Thank goodness there weren't any pics of the inside. I would be having nightmares for sure.
Share a Train Wreck
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Thank goodness there weren't any pics of the inside. I would be having nightmares for sure.
This K has bugged me for ages, it's not an "age" or "wear" train wreck - it's a "white wash" train wreck. I can't believe someone actually PAINTED over a kelly!
Not just painted the skin but the zipper too, it's sad and ugly, poor K :cry:
http://www.malleries.com/hermes-kelly-32-cetacean-whale-skin-i-75676-s-2661.html
Not just painted the skin but the zipper too, it's sad and ugly, poor K :cry:
http://www.malleries.com/hermes-kelly-32-cetacean-whale-skin-i-75676-s-2661.html
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That's a whale skin Kelly... Very rare. See how it looks like the moon's surface? Cool find. Whoa I just followed the link.. more photos and more yikes.
I think it's very cool but I don't know why they painted it. The stitching is painted over and so is the hardware near the date stamp (the back of the studs that hold the ends on) the zipper etc. You can see where they re-carved the foil stamp into the paint, it's flaking and some of the paint is balling up in places.
I'd have liked to have seen it before it was painted, I'm sure it was a cool bag in it's day. Wish I could have seen you restore it, doc.
I think I saw this Kelly about a year or two ago or a similar one go round and round no eBay with no takers... the bag looked quite grey and dirty if I remember...
Oh dear, there are no words for this .......
What a waste of a good thing ...... of money, of good leather ....... it's enough to make you cry
Hmmm, quite likely the same then, given the rarity. What would you have done with it?
PS> My chance to personally thank you, your tutorials and wisdom on your thread really helped me with my vintage Ferragamo alligator bags!
Hmm I actually considered purchasing it or a similar Kelly back then because I felt sorry for it. White bags when restoring is always a bit of a Challenge even for Hermes. Generally they are placed in a spray box and air brush sprayed with an acrylic based leather paint. I feel like less is more when possible to avoid the nasty plasticy hand feel, I like a hand applied or air brushed white color restorer one round as thin as possible and followed by a good white polish to bring that good hand feel or if possible a good cleaning, restorer only to badly stained or worn areas followed by a good white polish. I think the results vary from restorer to restorer based on level of skills,products used and how thick and how many layers they use.
Maybe the paint could be lifted off and restarted? I recently had a bag here which honestly was heavy with a type of paint that would hardly budge,might have been house paint,that bag was ruined as far as I was concerned I tried every thing and it was just a mess...
I was wondering that, myself, this poor thing looks suffocated.
The case you are talking about is unfortunate, if anyone could it would be you, alas...
Restoration is such an art, my family have been in the fine antique business for my entire life and as a kid I never appreciated this skill but I sure take my hat off to it now!
There's a mastery to leather too that I'm in wide eyed wonder of, thank you for sharing all you do on these bags, doc.
Agreed like restoring antiques , leather restoration is also a labor of love .
Always nice to chat with you. See you around the forum
Agreed like restoring antiques , leather restoration is also a labor of love .
Always nice to chat with you. See you around the forum
Likewise
