Thanks so much!!!
You recommended using Fiebling's cleaner and Saphir Reptan on my gator CDCs.
Today, my BFF said that I should use NOTHING ~ no products ~ on my lisse, shiny gator CDCs and I disagreed with her.
We did agree to take this issue to the highest authority ~ you.
Please advise, is there a difference in caring for matte gator CDCs as compared to lisse, shiny gator CDCs?
Thanks so much!!!
WOw what a cool vintage bag congratulations! Im not sure which leather you have either.. it kind of looks similar to Gulliver or Evergrain or even well used charmonix but no matter
Well at this point seeing how much of the discoloration you see is actual wear with color loss...and you like the look correct? Then I would just go over it gently on the back of a strap or some other hidden spot as a test area with a soft pink eraser and see if any dirt comes off... be very careful and make sure you aren't removing the finish when you do so. If you are actually lifting off surface dirt continue to the rest of the bag's panels. Then have a look.... now you can choose a leather cleanser use a proper leather cleanser and not a leather cleaner/conditioner product. Then after its dry have a look. Is this the look you want? If this is not the look you want , then do not condition at this point you will want to have the bag professionally color restored. However if you like the look and you are good with the over all look you can condition with a cleanser/conditioner or a light non greasy non waxy type conditioner, a lotion type would be a good start. There are many good light leather lotion conditioners to choose from and lots of good companies who produce them. You can go to your local cobbler and see what they have on the shelf . or try google or amazon or ebay search boxes. Meltonian , Woly, Kelly,saphir etc... all make great products
However I would stay away from saphir renovateur and any other very greasy conditioners on this project because your bag has so much missing finish and top skin rubs.. using greasy and or waxy products will make the worn areas darker still and I doubt you would be happy with this result.
Lets see how it looks after the cleaning OK? Good luck!
doc
Thank you SO very much Doc!!! I'll give it a go and post pics! [emoji8]
You know, you are blessed a BFF is priceless ...
I bow to kindness and love.... You are both correct...
It is a personal choice to treat or not treat.
My personal choice is to treat if the item gets a lot of use and or exposed to rough conditions and or the item has become dull,tired or dried out ...
Hugs to you both
doc
Togo and clemence are both upholstery leathers, these are modern tanned finished leathers which are produced specifically to be low maintenance , with that in mind they can use a cleaning and light conditioning as a mater of course if the bag gets dirty a (non oily and non waxy) light lotion cleaner & conditioner combination type product would be ideal for these sorts of leathers. Suffice to say , cleaning and conditioning a modern finished leather too often can be harmful and can actually break down and remove the finish if done too often and or with excessive pressure and undo rubbing.
Box Calf can do well with conditioning and polishing more regularly. If you want to protect it from wet weather damage specifically and the bag is in daily use then conditioning and polishing can done up to every 4-6 months would not be outrageous in my opinion If the bag is new and hasn't developed a patina or isn't covered already in layers of polish which does tend to help shed water. For box calf I personally prefer creamy type conditioners followed by good neutral polishes . Does this make sense? I hope I have not been difficult?
When it comes down to it there isn't a set number of weeks or months to abide by to keep in mind for good bag upkeep, When in doubt I think this is a good way to make sure bags get a standard amount of care
Simply give them a going over after you are done with them for the season before resting them
So after the summer spa your Spring/Summer bags and then rest them so they'll be lovely when you rotate them back into your wardrobe again next spring
And same for your Fall/Winter bags simply spa them before you rest them for the warmer months.
Finally you year round neutral bags could get a spa every 4-6 months depending on how much use they are getting and how harsh the conditions are.
I personally like cleaning and conditioning leather wipes for convenience and not getting in to trouble with using too much product on a bag.
I hope this helps?
All the best,doc
You know, you are blessed a BFF is priceless ...
I bow to kindness and love.... You are both correct...
It is a personal choice to treat or not treat.
My personal choice is to treat if the item gets a lot of use and or exposed to rough conditions and or the item has become dull,tired or dried out ...
Hugs to you both
doc
doc, you are an H angel!!! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us ~ much love and kind regards!
Hello docride, first time writing you but am nearly through reading this thread and learning a lot. Seen other threads and still can't forget the Barenia B with the silver engraved hard wear!
Question - eyeing a pre-loved H bag adverticed with colour/material as "Argile, Grain d'H calfskin". Looks quite well kept based on my iPhone pics, but would it be a good idea to let it "come to shine" with a product or two you could recommend? Furthermore, would it be a difficult colour and material to maintain - this is not a large bag so less risk of scuffing, but what about rain/watermarks?
Thank you so much in advance for some brief information from you
Question - eyeing a pre-loved H bag adverticed with colour/material as "Argile, Grain d'H calfskin". Looks quite well kept based on my iPhone pics, but would it be a good idea to let it "come to shine" with a product or two you could recommend? Furthermore, would it be a difficult colour and material to maintain - this is not a large bag so less risk of scuffing, but what about rain/watermarks?
Thank you so much in advance for some brief information from you
Hi doc, thank you for being so nice and helpful answering all questions from us. I just got a new evercolor lindy last month. My heart was broken when I found a light but very long fingernail scratch on my bag (it can be easily seen with the bag upside down). I took it to the NYC Madison boutique immediately, the craftsman helped me by rubbing the scratch with a moist sponge. When I get home, I can still see the scratch by turning the bag around under the light. I really wish to make it disappear since the bag is new and the scratch is not deep. Can I try a Moly perfect gel (I use it on my Chanels) or do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much.
Hello, It looks like this leather could be treated similarly for Epsom or Veau Courchevel, to add a little more shine you can use Meltonian super shiny spray ....follow the directions on the container and don't huff the stuff ... the shine is temporary and will wear off with time it should not effect the leather significantly. I think this color could be difficult if you were to rub it against clothing which hasn't had its dye set with a vinegar wash , otherwise no I think with the size being small you should be fine.Hello docride, first time writing you but am nearly through reading this thread and learning a lot. Seen other threads and still can't forget the Barenia B with the silver engraved hard wear!
Question - eyeing a pre-loved H bag adverticed with colour/material as "Argile, Grain d'H calfskin". Looks quite well kept based on my iPhone pics, but would it be a good idea to let it "come to shine" with a product or two you could recommend? Furthermore, would it be a difficult colour and material to maintain - this is not a large bag so less risk of scuffing, but what about rain/watermarks?
Thank you so much in advance for some brief information from you
Good luck , this bag sounds lovely!
All the best,doc
Hello,
I know and understand that scratches on your beautiful Hermes bags can feel devastating especially the first ones... conditioners and lotions can sometimes make scratches look less noticeable, but they don't make them go away completely. If you are turning the bag and seeing a scratch by looking at it under light at certain angles then ... "you are too close" Your bag should be viewed from 3 feet away... and look at it as a whole. Because this is how and from such a distance it is viewed by on lookers. You can certainly try your conditioner but always test a small hidden area and see if you like how the product reacts with your leather before treating larger visible areas.
Good luck, doc
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