I did the unthinkable... my SO K25

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#47
frankiextah said:
Wow, thank you guys for the supportive and positive vibes!

The true color of the edge coat is actually a super dark off black-brown with a charcoal undertone, it’s an almost identical match to the edge coat of my constance in Gris Mouette.

I did some research on the edge coat brands - stahl is the official supplier for H edge paints but near impossible to source as it is primarily a B2B company, other options I found were Giardini, Fenice and Vernis. In the end I chose Vernis due to it does not require heating, it moves very well with leather, gives the smoothest finish, has the best viscosity and gives the most neutral sheen (not glossy and not overly matte), so that’s the perfect choice for me to ensure the most even application.

I bought 3 colors - black, chocolate, and dark brown just in case. Chocolate ended up being the perfect choice - deepest black-brown with a charcoal undertone, and not as harsh as deep black. I’m happy to own the other shades as the black one would come in handy for fixing bags that currently have black edges.

I have to say, scotch tape was my best friend masking leather surroundings in places where the edges were touching the leather surface. In terms of sanding, I was able to break off a small piece of sand paper and tape it around the pin tool, then I used it to carefully drag it back and forth over the old edge paint (with he scotch tape masking the surrounding leather of course).

Here are the tools I acquired:


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Thank you for all the details. I've only tried Fiebings and didn't like the results. It is very thin, requires tons of layers and is almost impossible to get it even. I'm going to look into getting Vernis for my next project.
 
#48
So brave and well done! I think you'll cherish this bag more than your other bags because you put your personal touch (and may I say: flawless) to it. Congrats on making a beautiful bag even more beautiful!
 
#49
frankiextah said:
Some of you may recall I have posted my very first SO K25 in the below thread (post # 6684):

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads...-did-yours-take.797364/page-446#post-32598531

I did the unthinkable... I took the matter into my own hands and changed the edge paint myself! I think Docride is about to faint about now...

I researched on the edge paint color and supplier H uses, watched numerous youtube videos, purchased everything I needed (blade punch tool, sand paper, edge paint, chamois, scotch tape), and also a small sheet of epsom leather to practice on, and went at it! My husband couldn't take the stress and had to physically remove himself from our home for the day LOL.

Sequence of events (to be repeated for every part of the bag) -
1) sand away as much of the old edge paint as possible (500 grit paper)
2) apply 1st layer
3) smooth 1st layer with 1000 grit paper
4) apply 2nd layer
5) smooth 2nd layer with 1000 grit paper
6) apply 3rd layer
7) buff with chamois cloth

The whole process took approx. 10 hours as time was needed for each layer to dry... this was a pretty grueling process but I'm so glad I did it so now I can be at peace and enjoy her fully.

And I know, H will probably deny spa service in the future but this is something I am willing to sacrifice so that I can fully appreciate and use the bag.

Disclaimer - you probably don’t want to try this at home, I have an architecture degree so am used to model building and meticulous painting jobs.

without further ado, here are the photos!

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Pardon my language but woman, you have b*lls of st**l! And I have to say, and I'm sure some would agree, your work is even more refined than some untouched Hermes bags I've seen
 
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#51
Wowza!!
I love DIY projects, but man, are you bold!!

The brown edge coat was quite lovely too, but your change is exactly what this bag needed. More versatile now and so so gorgeous. Amazing job!
 
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