Re-stripping the finish: Dropping the A-bomb
That iridescent finish was coming off if I had to nuke it back to the stone age! I tried scrubbing on deglazer hard with a toothbrush (no luck), scrubbing on 100% acetone hard with a cloth (nope), and scrubbing on the acetone hard with a toothbrush (nada). I went into Hulk mode, snatched up some Very Fine grade steel wool and scrubbed for maybe 45 min, going over every inch until I was literally sweating. It worked!
But the bag looked and felt scary bone-dry white areas and fuzzy suede-like areas. I applied Leather CPR in hopes of more evening out the dryness. A LOT of dye came off while applying - probably one coat's worth. But the bag miraculously felt like normal, smooth, and soft leather after 24 hrs! Sorry no pics.
Dye Coat #4 and #5
I buffed again, applied coat #4, and let it dry 24 hrs. I could still see faint finish residue here and there but the color was much more even. I did Coat #5 to further even out and let it dry 24 hrs, and buffed it. Color improved and looked pretty good this just might work!
Side straps and zipper inserts are much more similar to the rest of the bag now:
I'm so glad I read this before I starting dyeing using the Feibing's. I ended up with huge patches of iridescence that I've been scrubbing with 0000 and 000 fine steel wool all day. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't read what to do about it from you first... probably just left it and I would have had to redo it or used the stripper again. I'm surprised at how well the steel wool works for removing this stuff! I just need something so I can get into the cracks and crevices. My husband has ordered a Dremel tool for me but I don't know when it will arrive. How did you get into the tight spaces?
