Dooney rehab thread

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#166
VintageViv said:
Hi! Sorry if this has been addressed on the thread prior, but I have a question for anyone who has used Fiebing's Edge Kote to touch up edging on a British Tan trimmed AWL: should I get Brown or Dark Brown? I also saw someone on Coach Rehab thread who liked Tandy Leather Eco-Flo Edgeflex better --any thoughts? Thx in advance!
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I've only used Fiebing's (Brown) Edge Kote and been pleased with the results on my vintage Dooneys. I use a q-tip and go very slowly using small amounts, so it doesn't get on the surface of the leather, only the edges. It dries to a medium gloss.

I haven't used the Tandy product, but it sounds like it might be a thicker, flexible coating like what is used on more recent bags.

"Product description
Eco-Flo Edgeflex Edge Paint offers a pleasing matte finish to the edges of handbags, belts and leather goods in general, giving an extremely smooth and sealed look. It provides excellent adhesion to leather, a very high level of rub resistance and very resistant to cracking during flex testing. Apply by hand or machine with one or two coats, according to the degree of absorbency of the leather. It dries rapidly and the adhesion is excellent even on leathers that have closed pores or with little absorbency. Preferred adhesion is achieved at 48 hours after application. Given that it has a very good viscosity, it is less likely to drip during application than thinner edge paints."

Here are two Dooneys, a vintage All-Weather Laether hobo and a recent Bitsy Bag, showing the different types of edge paint:
IMG_1708.JPG IMG_1709.JPG
 
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#167
Catbird9 said:
I've only used Fiebing's (Brown) Edge Kote and been pleased with the results on my vintage Dooneys. I use a q-tip and go very slowly using small amounts, so it doesn't get on the surface of the leather, only the edges. It dries to a medium gloss.

I haven't used the Tandy product, but it sounds like it might be a thicker, flexible coating like what is used on more recent bags.

"Product description
Eco-Flo Edgeflex Edge Paint offers a pleasing matte finish to the edges of handbags, belts and leather goods in general, giving an extremely smooth and sealed look. It provides excellent adhesion to leather, a very high level of rub resistance and very resistant to cracking during flex testing. Apply by hand or machine with one or two coats, according to the degree of absorbency of the leather. It dries rapidly and the adhesion is excellent even on leathers that have closed pores or with little absorbency. Preferred adhesion is achieved at 48 hours after application. Given that it has a very good viscosity, it is less likely to drip during application than thinner edge paints."

Here are two Dooneys, a vintage All-Weather Laether hobo and a recent Bitsy Bag, showing the different types of edge paint:
View attachment 4321145 View attachment 4321146
Click to expand...
Thank you for the feedback and the pictures! I'm doing a rehab on an old Shoulder Satchel. I've never bothered before with the worn edges on my vintage Dooneys but one of the handles has the edging worn away on an area that appears to help stabilize it (see pic). I also just discovered a nasty crack in the piping --Oh bother!-- (2nd picture) I've been so impressed by the piping rehabs on this thread but am unsure which approach to take. I'm thinking about just taking a less is more approach and using an adhesive/filler product to prevent further damage and not worry about touching up color. But not sure. Any suggestions from anyone would be most appreciated. I've been posting the step by steps of this rehab on my instagram (@yankeehomespun) but will post more here when I'm further along.20190124_133134.jpg 20190125_182200-1.jpg
 
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#168
I picked this bag up yesterday at a thrift store. It is filthy. I've tried to wipe it down with Dawn and water but didn't get very far. If it was a Coach I would dunk it. Anybody have recommendations? Thank you in advance.

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#169
kithrobyn said:
I picked this bag up yesterday at a thrift store. It is filthy. I've tried to wipe it down with Dawn and water but didn't get very far. If it was a Coach I would dunk it. Anybody have recommendations? Thank you in advance.

50787671_2066206666799025_8566738401347239936_n.jpg


50917559_342676096573512_2613935809518108672_n.jpg


51144424_306584123378734_4170273507655024640_n.jpg
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So I recently went over a thrifted bag (AWL in taupe) VERY LIGHTLY with a white eraser and some Leather Honey brand cleaner. The bag in question wasn't as marked up as this one but the overall tone did look more even and brighter when I was done. But be very careful with white erasers as they can take too much surface off and fade the bag. I would use little to no pressure. I also saw a video on youtube where a girl (a vintage reseller I believe) cleaned up a white or bone colored AWL with Windex and the green scrubby side of a kitchen sponge and the end result was awesome. If you do that I recommend trying ammonia-free glass cleaner. But you may just want to try a leather conditioner/cleaner first. I know Dooney says don't condition the AWL but I've done it as a first step for all my thrifted AWL and have had no problems. I just wouldn't do it on a regular basis. Good luck!
 
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#170
kithrobyn said:
I picked this bag up yesterday at a thrift store. It is filthy. I've tried to wipe it down with Dawn and water but didn't get very far. If it was a Coach I would dunk it. Anybody have recommendations? Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

I did dunk an AWL Equestrian and it came out fine, but I wouldn't dunk the satchel because of the handles and the more structured shape, which could suffer.

The Dooney & Bourke website has this to say about cleaning All Weather Leather:

"Classic All-Weather Leather® is 100% cowhide and should be gently wiped with a damp cloth when necessary.This leather can usually be cleaned with the use of a soft cotton cloth slightly dampened with distilled water (sodium-free seltzer water may be substituted) and a mild bar soap, applied in a circular motion. Repeat with distilled water only to ensure no residual soap remains. The leather should then be allowed to dry completely.This collection should not be treated with cleaning agents or leather creams. The oils in such products loosen the pores of the leather, defeating the shrinkage process that makes All-Weather Leather® impervious.”

If that approach fails, I think it would be worth trying a little Leather CPR (which is a cleaner and conditioner) on your bag. Do a little bit at a time using a gentle circular motion (if you rub too hard, the color may rub off). Definitely use CPR on all the British Tan trim. When all dry and clean, I'd finish with a very light coat of Blackrock.

This blog post has some other ideas, which may be helpful:

https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpre...shing-all-weather-leather-dooney-bourke-bags/
 
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#171
VintageViv said:
So I recently went over a thrifted bag (AWL in taupe) VERY LIGHTLY with a white eraser and some Leather Honey brand cleaner. The bag in question wasn't as marked up as this one but the overall tone did look more even and brighter when I was done. But be very careful with white erasers as they can take too much surface off and fade the bag. I would use little to no pressure. I also saw a video on youtube where a girl (a vintage reseller I believe) cleaned up a white or bone colored AWL with Windex and the green scrubby side of a kitchen sponge and the end result was awesome. If you do that I recommend trying ammonia-free glass cleaner. But you may just want to try a leather conditioner/cleaner first. I know Dooney says don't condition the AWL but I've done it as a first step for all my thrifted AWL and have had no problems. I just wouldn't do it on a regular basis. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Interesting ideas, thanks! I'll have to check out that Windex video.
 
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#178
The british tan trim was cracked in a couple of places. I've used Leather Concrete to repair it but now need to find something that will match the color. Any suggestions? I thought about mixing acrylic paint with leather conditioner and applying to the areas that are damaged.
 
#179
kithrobyn said:
The british tan trim was cracked in a couple of places. I've used Leather Concrete to repair it but now need to find something that will match the color. Any suggestions? I thought about mixing acrylic paint with leather conditioner and applying to the areas that are damaged.
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That would be a good approach. The advantage with the paint is that you can wipe it off before it dries if the color doesn't quite match.

I've also used Meltonian Shoe Cream, Light Brown #6, as suggested here: https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpre...shing-all-weather-leather-dooney-bourke-bags/

I mixed it with conditioner and applied it in tiny amounts. It's a pretty close match to the Dooney British Tan. But depending on age and dryness, that British Tan leather color can vary quite a bit, so it's a good idea test the color first in a small hidden area.
Meltonian light-brown #6.png
 
#180
Catbird9 said:
That would be a good approach. The advantage with the paint is that you can wipe it off before it dries if the color doesn't quite match.

I've also used Meltonian Shoe Cream, Light Brown #6, as suggested here: https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpre...shing-all-weather-leather-dooney-bourke-bags/

I mixed it with conditioner and applied it in tiny amounts. It's a pretty close match to the Dooney British Tan. But depending on age and dryness, that British Tan leather color can vary quite a bit, so it's a good idea test the color first in a small hidden area.
View attachment 4327087
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
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