# Dooney rehab thread



## missy_g

I bought this bag for $13. It is so gross.   It is so dirty but at least it doesn't smell! That was my biggest fear. 
After starting to soak it I realized the extend of grime. I decided to put it in the washer in a pillowcase. The water in the sink was a funky brown. Ugh why do people let their bags get this way?  Other than the dirt, the bag is in perfect condition. 






























After the washer I will take more pics. There is a very significant pen mark that probably won't come out though.


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## missy_g

After a wash its still gross (but better) so I guess I will have to use some elbow grease!


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## RebeccaJ

You go girl!  I will take the $13


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## missy_g

Was it yours?  Lol.


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## RebeccaJ

Oh heck no!  I don't do well with used anything.  Love the rehabbers but I just could not do it.


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## missy_g

Ohh ok. I buy most of my bags used. I have never bought one that nasty though!  It's coming along. I probably won't get it perfect though. I actually can't wait to use it!  
I just had a baby and haven't carried a purse in 2 months. I totally relapsed.  I need my bags!  Maybe I should buy and fix up these bags to sell to save up for a LV.


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## MiaBorsa

You're a brave soul, Missy!!  I can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## missy_g

I put it in the washer again. The thing is STILL dripping brown. Who treats their bags like that??? 

It's like all the nasty Louis vuittons all over eBay!!


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## Masteryoda

missy_g said:


> I put it in the washer again. The thing is STILL dripping brown. Who treats their bags like that???
> 
> It's like all the nasty Louis vuittons all over eBay!!



Eww I agree! People can b really nasty. I couldn't deal with the bag that u have. Some stains ok but not like that!! 

U know I just bought some Born gladiator sandals off eBay. Described as excellent condition. Well I got them couple days ago and I can't wear them. One of the back straps was chewed halfway off so that it can b strapped properly! There's even chew marks on the top inside! Really gross! I love animals but come on! In the pic that the seller took u can only see that the strap looks a little curled.

 I emailed the seller and she won't admit to sending them in that condition! I told her i will provide pics and that she had to have known. She says to send them back but she won't refund for original shipping so I opened a dispute. It was only $16 total but that's not the point! The sandals weren't nice enough even to b donated! I'll send them back with my own funds but she will have to pay for my original shipping cost.


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## RebeccaJ

I love watching the rehabbers.  I think y'all need a tv show like extreme makeover.  I am mesmerized by it.


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## Bayou Minou

You're a brave soul!

I buy second hand too and can't believe how nasty some people are.

Can't wait to see the after pics.


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## missy_g

Made some progress!!


















There is still a big ink stain that needs worked on. I thought I didn't have any alcohol then I found some in the closet. There is another stain as well that I can't get out. I have no clue what it is. The corners are worn but I actually think I did that by washing. I plan on soaking this again but I don't want to wash it in the machine. I don't think the leather can take it. It looks good as is I think but I'm a perfectionist. I do want to carry it this weekend so I might not do anything until Monday. I have a newborn and might not find time. 
Here is a pic of the inside after I soaked it. Thus bag was nasty. I didn't realize how clean it was until I looked at before pics.


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## MiaBorsa

Missy--it's looking much better for sure!  I think the Coachies put bags inside a pillow case when they run them through the wash.  You might do that next time to keep the leather from getting abrasions.  There is so much good info on the Coach rehab thread that it makes a great reference.


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## missy_g

I used a pillow case so it might have been there when I bought the bag. It was so dirty I might just have missed them.  The bag was still dripping brown and that was after I soaked and washed it!  The leather was so dirty it was probably covering up the marks. Lol. 

As long as the kid cooperates I might soak it today and see if I can get out what's left of the stains and wash it again to get out what's left of the dirt.


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## MiaBorsa

You'll probably be able to recondition the leather and get it spiffed up once you finish with all the cleaning.


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## Pixie RN

Missy,you are a brave soul for undertaking this project. I admire you spunk. Your bag does look better, and hopefully you'll really be able to get it to the condition you want. Can't wait to see the "finished" bag. You really did undertake "Dooney Rehab."


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## missy_g

Small update...

I got the bag clean except for an ink mark. I used it and can't stand it. I need big bags even if there is nothing in them. Lol. I hate bags that fit everything just right because everything comes out when you need one item. 

I'm going to condition and paint the scuff marks then try to get my money back at my yard sale!!


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## Masteryoda

missy_g said:


> Small update...
> 
> I got the bag clean except for an ink mark. I used it and can't stand it. I need big bags even if there is nothing in them. Lol. I hate bags that fit everything just right because everything comes out when you need one item.
> 
> I'm going to condition and paint the scuff marks then try to get my money back at my yard sale!!



Wow at least u got it clean I guess. I agree w u on needing a big bag for most daily activities. I've tried smaller bags too and everything is on top of each other. Just doesn't work...I always think at the beginning it will work but then it only makes me nervous that something important will fall out as i try to find something and I won't see it fall. 

Good luck at ur yard sale!'


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## dgphoto

At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.

I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:












I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.

Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.

I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.

There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:




I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of. 




I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.




After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.

The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.

I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.

I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:




I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!

Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!


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## lavenderjunkie

dgphoto said:


> At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.
> 
> I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:
> 
> View attachment 3508333
> 
> View attachment 3508334
> 
> View attachment 3508335
> 
> View attachment 3508336
> 
> View attachment 3508337
> 
> 
> I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.
> 
> Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.
> 
> I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.
> 
> There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:
> 
> View attachment 3508338
> 
> 
> I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of.
> 
> View attachment 3508339
> 
> 
> I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.
> 
> View attachment 3508340
> 
> 
> After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.
> 
> The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.
> 
> I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.
> 
> I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:
> 
> View attachment 3508341
> 
> 
> I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!
> 
> Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!


Great job and thanks for all the info.  I've never rehabbed a handbag.  But after seeing your results,  I might not be so chicken after all.
Enjoy your new handbag.


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## Catbird9

dgphoto said:


> At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.
> 
> I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:
> 
> View attachment 3508333
> 
> View attachment 3508334
> 
> View attachment 3508335
> 
> View attachment 3508336
> 
> View attachment 3508337
> 
> 
> I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.
> 
> Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.
> 
> I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.
> 
> There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:
> 
> View attachment 3508338
> 
> 
> I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of.
> 
> View attachment 3508339
> 
> 
> I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.
> 
> View attachment 3508340
> 
> 
> After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.
> 
> The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.
> 
> I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.
> 
> I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:
> 
> View attachment 3508341
> 
> 
> I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!
> 
> Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!



Great writeup and photos! I'm glad you've revived this thread for us Dooney rehabbers!


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## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.
> 
> I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:
> 
> View attachment 3508333
> 
> View attachment 3508334
> 
> View attachment 3508335
> 
> View attachment 3508336
> 
> View attachment 3508337
> 
> 
> I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.
> 
> Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.
> 
> I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.
> 
> There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:
> 
> View attachment 3508338
> 
> 
> I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of.
> 
> View attachment 3508339
> 
> 
> I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.
> 
> View attachment 3508340
> 
> 
> After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.
> 
> The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.
> 
> I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.
> 
> I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:
> 
> View attachment 3508341
> 
> 
> I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!
> 
> Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!



Thanks for this fantastically detailed rehab recipe! I'm excited to try again, as my first Dooney rehab was a fail. Congrats on your success!


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## dgphoto

This was a rehab from several weeks ago. It was filthy beyond belief and covered in white marks on the leather. The fabric was in good shape, with no holes or wear. Here's a couple of before photos:





I started by dabbing the white spots on the leather with a bit of nail polish remover which took them off right away. Then I spritzed the inside with some Awesome Orange and ran a sink full of warm water with some blue Dawn. I soaked it for about a half hour and scrubbed the devil out of the inside lining. I emptied the first set of bath water and ran another. Here's the first sink of water. You can't even see my hand at the bottom. 



I soaked it another 10 minutes and scrubbed again and then rinsed a few times. 

I let it drip a bit upside down and then stuffed with a towel and put in front of the fan. I did put a coat of Leather CPR on the leather bits and left it for a few hours. Then I changed towels and a couple of hours later I unstuffed and let it finish drying in front of the fan. Another coat of Leather CPR finished the rehab. 

Here's the final product:


I still need  to try to steam the side to get that crease out of the side. It didn't come with a crossbody strap so I repurposed the loop to add a charm. Spiffed it up with some twilly scarves for a little pizzaz. [emoji4]

I paid a grand total of $9 for this bag so I figured I wouldn't lose too much if I couldn't turn it around. Happy rehabbing!


----------



## Catbird9

dgphoto said:


> This was a rehab from several weeks ago. It was filthy beyond belief and covered in white marks on the leather. The fabric was in good shape, with no holes or wear. Here's a couple of before photos:
> View attachment 3508558
> 
> View attachment 3508559
> 
> 
> I started by dabbing the white spots on the leather with a bit of nail polish remover which took them off right away. Then I spritzed the inside with some Awesome Orange and ran a sink full of warm water with some blue Dawn. I soaked it for about a half hour and scrubbed the devil out of the inside lining. I emptied the first set of bath water and ran another. Here's the first sink of water. You can't even see my hand at the bottom.
> View attachment 3508564
> 
> 
> I soaked it another 10 minutes and scrubbed again and then rinsed a few times.
> 
> I let it drip a bit upside down and then stuffed with a towel and put in front of the fan. I did put a coat of Leather CPR on the leather bits and left it for a few hours. Then I changed towels and a couple of hours later I unstuffed and let it finish drying in front of the fan. Another coat of Leather CPR finished the rehab.
> 
> Here's the final product:
> View attachment 3508568
> 
> I still need  to try to steam the side to get that crease out of the side. It didn't come with a crossbody strap so I repurposed the loop to add a charm. Spiffed it up with some twilly scarves for a little pizzaz. [emoji4]
> 
> I paid a grand total of $9 for this bag so I figured I wouldn't lose too much if I couldn't turn it around. Happy rehabbing!



Adorable! I love how you used the scarves on the handles and the charms on the shoulder strap loop. Thanks for sharing the details of this inspiring rehab!


----------



## YankeeDooney

dgphoto said:


> At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.
> 
> I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:
> 
> View attachment 3508333
> 
> View attachment 3508334
> 
> View attachment 3508335
> 
> View attachment 3508336
> 
> View attachment 3508337
> 
> 
> I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.
> 
> Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.
> 
> I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.
> 
> There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:
> 
> View attachment 3508338
> 
> 
> I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of.
> 
> View attachment 3508339
> 
> 
> I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.
> 
> View attachment 3508340
> 
> 
> After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.
> 
> The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.
> 
> I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.
> 
> I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:
> 
> View attachment 3508341
> 
> 
> I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!
> 
> Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!


It looks soooo good! Great job!


----------



## Twoboyz

dgphoto said:


> This was a rehab from several weeks ago. It was filthy beyond belief and covered in white marks on the leather. The fabric was in good shape, with no holes or wear. Here's a couple of before photos:
> View attachment 3508558
> 
> View attachment 3508559
> 
> 
> I started by dabbing the white spots on the leather with a bit of nail polish remover which took them off right away. Then I spritzed the inside with some Awesome Orange and ran a sink full of warm water with some blue Dawn. I soaked it for about a half hour and scrubbed the devil out of the inside lining. I emptied the first set of bath water and ran another. Here's the first sink of water. You can't even see my hand at the bottom.
> View attachment 3508564
> 
> 
> I soaked it another 10 minutes and scrubbed again and then rinsed a few times.
> 
> I let it drip a bit upside down and then stuffed with a towel and put in front of the fan. I did put a coat of Leather CPR on the leather bits and left it for a few hours. Then I changed towels and a couple of hours later I unstuffed and let it finish drying in front of the fan. Another coat of Leather CPR finished the rehab.
> 
> Here's the final product:
> View attachment 3508568
> 
> I still need  to try to steam the side to get that crease out of the side. It didn't come with a crossbody strap so I repurposed the loop to add a charm. Spiffed it up with some twilly scarves for a little pizzaz. [emoji4]
> 
> I paid a grand total of $9 for this bag so I figured I wouldn't lose too much if I couldn't turn it around. Happy rehabbing!



Great job in this one as well! It looks great! Thanks for reviving this thread. I didn't know it existed.


----------



## dgphoto

Twoboyz said:


> Great job in this one as well! It looks great! Thanks for reviving this thread. I didn't know it existed.



I didn't know it existed either until today. The title makes me think maybe we are all headed to rehab for our Dooney addictions, lol! Wooop!!! [emoji4]


----------



## dgphoto

Here's a quick fixer upper I did on another Florentine satchel I got for a steal. Seller said it had uneven coloring. When it came in the mail, it was really squished and the discoloration was very noticeable. I gave her a bath and stuffed to keep the shape while it dried and try to keep those wrinkles from coming back. About four coats of conditioner later, she looks a lot better and smells divine. 
Before:






After:


Still not perfect but I'll take it.


Happy rehabbing!


----------



## MrsKC

dgphoto said:


> Here's a quick fixer upper I did on another Florentine satchel I got for a steal. Seller said it had uneven coloring. When it came in the mail, it was really squished and the discoloration was very noticeable. I gave her a bath and stuffed to keep the shape while it dried and try to keep those wrinkles from coming back. About four coats of conditioner later, she looks a lot better and smells divine.
> Before:
> View attachment 3508647
> 
> View attachment 3508648
> 
> View attachment 3508649
> 
> After:
> View attachment 3508650
> 
> Still not perfect but I'll take it.
> View attachment 3508651
> 
> Happy rehabbing!



She is gorgeous!  Great job!


----------



## Flossy72

dgphoto said:


> At the request of several of fellow TPFers, I'm creating this thread as a supplement to the one over in the Coach section. This is all about finding less-than-perfect Dooneys and making them fabulous again.
> 
> I'll start out showing my before and after of this Florentine front pocket satchel. I bought her on Mercari for a steal ($35) and when she arrived, poor thing was....sad, which I knew going in. Here's a couple of before pic:
> 
> View attachment 3508333
> 
> View attachment 3508334
> 
> View attachment 3508335
> 
> View attachment 3508336
> 
> View attachment 3508337
> 
> 
> I ran a sink full of tepid water with a few drops of blue Dawn and put it in to soak. Oh my, poor thing was parched. I've never seen a bag absorb water so quickly and I've done lots of leather bag rehabs. I only let her soak for about 15 minutes and then took a semi-stiff kitchen scrubber to the lining, which was filthy.
> 
> Normally, I let my older all leather Coach bags soak for about 15 minutes each side but with this one, I was worried about it having cardboard stiffeners inside the lining and also the green backing of the tassels pulling away from the leather front, in case they were glued.
> 
> I gently scrubbed the outside to try to dislodge some of the dirt and spots near the corners and bottom which you can see in the above photos.
> 
> There was some leeching of color from the red lining. I've noticed some linings bleed a lot more than others. Before I dunked, I was really worried about the green suede at the top of the lining and at the back of the tassels bleeding; no bleeding happened that I saw. The water was a fairly light brownish red color before I pulled the plug. Here's before a rinse:
> 
> View attachment 3508338
> 
> 
> I ran water directly into the lining and swished it around really well, getting into the pockets and rinsed really well. I had to be careful not to lift by the handles; I was afraid of stretching them out or compromising the internal structure of them. I turned it upside down and let the water drain out for about five minutes. Sometimes for lighter bags, I just "impale" them on the water faucet and let them drain. This baby was too heavy for that. After a good drain, I stuffed a towel inside and gently squished it around to absorb a lot of the remaining water. The towel came out slightly pink from the lining but not much to speak of.
> 
> View attachment 3508339
> 
> 
> I immediately rubbed her down with a coat of Leather CPR (available online or at Bed, Bath and Beyond). I wasn't careful to rub it all in but rather saturated her all over in a nice coat. Since the weight had gone down a bit after draining and blotting, I hung her up by both handles, distributing the weight evenly and put a fan on her. Since she was hanging, I didn't worry about water stains which could happen if it was lying on its side. Some of the lighter color Coach bags are easy to water stain (remedied by re-bathing) unless you rotate every 15 minutes or so.
> 
> View attachment 3508340
> 
> 
> After about 30 minutes, I blotted the inside again and inside the front pocket (I stuck a washcloth in there and gently pressed to squeeze the water out. Then after about an hour, I reapplied the Leather CPR. She was drinking it in like crazy. I made sure the front pocket wasn't latched so air could circulate in there as well to help dry. I left her in front of the fan overnight and rotated about halfway through when the dogs went out to potty (at 1AM!!!). I made sure to prop the zipper "flaps" slightly open so air could get under there too.
> 
> The next morning, I applied another coat of Leather CPR and pulled the lining out to completely dry it as the bottom was still damp. I didn't worry about shaping as it dried because the hanging seemed to do that for me. Some of the Coach bags require stuffing with towels to reshape them properly.
> 
> I did notice a few small pen marks on the zipper flaps after she completely dried but I won't worry about those. Pen ink is notoriously hard to remove from leather without damaging the color.
> 
> I think she turned out great. Here's the finished product:
> 
> View attachment 3508341
> 
> 
> I want to say, I am by no means an expert at rehabbing. Some of the ladies over on the Coach Rehab thread have done some very dramatic makeovers and have way more knowledge and experience at this than I do. Maybe we can drag some of them over to this thread to lend their expertise to this one!
> 
> Feel free to add your rehabs, questions, concerns, thoughts, etc. to keep this thread alive! As always, rehab at your own risk!


This bag is absolutely beautiful!!!  Great job!   I am wanting to do my new bucket bag Good Will find, but want to try the Leather CPR instead of the conditioner I have been using.  I have used  Leather Therapy the last rehabs I have done and  am curious if the Leather CPR is a better conditioner??


----------



## DBLover318

Awesome job, guys!  You made your bags look practically like new!  You can really tell the love and care taken with these rehabs.


----------



## MeezerSqueezer

Hairspray will often break up an ink mark. [emoji18]


----------



## MeezerSqueezer

If you get a scratch on pebble leather, match the color with a crayon. Melt the crayon tip with a lighter and dab with circular motion into scratch. Buff with soft cloth. It won't cover completely, but will make it almost impossible to see and won't hurt the pebble leather.


----------



## MeezerSqueezer

Need to add hairspray breaks up ink on fabric, not leather. [emoji4]


----------



## Ravvie99

Anyone have recommended cleaning products for linings? Most of mine have the cotton checkerboard lining and my usual lining tricks haven't worked that great, especially on ink. I'm excited to dunk my florentine and want to have my product arsenal ready!
In the past I've tried:
-hairspray 
-rubbing alcohol
-soilove (helped the most, but not as much as on Coach linings)
-Leather master dye transfer remover
-dawn
Advice and suggestions welcome!


----------



## MeezerSqueezer

Have you tried acetone? I wouldn't use it on the Dooney red lining, only the checkerboard lining. I would be very careful not to get any on the leather. You probably already know to pull the lining completely out. I would try a little on a Q tip and see if it breaks up the stain. Sometimes, if the ink stain is too big, disturbing it only makes it worse. Also, you could take it to professional cleaners and see what they recommend. Good luck with your bag. [emoji122]


----------



## Ravvie99

MeezerSqueezer said:


> Have you tried acetone? I wouldn't use it on the Dooney red lining, only the checkerboard lining. I would be very careful not to get any on the leather. You probably already know to pull the lining completely out. I would try a little on a Q tip and see if it breaks up the stain. Sometimes, if the ink stain is too big, disturbing it only makes it worse. Also, you could take it to professional cleaners and see what they recommend. Good luck with your bag. [emoji122]



I haven't tried acetone - thanks for the reminder! I recently got the industrial strength kind so we'll see how that does. Pulling out the lining & the q-tip test is how I try products, too, esp. on ink. I learned that the hard way, haha!
Thanks for the advice [emoji846]


----------



## dgphoto

Ravvie99 said:


> Anyone have recommended cleaning products for linings? Most of mine have the cotton checkerboard lining and my usual lining tricks haven't worked that great, especially on ink. I'm excited to dunk my florentine and want to have my product arsenal ready!
> In the past I've tried:
> -hairspray
> -rubbing alcohol
> -soilove (helped the most, but not as much as on Coach linings)
> -Leather master dye transfer remover
> -dawn
> Advice and suggestions welcome!



Amodex works great on ink on fabric. It works best on stains that haven't been attempted to be removed before.


----------



## dgphoto

Hey! So you know those sad canvas bags that are everywhere for dirt cheap? Well, I bought one just for the strap (to replace a missing one) for $4 and came up with a simple idea for some of the rest of the "leftover" bag. This is the one I bought:


It was in pretty bad shape but again, I just wanted the strap. 

I removed the leather strip that's weaved along the top of the purse, cutting at the center of the back of the bag and removed the little leather ties at the bottom sides. And I made this!


Here's the back of it:


It was super easy to do. I just decided how long I wanted the "drop" to be, cut the end of the leather string off and glued it down at the top of the tassel. Then I wrapped the leather ties around to dress it up a little. 

Here's the finished product on my bag, along with the strap. [emoji4]


I plan to wash and condition the strap to add more patina to it and darken it to match the new bag a bit better. 

I also have plans for the handles, inside pockets and other pieces I removed from the original bag. Will post pix when I get around to repurposing those. Happy rehabbing!


----------



## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> Hey! So you know those sad canvas bags that are everywhere for dirt cheap? Well, I bought one just for the strap (to replace a missing one) for $4 and came up with a simple idea for some of the rest of the "leftover" bag. This is the one I bought:
> View attachment 3513816
> 
> It was in pretty bad shape but again, I just wanted the strap.
> 
> I removed the leather strip that's weaved along the top of the purse, cutting at the center of the back of the bag and removed the little leather ties at the bottom sides. And I made this!
> View attachment 3513818
> 
> Here's the back of it:
> View attachment 3513819
> 
> It was super easy to do. I just decided how long I wanted the "drop" to be, cut the end of the leather string off and glued it down at the top of the tassel. Then I wrapped the leather ties around to dress it up a little.
> 
> Here's the finished product on my bag, along with the strap. [emoji4]
> View attachment 3513820
> 
> I plan to wash and condition the strap to add more patina to it and darken it to match the new bag a bit better.
> 
> I also have plans for the handles, inside pockets and other pieces I removed from the original bag. Will post pix when I get around to repurposing those. Happy rehabbing!



Genius - love it!  Can't wait to see what else you have in store [emoji846]


----------



## MrsKC

dgphoto said:


> Hey! So you know those sad canvas bags that are everywhere for dirt cheap? Well, I bought one just for the strap (to replace a missing one) for $4 and came up with a simple idea for some of the rest of the "leftover" bag. This is the one I bought:
> View attachment 3513816
> 
> It was in pretty bad shape but again, I just wanted the strap.
> 
> I removed the leather strip that's weaved along the top of the purse, cutting at the center of the back of the bag and removed the little leather ties at the bottom sides. And I made this!
> View attachment 3513818
> 
> Here's the back of it:
> View attachment 3513819
> 
> It was super easy to do. I just decided how long I wanted the "drop" to be, cut the end of the leather string off and glued it down at the top of the tassel. Then I wrapped the leather ties around to dress it up a little.
> 
> Here's the finished product on my bag, along with the strap. [emoji4]
> View attachment 3513820
> 
> I plan to wash and condition the strap to add more patina to it and darken it to match the new bag a bit better.
> 
> I also have plans for the handles, inside pockets and other pieces I removed from the original bag. Will post pix when I get around to repurposing those. Happy rehabbing!



Great idea!!!


----------



## dgphoto

Ravvie99 said:


> Genius - love it!  Can't wait to see what else you have in store [emoji846]





MrsKC said:


> Great idea!!!



Thanks, y'all! It was a fun little project! [emoji4]


----------



## momjules

Great idea you have. I've never seen these bags anywhere for dirt cheap.
I must live in the wrong area. I'd like to see that .


----------



## dgphoto

momjules said:


> Great idea you have. I've never seen these bags anywhere for dirt cheap.
> I must live in the wrong area. I'd like to see that .



Talking about the tiny D&B logo bag in the first photo, I see them pretty frequently-one or two a month-but I do (what it think is) a LOT of thrift hunting, hitting stores three or four times a week on average. They're not always this style but similar. I usually pass them by because they're out of fashion and usually in very poor shape. I wanted this one for the detachable strap to put on my color splash bag.


----------



## Flossy72

Hi guys...started a Dooney rehab on a sad little Quilted East/West slouch I picked up for 12$ (per Dooney: introduced in 2008. The retail price was $195.00). The leather was so rich and dark Ii couldn't pass it over!  Its had one dunk,  three coats of Leather CPR, and 1 coat  Blackrocks.  The ink stain is so bad, broke up a bit during the soak and scrub.  I'm not too sure how too address the unraveling  leather logo inside the bag?  Also, was wondering what people have done to address the wearing fabric corners??


----------



## Catbird9

Flossy72 said:


> Hi guys...started a Dooney rehab on a sad little Quilted East/West slouch I picked up for 12$ (per Dooney: introduced in 2008. The retail price was $195.00). The leather was so rich and dark Ii couldn't pass it over!  Its had one dunk,  three coats of Leather CPR, and 1 coat  Blackrocks.  The ink stain is so bad, broke up a bit during the soak and scrub.  I'm not too sure how too address the unraveling  leather logo inside the bag?  Also, was wondering what people have done to address the wearing fabric corners??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 3515822
> View attachment 3515823
> View attachment 3515824
> View attachment 3515825
> View attachment 3515826
> View attachment 3515827
> View attachment 3515828
> View attachment 3515829
> View attachment 3515830


She looks a WHOLE LOT better! Nice job.
For the broken stitching on the leather logo, I'd probably try to restitch in the same holes with matching thread. 
I had a Signature Tassel Tote and it had corner wear like that on the fabric. I've looked at a lot of them on eBay and it seems pretty common. I couldn't come up with  a way to fix it...maybe someone else has ideas.


----------



## Flossy72

Catbird9 said:


> She looks a WHOLE LOT better! Nice job.
> For the broken stitching on the leather logo, I'd probably try to restitch in the same holes with matching thread.
> I had a Signature Tassel Tote and it had corner wear like that on the fabric. I've looked at a lot of them on eBay and it seems pretty common. I couldn't come up with  a way to fix it...maybe someone else has ideas.


Tanks Catbird...There is always something so satisfying about giving these thrown away bags one more shot at life!  I contacted Dooney about acquiring new Duck FOBs for some of my bags that are missing them and they stated unless bags have been registered, they can not help. Do you have suggestions on where you have purchased them?


----------



## Ravvie99

Flossy72 said:


> Hi guys...started a Dooney rehab on a sad little Quilted East/West slouch I picked up for 12$ (per Dooney: introduced in 2008. The retail price was $195.00). The leather was so rich and dark Ii couldn't pass it over!  Its had one dunk,  three coats of Leather CPR, and 1 coat  Blackrocks.  The ink stain is so bad, broke up a bit during the soak and scrub.  I'm not too sure how too address the unraveling  leather logo inside the bag?  Also, was wondering what people have done to address the wearing fabric corners??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 3515822
> View attachment 3515823
> View attachment 3515824
> View attachment 3515825
> View attachment 3515826
> View attachment 3515827
> View attachment 3515828
> View attachment 3515829
> View attachment 3515830



That ink looks way better!


----------



## Catbird9

Flossy72 said:


> Tanks Catbird...There is always something so satisfying about giving these thrown away bags one more shot at life!  I contacted Dooney about acquiring new Duck FOBs for some of my bags that are missing them and they stated unless bags have been registered, they can not help. Do you have suggestions on where you have purchased them?


I usually get them on eBay, but I've found a couple of reasonably priced ones on Etsy too.


----------



## Flossy72

Ravvie99 said:


> That ink looks way better!


Ravvie, A little elbow grease goes a long way!   I don't stress too much about the insides but its nice for it not to be a total mess when you look inside!


----------



## whitsnwhits

You ladies have done some amazing work!! Are you able to get the grime/darkening off handles with the sink washing? I'm looking at an AWL bag on eBay but I think the darkened handles would make me nuts even if I knew they were clean. Any advice would be much appreciated!!


----------



## Catbird9

whitsnwhits said:


> You ladies have done some amazing work!! Are you able to get the grime/darkening off handles with the sink washing? I'm looking at an AWL bag on eBay but I think the darkened handles would make me nuts even if I knew they were clean. Any advice would be much appreciated!!


The rolled leather handles on the vintage AWL satchels are hard to clean. If the dark stains would bother you (as they would bother me!), I recommend you hold out for one with less darkening on the handles. They are out there!


----------



## whitsnwhits

Catbird9 said:


> The rolled leather handles on the vintage AWL satchels are hard to clean. If the dark stains would bother you (as they would bother me!), I recommend you hold out for one with less darkening on the handles. They are out there!


Ok I will do that. Thank you so much for the invaluable advice!


----------



## lavenderjunkie

whitsnwhits said:


> You ladies have done some amazing work!! Are you able to get the grime/darkening off handles with the sink washing? I'm looking at an AWL bag on eBay but I think the darkened handles would make me nuts even if I knew they were clean. Any advice would be much appreciated!!


I'm not a rehab expert,  but logically thinking,  handles often darken as a result of oils/lotions on our hands when we touch the handles.  That would seem to be very difficult,  if not impossible to remove.  Even if it's just embedded dirt that has been ground into the handle from use,  it would be hard to remove.   And the combination of both would make it even more difficult.


----------



## whitsnwhits

lavenderjunkie said:


> I'm not a rehab expert,  but logically thinking,  handles often darken as a result of oils/lotions on our hands when we touch the handles.  That would seem to be very difficult,  if not impossible to remove.  Even if it's just embedded dirt that has been ground into the handle from use,  it would be hard to remove.   And the combination of both would make it even more difficult.


That's an excellent point! What about bags that lean or have a smooshed corner due to improper stuffing when stored? Can that be remedied?


----------



## Catbird9

whitsnwhits said:


> That's an excellent point! What about bags that lean or have a smooshed corner due to improper stuffing when stored? Can that be remedied?



It depends. I've been able to do a little reshaping on two AWL vintage satchels that I've worked on. Neither of these were dunked.

One of them was almost flat when I got it. I stuffed it with terrycloth hand towels that I had dampened slightly and warmed in the dryer. I restuffed it every day . After a week or so it had regained most of its proper shape and was able to stand on its own. 

The other one wasn't badly warped...just a little wavy along the sides...and the leather was a bit thicker. I worked on it with my hands and stuffed it with towels over a  period of several days, and it did come back to shape, although not completely.


----------



## CoachRules

whitsnwhits said:


> You ladies have done some amazing work!! Are you able to get the grime/darkening off handles with the sink washing? I'm looking at an AWL bag on eBay but I think the darkened handles would make me nuts even if I knew they were clean. Any advice would be much appreciated!!


I am just throwing this out there. I have (very very gently) a magic eraser on the darkened handles of vintage louis vuitton. It is different leather and it was not a 100% fix, but it was an improvement. I used it lightly and immediately conditioned the handles with apple leather care. If the handles were not too dry to begin with, it can lift some of the surface dirt. I have noticed that if it is too dry, then it will progress the damage. (The magic eraser is essentially a super fine sand paper, so it can be risky if you get over zealous with it). I have never tried this with a vintage Dooney, but I am curious. I might try it with a beater project and share the results on here (good or bad! ha It's worth a shot?). Has anyone on here tried it?


----------



## CoachRules

MeezerSqueezer said:


> Hairspray will often break up an ink mark. [emoji18]


What kind of hairspray do you use? What do you do? Spray it and wait for it to dry and then wipe it off? I have such a hard time removing ink marks!


----------



## CoachRules

dgphoto said:


> Hey! So you know those sad canvas bags that are everywhere for dirt cheap? Well, I bought one just for the strap (to replace a missing one) for $4 and came up with a simple idea for some of the rest of the "leftover" bag. This is the one I bought:
> View attachment 3513816
> 
> It was in pretty bad shape but again, I just wanted the strap.
> 
> I removed the leather strip that's weaved along the top of the purse, cutting at the center of the back of the bag and removed the little leather ties at the bottom sides. And I made this!
> View attachment 3513818
> 
> Here's the back of it:
> View attachment 3513819
> 
> It was super easy to do. I just decided how long I wanted the "drop" to be, cut the end of the leather string off and glued it down at the top of the tassel. Then I wrapped the leather ties around to dress it up a little.
> 
> Here's the finished product on my bag, along with the strap. [emoji4]
> View attachment 3513820
> 
> I plan to wash and condition the strap to add more patina to it and darken it to match the new bag a bit better.
> 
> I also have plans for the handles, inside pockets and other pieces I removed from the original bag. Will post pix when I get around to repurposing those. Happy rehabbing!


Ok I LOVE this!!! Thank you so much for posting it! I come across the beat up coated canvas ones from time to time and I just look at them sadly. I am totally going to go for them now if the leather and tassels look good. Yay!


----------



## Ravvie99

CoachRules said:


> I am just throwing this out there. I have (very very gently) a magic eraser on the darkened handles of vintage louis vuitton. It is different leather and it was not a 100% fix, but it was an improvement. I used it lightly and immediately conditioned the handles with apple leather care. If the handles were not too dry to begin with, it can lift some of the surface dirt. I have noticed that if it is too dry, then it will progress the damage. (The magic eraser is essentially a super fine sand paper, so it can be risky if you get over zealous with it). I have never tried this with a vintage Dooney, but I am curious. I might try it with a beater project and share the results on here (good or bad! ha It's worth a shot?). Has anyone on here tried it?



I think it's worth a shot! I've tried it on vachetta, too: I've dampened a ME with vinegar (which won't leave water marks) and successfully improved a vachetta Dooney wallet. I think dampening helped make it gentler on the leather, though the wallet still felt very dry and needed conditioning afterward.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Hi all! I am new to this forum...I have 3 new dooneys and just got my first vintage AWL satchel- attached picture. I have read mixed reviews from reputable places regarding cleaning/conditioning the vintage AWL.  If you zoom in on the pic you can see some darkening on the underside of the handles and some lighter worn spots along the strap and british tan leather edges. So I have two questions for experienced dooney owners....1. how do I clean this without making it worse (I don't want to destroy the patina completely or destroy the protective coating on the leather) 2. Based on what you can see in the picture (there are no stains inside or out other than the wear of age) what would you buy this for? I bought from etsy for $55. Did I get a good deal or pay too much? Thanks so much for your feedback!


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Has anyone actually sent their vintage bags in to Dooney and Bourke to be assessed and repaired? I called to ask them on how to handle the cleaning and she told me she can't advise on what product to use or methods and that they advise all vintage dooney owners who have questions about this to send the bag in first. Thoughts on this?


----------



## Catbird9

Lisacrazy4ducks said:


> Hi all! I am new to this forum...I have 3 new dooneys and just got my first vintage AWL satchel- attached picture. I have read mixed reviews from reputable places regarding cleaning/conditioning the vintage AWL.  If you zoom in on the pic you can see some darkening on the underside of the handles and some lighter worn spots along the strap and british tan leather edges. So I have two questions for experienced dooney owners....1. how do I clean this without making it worse (I don't want to destroy the patina completely or destroy the protective coating on the leather) 2. Based on what you can see in the picture (there are no stains inside or out other than the wear of age) what would you buy this for? I bought from etsy for $55. Did I get a good deal or pay too much? Thanks so much for your feedback!





Lisacrazy4ducks said:


> Has anyone actually sent their vintage bags in to Dooney and Bourke to be assessed and repaired? I called to ask them on how to handle the cleaning and she told me she can't advise on what product to use or methods and that they advise all vintage dooney owners who have questions about this to send the bag in first. Thoughts on this?



I responded to your first question over on the Authenticate this Dooney & Bourke thread.
Authenticate This DOONEY & BOURKE
As for sending the bag in for assessment and/or repair, I've never done it, but I imagine the cost of the service, plus postage both ways, would be more than you paid for the bag.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Thanks for your response! Good advise- I have never 'rehabed' a bag before...I'll get myself some leather CPR for the british tan edges. As far as Dooney and Bourke's response to my inquiry- I thought it was strange (but I guess they want the business!). I'm sure it'll cost more than its worth to me to send it in. Thanks again.


----------



## Bucketbagger

So nice to see a Dooney rehab thread, and nice to see some of the same posters from the Coach rehab thread! It seems like the standard for "beat up" on this thread is much lower than on the Coach rehab thread. We have revived some pretty destroyed girls over there. I have three vintage-ish All Weather Leathers, and the problems of rehabbing them seem different than Coach problems. For one, they were built to be indestructible, so they don't take the kind of damages of Coaches; they only seem to become squashed, faded and drab. Here is a recent rehab of a saddle bag. The differences are subtle. The first picture was after the soak. The second shows the touching up I did of the body and piping with Edgekote. I also daubed tan Edgekote on another bag's tan handles to cover up discoloration. I used a cotton ball. It worked fine. Also, anyone know a way to date these styles? I never owned Dooneys back in the day, so I have no sense of how old they are, and there doesn't seem to be any identifying marks on which to rely.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Bucketbagger said:


> So nice to see a Dooney rehab thread, and nice to see some of the same posters from the Coach rehab thread! It seems like the standard for "beat up" on this thread is much lower than on the Coach rehab thread. We have revived some pretty destroyed girls over there. I have three vintage-ish All Weather Leathers, and the problems of rehabbing them seem different than Coach problems. For one, they were built to be indestructible, so they don't take the kind of damages of Coaches; they only seem to become squashed, faded and drab. Here is a recent rehab of a saddle bag. The differences are subtle. The first picture was after the soak. The second shows the touching up I did of the body and piping with Edgekote. I also daubed tan Edgekote on another bag's tan handles to cover up discoloration. I used a cotton ball. It worked fine. Also, anyone know a way to date these styles? I never owned Dooneys back in the day, so I have no sense of how old they are, and there doesn't seem to be any identifying marks on which to rely.


You did a great job.  Your bag looks great now.  Sorry I can't help with the dating,  but we have some other
posters who are very knowledgeable.   Hopefully they will see your post and chime in.


----------



## Catbird9

Bucketbagger said:


> So nice to see a Dooney rehab thread, and nice to see some of the same posters from the Coach rehab thread! It seems like the standard for "beat up" on this thread is much lower than on the Coach rehab thread. We have revived some pretty destroyed girls over there. I have three vintage-ish All Weather Leathers, and the problems of rehabbing them seem different than Coach problems. For one, they were built to be indestructible, so they don't take the kind of damages of Coaches; they only seem to become squashed, faded and drab. Here is a recent rehab of a saddle bag. The differences are subtle. The first picture was after the soak. The second shows the touching up I did of the body and piping with Edgekote. I also daubed tan Edgekote on another bag's tan handles to cover up discoloration. I used a cotton ball. It worked fine. Also, anyone know a way to date these styles? I never owned Dooneys back in the day, so I have no sense of how old they are, and there doesn't seem to be any identifying marks on which to rely.



Beautiful job! She cleaned up nicely. 

For dating,  I use Horsekeeping's guide a lot:
http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-char.htm

This eBay Guide is also excellent:
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Dooney-Bour...WL-Tack-Bags-PHOTOS-/10000000004594573/g.html

The Cavalry Collection was introduced in this 1986 ad. Below that is a 1994 ad which shows a Cavalry Body Bag, so that gives a general idea of the time period for this collection.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Bucketbagger said:


> So nice to see a Dooney rehab thread, and nice to see some of the same posters from the Coach rehab thread! It seems like the standard for "beat up" on this thread is much lower than on the Coach rehab thread. We have revived some pretty destroyed girls over there. I have three vintage-ish All Weather Leathers, and the problems of rehabbing them seem different than Coach problems. For one, they were built to be indestructible, so they don't take the kind of damages of Coaches; they only seem to become squashed, faded and drab. Here is a recent rehab of a saddle bag. The differences are subtle. The first picture was after the soak. The second shows the touching up I did of the body and piping with Edgekote. I also daubed tan Edgekote on another bag's tan handles to cover up discoloration. I used a cotton ball. It worked fine. Also, anyone know a way to date these styles? I never owned Dooneys back in the day, so I have no sense of how old they are, and there doesn't seem to be any identifying marks on which to rely.


I just recently bought an AWL vintage dooney satchel and wondered the age as well. I found these links helpful:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Dooney-Bour...WL-Tack-Bags-PHOTOS-/10000000004594573/g.html and http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-char.htm

I want to share some of my experience with rehabing my vintage dooney that others may find interesting and/or helpful. I just recently took advise from this forum using leather CPR on the british tan. It did help to clean up and brighten (without changing the color). It did not, however, come close to helping the strap which was partially damaged (from water and sun I believe). For the stiff, hardened and deformed part of the strap, after using the CPR to clean- I applied tallow and beeswax and used a hair drier to help absorption while applying it. The slight shrinkage of the strap was not helped but the stiffness and misshapen part was fixed with the application of the tallow and beeswax. It's the most natural product that can be used for moisturizing without staining or coloring. I did not apply anything to the black AWL portion of the bag, because I didn't want to mess with the protective coating- I just wiped with a clean damp cloth. Before and afters with some of these vintage dooneys that are in good shape, are hard to see the subtle improvements in pictures.


----------



## Bucketbagger

Catbird9 said:


> Beautiful job! She cleaned up nicely.
> 
> For dating,  I use Horsekeeping's guide a lot:
> http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-char.htm
> 
> This eBay Guide is also excellent:
> http://www.ebay.com/gds/Dooney-Bour...WL-Tack-Bags-PHOTOS-/10000000004594573/g.html
> 
> The Cavalry Collection was introduced in this 1986 ad. Below that is a 1994 ad which shows a Cavalry Body Bag, so that gives a general idea of the time period for this collection.


Thank you, that is very helpful.


----------



## Bucketbagger

These are my Dooney girls. Reading those links I guess they date from the 1990s.


----------



## monleal

This thread makes me so happy to read.  First, I was able to identify the small AWL Trooper that was donated for our french bulldog rescue purse auction.  I had seen the bag before, but was never able to find the official name.  Second, I am picking up some leather CPS today!  I have a Smith bag in bordeaux (I believe that's the color) that was also donated and I think it just needs a good conditioning to really make her sparkle.  That is a beautiful bag.  There are probably several bags listed that will have this occur over the weekend.  Third,  there still is the filthy nasty fabric Dooney that I thought needed an exorcism.  It's in the garage right next to the box of counterfeit purses that we cannot use.  After seeing this, I am going to go home immediately after work and soak it and scrub it.  I'll take some before photos and it might just be ready in time to be in the auction!  I have been working on rehabbing bags for several weeks, and this forum has been very helpful.  The majority of the bags donated are in new or gently used condition, because that's what the request went out for.  I knew some would come into a bit rougher, but a couple have tested me.  The AWL Trooper is in great shape, but I have hope for the other DB bag.  I'll post pictures and if I can't get her done in time for this auction, I can hold on to her for next years auction.  I'm solely handling over 140 bags at this point, but I will do my best to get her ready.


----------



## Catbird9

monleal said:


> This thread makes me so happy to read.  First, I was able to identify the small AWL Trooper that was donated for our french bulldog rescue purse auction.  I had seen the bag before, but was never able to find the official name.  Second, I am picking up some leather CPS today!  I have a Smith bag in bordeaux (I believe that's the color) that was also donated and I think it just needs a good conditioning to really make her sparkle.  That is a beautiful bag.  There are probably several bags listed that will have this occur over the weekend.  Third,  there still is the filthy nasty fabric Dooney that I thought needed an exorcism.  It's in the garage right next to the box of counterfeit purses that we cannot use.  After seeing this, I am going to go home immediately after work and soak it and scrub it.  I'll take some before photos and it might just be ready in time to be in the auction!  I have been working on rehabbing bags for several weeks, and this forum has been very helpful.  The majority of the bags donated are in new or gently used condition, because that's what the request went out for.  I knew some would come into a bit rougher, but a couple have tested me.  The AWL Trooper is in great shape, but I have hope for the other DB bag.  I'll post pictures and if I can't get her done in time for this auction, I can hold on to her for next years auction.  I'm solely handling over 140 bags at this point, but I will do my best to get her ready.



You sound like quite a "trooper" yourself...140 bags!!! My hat's off to you.

The two Doonies in your photos are beautiful, and should fetch good prices in the auction. Best wishes for a successful fundraiser for your group!


----------



## monleal

I received another "well loved" purse for the auction.  She will be one of my weekend projects.  There appears to be no structure damage to the bag, she just looks a little rough.  Can anyone advise me how to get the ink marks out of the interior?  I can of course use hair spray, but I wasn't sure if there was a better product I could be using.  Thanks everyone!


----------



## Catbird9

monleal said:


> I received another "well loved" purse for the auction.  She will be one of my weekend projects.  There appears to be no structure damage to the bag, she just looks a little rough.  Can anyone advise me how to get the ink marks out of the interior?  I can of course use hair spray, but I wasn't sure if there was a better product I could be using.  Thanks everyone!



That's really too bad, but unfortunately, the ink probably won't come out. It may dissolve, _but also spread_, if you use hairspray. You can also use 70% alcohol, but again, that much ink is pretty much a lost cause.

I would clean it well, apply extra conditioner to the British Tan trim and strap, and forget the ink marks. I'd remove that duck fob's leather hanger, restore it to flat shape (wash, dry pressed under a heavy book) and attach it properly. Someone will buy it who doesn't care about the ink. (The strap and fob are probably worth almost as much as the whole bag. I see them all the time on eBay.)


----------



## lavenderjunkie

After seeing the interior of that handbag,  I'm taking my pens out of my Dooney.  Those ink marks make me so sad.


----------



## monleal

Catbird9 said:


> That's really too bad, but unfortunately, the ink probably won't come out. It may dissolve, _but also spread_, if you use hairspray. You can also use 70% alcohol, but again, that much ink is pretty much a lost cause.
> 
> I would clean it well, apply extra conditioner to the British Tan trim and strap, and forget the ink marks. I'd remove that duck fob's leather hanger, restore it to flat shape (wash, dry pressed under a heavy book) and attach it properly. Someone will buy it who doesn't care about the ink. (The strap and fob are probably worth almost as much as the whole bag. I see them all the time on eBay.)


Thank you.  I dunked the entire bag last night and straightened the strap for the fob.  I am conditioning the leather and trying to get it looking as nice as possible.  I'll post and update when finished.  Just such a disappointment that I can't get the pen out.


----------



## monleal

lavenderjunkie said:


> After seeing the interior of that handbag,  I'm taking my pens out of my Dooney.  Those ink marks make me so sad.


My mother-in-law came over today to look at all the purses for the auction.  She saw that bag and could not believe that people would donate bags that weren't kept in good condition.  Just sad when you see the inside.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

monleal said:


> My mother-in-law came over today to look at all the purses for the auction.  She saw that bag and could not believe that people would donate bags that weren't kept in good condition.  Just sad when you see the inside.


A purse organizer in a color similar the lining will 'hide' the pen marks on the inside.  That way someone can enjoy the bag without being reminded on a daily basis how sad the inside looks.   I'm not saying to hide the fact that the bag has pen marks,  just to suggest a way for someone to still use the bag.  On ebay there are nylon purse organizers that sell for around $5.  They are light weight and work well.   Of course,  there are much more expensive purse organizers available also.


----------



## monleal

lavenderjunkie said:


> A purse organizer in a color similar the lining will 'hide' the pen marks on the inside.  That way someone can enjoy the bag without being reminded on a daily basis how sad the inside looks.   I'm not saying to hide the fact that the bag has pen marks,  just to suggest a way for someone to still use the bag.  On ebay there are nylon purse organizers that sell for around $5.  They are light weight and work well.   Of course,  there are much more expensive purse organizers available also.


I'll offer that as an option in the auction for whomever wins.  There's just no time to purchase and get it here by Thursday.  The auction starts online early Friday morning, so I have to have it all detailed and uploaded by then.

It really is a shame. The exterior has soaked up the conditioner and is looking really nice.  I would have liked the interior to have been able to come clean, but those ink marks are still highly visible.  But it was a free bag and even if it only brings the rescue $20 it's fine.

I've got a white Jimmy Choo bag that was retailed somewhere around $1,600 (I think) that I'm conditioning/cleaning bc they didn't put much effort into taking care of their bag.  I'd be surprised if we made more than $300 on it.  Thank goodness the majority of donations really have been in excellent shape.


----------



## scoutmhen

Can anyone recommend a good method and cleaner for removing ink stains from florentine leather? Thanks!


----------



## monleal

scoutmhen said:


> Can anyone recommend a good method and cleaner for removing ink stains from florentine leather? Thanks!


I asked the same on Friday about a vintage bag that I posted pictures on.  Interior or exterior?  You may not want to try anything on the exterior as you might damage the leather or cause the ink to spread.


----------



## scoutmhen

monleal said:


> I asked the same on Friday about a vintage bag that I posted pictures on.  Interior or exterior?  You may not want to try anything on the exterior as you might damage the leather or cause the ink to spread.



It is on the outside unfortunately. [emoji33]


----------



## monleal

scoutmhen said:


> It is on the outside unfortunately. [emoji33]


I'd wait to get a few more responses, but possibly 70% alcohol on a q-tip could remove it, but realize the pen can spread.  You could also dunk and wash the bag to see if it would lift it out, or possibly fade it.


----------



## monleal

Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.


----------



## PamK

monleal said:


> Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.



Wow! You did an amazing rehab on this bag!! The leather and trim look fantastic! [emoji4][emoji173]️


----------



## lavenderjunkie

monleal said:


> Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.


Great job.


----------



## Catbird9

monleal said:


> Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.


Beautiful job! I wouldn't even know it's the same bag!


----------



## whitsnwhits

monleal said:


> Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.



It's just gorgeous!! Which products did you use after the dunking?


----------



## monleal

whitsnwhits said:


> It's just gorgeous!! Which products did you use after the dunking?


Thank you.  I used Leather CPR.  I did 2 coats on the main body of the bag and 4-5 coats on the trim and strap edges.  I finished it off with 1 coat of the leather condition made by Brahmin for their bags.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

What should I use on the british tan leather trim to remove old ink marks? Or is it best to leave it alone at this point. I'm sure the ink has been there a while as it's a vintage dooney and I just got it off ebay. New at this, thanks!


----------



## Catbird9

Lisacrazy4ducks said:


> What should I use on the british tan leather trim to remove old ink marks? Or is it best to leave it alone at this point. I'm sure the ink has been there a while as it's a vintage dooney and I just got it off ebay. New at this, thanks!


If it were mine, I would leave the ink marks alone.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Catbird9 said:


> If it were mine, I would leave the ink marks alone.


Thanks, I think I'll leave it alone! It's not too bad and I don't want to make it worse.


----------



## rtydlacka

It is near impossible to get ink stains out of real leather. especially thick leather like D&B. My advice would be to leave it alone, or if you're having a hard time living with it, possibly use a leather conditioner to darken the leather up a bit. That might make it less noticeable. I would research the type of leather and leather cleaners/lotions that are recommended for that type first though! Good Luck!


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

rtydlacka said:


> It is near impossible to get ink stains out of real leather. especially thick leather like D&B. My advice would be to leave it alone, or if you're having a hard time living with it, possibly use a leather conditioner to darken the leather up a bit. That might make it less noticeable. I would research the type of leather and leather cleaners/lotions that are recommended for that type first though! Good Luck!



Yeah, it was too risky. Its in a noticeable spot so it kind of bothers me, but I dont think it's very obvious. It cleaned up really well with leather CPR and finished with cow tallow. Pleased with the result. The cow tallow really fills in the nicks/scratches in the leather for an even appearance, especially on the british tan leather. I don't have before pics but these are the afters. Thanks for the feedback.


----------



## Lisacrazy4ducks

Here are the pics- before treating with leather cpr and cow tallow, the bottom was very scratched and the edges looked worn and discolored.


----------



## rtydlacka

monleal said:


> Well, the bag is done.  The ink didn't come out, but the exterior looks great.



You did an amazing job! The Equestrian has always been my favorite Dooney style. It was my first Dooney.


----------



## Catbird9

Lisacrazy4ducks said:


> Here are the pics- before treating with leather cpr and cow tallow, the bottom was very scratched and the edges looked worn and discolored.


Looks great!


----------



## scoutmhen

monleal said:


> I'd wait to get a few more responses, but possibly 70% alcohol on a q-tip could remove it, but realize the pen can spread.  You could also dunk and wash the bag to see if it would lift it out, or possibly fade it.



I did the dunk and wash this morning but I can still see the pen marks. Sigh. I will never purchase off eBay again. The worst thing is the spots are on both sides and on the flap. So bummed. Maybe after it dries it will be less visible or over time with the darkening of the leather, they will fade.


----------



## Barefootgirl

Here's a crazy question. I often see the Bone colored satchels up for sale secondhand, but of course i lust after the hard to find Mushroom color.

How hard do you think it would be to dye a Bone colored Florentine satchel to achieve a light taupe shade? Thanks!


----------



## Manyana

I have this tote bag , dont know exactly whats the model., its patent leather, anyone here can advise me how to clean this kind of patent? Its looks dirty, never used it anymore. Im tryin to clean with every cleaners i have, but zero result.. any helps?


----------



## dgphoto

Manyana said:


> View attachment 3734606
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have this tote bag , dont know exactly whats the model., its patent leather, anyone here can advise me how to clean this kind of patent? Its looks dirty, never used it anymore. Im tryin to clean with every cleaners i have, but zero result.. any helps?



I don't know of anyone who has had luck cleaning patent leather. Once a stain gets under the coating, it seems impossible to remove.


----------



## pammbw

Here is a small rehab on a more recent Dooney item.  It is a vinyl tote. Cute little bag to use as a lunch bag or a purse if a clear bag is necessary. The current model has leather corners to help keep it's shape, but this one was before that detail was added. All I did was fill the bag up with hot water, and let the vinyl get flexible. Then folded it back to shape and clip it while it cooled.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Nicely done.


----------



## dgphoto

pammbw said:


> Here is a small rehab on a more recent Dooney item.  It is a vinyl tote. Cute little bag to use as a lunch bag or a purse if a clear bag is necessary. The current model has leather corners to help keep it's shape, but this one was before that detail was added. All I did was fill the bag up with hot water, and let the vinyl get flexible. Then folded it back to shape and clip it while it cooled.
> View attachment 3778773
> View attachment 3778774
> View attachment 3778775
> View attachment 3778776



Great thinking on the hot water! It looks great


----------



## Vicky2

I was reading through this thread to see if I could find any information about cleaning up a domed buckle satchel I bought on ebay.  I knew it was going to need some cleaning and was looking forward to seeing what could be overcome! It does have a liquid stain of some sort so that was an added bonus.  Anyway I saw Dgphoto's post on page 2 of this thread about rehabbing her two florentine bags and she soaked them in water.  I had no idea that was an option! Might that be a good idea for water stained bags? I have apple cleaner/conditioner and cadillac on the way because I wasn't sure which to use.. lol


----------



## dgphoto

Hi, all! I had forgotten about this Dooney rehab I did a while ago. You can read the full post here: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club.833400/page-809#post-30591930
This is the final product:


----------



## dgphoto

Vicky2 said:


> I was reading through this thread to see if I could find any information about cleaning up a domed buckle satchel I bought on ebay.  I knew it was going to need some cleaning and was looking forward to seeing what could be overcome! It does have a liquid stain of some sort so that was an added bonus.  Anyway I saw Dgphoto's post on page 2 of this thread about rehabbing her two florentine bags and she soaked them in water.  I had no idea that was an option! Might that be a good idea for water stained bags? I have apple cleaner/conditioner and cadillac on the way because I wasn't sure which to use.. lol



I've soaked several Florentine bags without any problems. This is my process. 

I run a sink full of tepid water with a small squirt of blue Dawn and fully immerse the bag. I let it soak for about ten minutes. Then I scrub the lining if it needs it using a medium, not-too-hard scrub brush, and squirting a tiny bit of Dawn onto tough spots on the lining. I don't ever scrub the outside (made that mistake once). I just either use my hand or a washcloth to gently wipe it down in the water and do that evenly all over. 

After scrubbing the lining while the bag is in the sink, I kinda swish the linings around to dissipate the concentration of soap. I usually flip the bag over so the other side is down after I work on the lining so both sides get fully saturated with water. Soak another ten minutes. 

Then rinse, rinse, rinse with tepid water! Some people run another sink full of clear water to rinse but I just run the water right into the bag, the pockets and the outside until it runs clear - no more soap. I learned right quick to not use too much Dawn because it was a disaster! I had bubbles for DAYS!

Then I turn it upside down on my faucet to drip for a few minutes. I have one of those tall U faucets. After it quits dripping really hard, I stuff a towel or two inside to soak up as much water as possible. Don't overstuff though or you could stretch the leather. 

I hang the bag on a sturdy wooden hanger with a washcloth between the handle or strap and the hanger. Put it in front of a fan or beneath a ceiling fan for about an hour. Rub some Leather CPR into it while it's still wet. I've had good luck doing that while it's wet.

After about an hour, I take the towels out and shape the bag the way it's supposed to look and rehang it. I let it continue to sit in front of or under a fan overnight. I pull the linings away from the bottom and sides so they don't cling to the leather. I don't set it on anything because that has caused water lines before.

The next morning, I'll do another round of Leather CPR, rearrange on the hanger and leave it for the day, still under the fan. I pull the linings and pockets all the way out, if possible. That helps get those dry.

Check to make sure there are no water lines or spots. If there are, dunk it back in the sink and get it wet and start over. If no lines or spots, at the end of the day, I do one more coat of Leather CPR and let it soak in overnight.

In the Florentines, be sure to have the tassels away from the body of the bag while drying. Otherwise you might end up with a water spot. I usually flip mine either into the bag or stick a washcloth between the body and the tassel and move it around frequently. 

If you want your tassels to dry straight and not curled, just keep straightening them and you can even loosely put a rubber band or hair tie around them. Just don't use one with a color that might bleed into the leather.


----------



## Vicky2

Thank you Dgphoto for your detailed instructions! I just finished soaking the bag and I have it hanging for the 1hr before I put the Leather CPR on it.  If nothing else it will definitely be clean.  lol


----------



## Finch

How does everyone reshape your bags after a bath? I've tried it different ways but still occasionally get small "waves" in the leather, the body and flap never seem perfectly flat.


----------



## dgphoto

Recommendations, please! Should I glue the edges together before I dunk it or after?




And, does anyone have a recommendation on a good color match paint or polish for Dooney edging? I normally wouldn't use polish but I might have to resort to that on this gal. TIA!


----------



## dgphoto

Finch said:


> How does everyone reshape your bags after a bath? I've tried it different ways but still occasionally get small "waves" in the leather, the body and flap never seem perfectly flat.



I usually stuff mine with hand towels for a bit and then take them out. I almost always hang mine to dry which helps maintain the right shape. I have had to resort to cardboard cutouts for Speedy shapes though; the ends are really hard to get right without waves.


----------



## dgphoto

Today's rehab projects 


Spent less than $25 for the entire bunch


----------



## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> Recommendations, please! Should I glue the edges together before I dunk it or after?
> View attachment 3828430
> 
> View attachment 3828432
> 
> And, does anyone have a recommendation on a good color match paint or polish for Dooney edging? I normally wouldn't use polish but I might have to resort to that on this gal. TIA!



I vote 'after' so you can shape and stretch the leather a little so the edges are better positioned for glueing. At least that's worked for me on Coach piping holes.
I have the same question on color matching and have been procrastinating on my D&B rehab pile for this reason!


----------



## dgphoto

I waited until after dunking to glue the hole and then touched it up using some acrylic paint. Doesn't look too bad. I'm waiting on my Wood n Stuff to completely do the edging rehab. 

Here's the before:


Here's the after:


Here's the acrylic paint I used:


----------



## lavenderjunkie

You did an amazing job.


----------



## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> I waited until after dunking to glue the hole and then touched it up using some acrylic paint. Doesn't look too bad. I'm waiting on my Wood n Stuff to completely do the edging rehab.
> 
> Here's the before:
> View attachment 3830240
> 
> Here's the after:
> View attachment 3830242
> 
> Here's the acrylic paint I used:
> View attachment 3830243



Yessssss! Looks good! 
I think I have that same paint already - thanks [emoji846] I'd love a report on how the WnS goes, too, if you have time.


----------



## Dooneysta

dgphoto said:


> I waited until after dunking to glue the hole and then touched it up using some acrylic paint. Doesn't look too bad. I'm waiting on my Wood n Stuff to completely do the edging rehab.
> 
> Here's the before:
> View attachment 3830240
> 
> Here's the after:
> View attachment 3830242
> 
> Here's the acrylic paint I used:
> View attachment 3830243


Sorry to bother, but what did you use to glue it...? Just generic leather glue..?
I have this exact problem just a smaller size than yours, looks like...
How did you clamp the edges together/down? Yours turned out fab!


----------



## dgphoto

Dooneysta said:


> View attachment 3833354
> View attachment 3833354
> 
> Sorry to bother, but what did you use to glue it...? Just generic leather glue..?
> I have this exact problem just a smaller size than yours, looks like...
> How did you clamp the edges together/down? Yours turned out fab!



I used E6000. I love it because unlike super glue, you have time to work it around and get the edges the way you want. Any excess will also "ball" up if you rub it so you can just wipe or pull it off. I didn't have to clamp it at all.  I used a thin film of the glue to sort of lay down the little stray pieces of scuffed leather too. It dries clear which is nice as well.


----------



## Dooneysta

dgphoto said:


> I used E6000. I love it because unlike super glue, you have time to work it around and get the edges the way you want. Any excess will also "ball" up if you rub it so you can just wipe or pull it off. I didn't have to clamp it at all.  I used a thin film of the glue to sort of lay down the little stray pieces of scuffed leather too. It dries clear which is nice as well.



Holy cow!!! I never heard of e6000 before but yeah, four and a half stars out of five over like 2300 reviews on Amazon can't be wrong!
Goin' in ma cart right NOW along with the Fiebings stuff for my...OTHER project  (aka, spilling LemiShine all over a teal leather Baggu)
Thank you!

I'm so stoked I found this place.


----------



## dgphoto

Dooneysta said:


> Holy cow!!! I never heard of e6000 before but yeah, four and a half stars out of five over like 2300 reviews on Amazon can't be wrong!
> Goin' in ma cart right NOW along with the Fiebings stuff for my...OTHER project  (aka, spilling LemiShine all over a teal leather Baggu)
> Thank you!
> 
> I'm so stoked I found this place.



Yeah, it's good stuff! Only downside is sometimes the metal tube splits when you squeeze it too hard or try to roll it up like toothpaste and then you've got glue going every which way, haha! Other than that, it's well worth it!


----------



## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> Yeah, it's good stuff! Only downside is sometimes the metal tube splits when you squeeze it too hard or try to roll it up like toothpaste and then you've got glue going every which way, haha! Other than that, it's well worth it!



I use it too, and second all your observations! I use it more than any other glue in my rehab toolbox. I like that it's thicker and doesn't run as easily as Fiebings leather glue, and it's just as strong, IMO.


----------



## Dooneysta

Ravvie99 said:


> I use it too, and second all your observations! I use it more than any other glue in my rehab toolbox. I like that it's thicker and doesn't run as easily as Fiebings leather glue, and it's just as strong, IMO.


 I am totally ordering it. It's in my Amazon cart waiting. Is it really like $10.25 a tube...? Maybe I should go to a craft store.

If either of you have dyed a bag in your rehab adventures, I have a query no one has answered yet


----------



## dgphoto

Dooneysta said:


> I am totally ordering it. It's in my Amazon cart waiting. Is it really like $10.25 a tube...? Maybe I should go to a craft store.
> 
> If either of you have dyed a bag in your rehab adventures, I have a query no one has answered yet



It's probably cheaper at a retail store. I believe Walmart and Home Depot carry it as well as Michael's, etc. 

I have dyed several bags, both with RIT and with Tandy EcoFlo. In both cases, it was to really to "refresh" color more than change color. 

I'll check for your other post.


----------



## dgphoto

Ravvie99 said:


> Yessssss! Looks good!
> I think I have that same paint already - thanks [emoji846] I'd love a report on how the WnS goes, too, if you have time.



Ok, so I decided the navy satchel didn't need a full edge refurb after all. Once everything dried, it looked fine as is. However, I was really jonesing to use my Woon n Stuff so I picked out an old portfolio with a lot of trim color loss to experiment on. Here are some photos:

Corner on one side before:


Opposite side corner after:



I didn't touch the body color, just the trim. 

I was shocked at how well just a tiny bit covered and how awesome the color matched. I'm ready to order a sample size of each color!

This what it looked like when I first bought it.


----------



## Ravvie99

dgphoto said:


> Ok, so I decided the navy satchel didn't need a full edge refurb after all. Once everything dried, it looked fine as is. However, I was really jonesing to use my Woon n Stuff so I picked out an old portfolio with a lot of trim color loss to experiment on. Here are some photos:
> 
> Corner on one side before:
> View attachment 3837016
> 
> Opposite side corner after:
> View attachment 3837017
> 
> 
> I didn't touch the body color, just the trim.
> 
> I was shocked at how well just a tiny bit covered and how awesome the color matched. I'm ready to order a sample size of each color!
> 
> This what it looked like when I first bought it.



Wowzers, that looks great! Did I miss what color Wood n Stuff you used? That's a near perfect match!


----------



## dgphoto

Ravvie99 said:


> Wowzers, that looks great! Did I miss what color Wood n Stuff you used? That's a near perfect match!



It is British Tan! I just ordered five more colors because I was so impressed with it. 

I should've been a bit more careful to not cover the stitches but I will do better next time. I need better reader glasses. My eyesight is crap up close.


----------



## dgphoto

My latest rehab project: Gladstone satchel. This was a booger. Someone had put shoe polish or stain or some such junk on the trim parts. I had to scrub with acetone over and over to remove it. While it’s still nowhere near perfect, it’s much better. 
Before:


Close up of the trim:


Right side after acetone, left before:


After:


----------



## Dooneysta

dgphoto said:


> My latest rehab project: Gladstone satchel. This was a booger. Someone had put shoe polish or stain or some such junk on the trim parts. I had to scrub with acetone over and over to remove it. While it’s still nowhere near perfect, it’s much better.
> Before:
> View attachment 3840686
> 
> Close up of the trim:
> View attachment 3840687
> 
> Right side after acetone, left before:
> View attachment 3840688
> 
> After:
> View attachment 3840691



I guess someone wanted a black on black Gladstone. Um.
So if you still want to try to remove more polish and you are brave I’ll tell you what worked for an acquaintance: Ronsonol.

Ronsonol is an old brand of lighter fluid. Which sounds scary but no more so than acetone. We used Ronsonol BECAUSE it is an old brand and might have fewer newfangled additives. Ronsonol is very difficult to find in a store nowadays but easy and cheap on Amazon.
The first thing was saddle soap, then the Ronsonol (don’t squirt it right on the bag, saturate something else (rag, cotton round, t-shirt) and use that to scrub.
It will take off the British Tan dye eventually if you are too violent, but the shoe polish generally really does come off.

If you do have an old-fashioned type camping or hardware store near, Ronsonol comes in a couple sizes of BRIGHT yellow squeeze bottle. You can get a smaller one for five bucks or less if you want to try a small area.


----------



## Murphy47

Dooneysta said:


> I guess someone wanted a black on black Gladstone. Um.
> So if you still want to try to remove more polish and you are brave I’ll tell you what worked for an acquaintance: Ronsonol.
> 
> Ronsonol is an old brand of lighter fluid. Which sounds scary but no more so than acetone. We used Ronsonol BECAUSE it is an old brand and might have fewer newfangled additives. Ronsonol is very difficult to find in a store nowadays but easy and cheap on Amazon.
> The first thing was saddle soap, then the Ronsonol (don’t squirt it right on the bag, saturate something else (rag, cotton round, t-shirt) and use that to scrub.
> It will take off the British Tan dye eventually if you are too violent, but the shoe polish generally really does come off.
> 
> If you do have an old-fashioned type camping or hardware store near, Ronsonol comes in a couple sizes of BRIGHT yellow squeeze bottle. You can get a smaller one for five bucks or less if you want to try a small area.



Walmart and Walgreens both sell it.


----------



## dgphoto

Dooneysta said:


> I guess someone wanted a black on black Gladstone. Um.
> So if you still want to try to remove more polish and you are brave I’ll tell you what worked for an acquaintance: Ronsonol.
> 
> Ronsonol is an old brand of lighter fluid. Which sounds scary but no more so than acetone. We used Ronsonol BECAUSE it is an old brand and might have fewer newfangled additives. Ronsonol is very difficult to find in a store nowadays but easy and cheap on Amazon.
> The first thing was saddle soap, then the Ronsonol (don’t squirt it right on the bag, saturate something else (rag, cotton round, t-shirt) and use that to scrub.
> It will take off the British Tan dye eventually if you are too violent, but the shoe polish generally really does come off.
> 
> If you do have an old-fashioned type camping or hardware store near, Ronsonol comes in a couple sizes of BRIGHT yellow squeeze bottle. You can get a smaller one for five bucks or less if you want to try a small area.





Murphy47 said:


> Walmart and Walgreens both sell it.



Thank you for the tip! I will give that a try on some of the spots that didn’t want to cooperate with leaving the premises.


----------



## Dooneysta

Murphy47 said:


> Walmart and Walgreens both sell it.


Excellent!!
It was AWOL for some time after Zippo bought the company out in the last couple years.
I figured Zippo was going to kill the brand, take out a competitor. I wonder if they reformulated it at all; I have heard rumors they reformulated their Zippo fuel to be more like Ronsonol and that’s when I started figuring they would then euthanize the Ronsonol name.
Excellent news, because I hate seeing old venerable companies go extinct!


----------



## Dooneysta

dgphoto said:


> Thank you for the tip! I will give that a try on some of the spots that didn’t want to cooperate with leaving the premises.



Let us know how it turns out in the end; I love Gladstones.
I know Meltonian gets a lot of stone throwing here but I have seen wild pics on eBay of AWL ‘repainted’ with it, to the point I was certain it was a good fake because it looked too ‘new’. Then I’d see they included before and afters and disclosed the refurb. Meltonian’s rendition of British Tan looks spot on.

I don’t know enough about meltonian to know if it is colorfast but I’d expect with resolene/bag kote/wax/etc it could be made so if it’s not.


----------



## Bagmedic

Anyone rehab a leather tote with the zebra print?  I haven't read much about Dooney rehabs but know people dunk the Coach leather bags but wondering if the dye bleeds on the Dooney zebra print?


----------



## dgphoto

Bagmedic said:


> Anyone rehab a leather tote with the zebra print?  I haven't read much about Dooney rehabs but know people dunk the Coach leather bags but wondering if the dye bleeds on the Dooney zebra print?



Is it the fabric zebra print? I know there was a coated zebra print too so just curious before answering.


----------



## Bagmedic

dgphoto said:


> Is it the fabric zebra print? I know there was a coated zebra print too so just curious before answering.


I haven't received it yet but it said it was all leather.


----------



## aerinha

dgphoto said:


> Ok, so I decided the navy satchel didn't need a full edge refurb after all. Once everything dried, it looked fine as is. However, I was really jonesing to use my Woon n Stuff so I picked out an old portfolio with a lot of trim color loss to experiment on. Here are some photos:
> 
> Corner on one side before:
> View attachment 3837016
> 
> Opposite side corner after:
> View attachment 3837017
> 
> 
> I didn't touch the body color, just the trim.
> 
> I was shocked at how well just a tiny bit covered and how awesome the color matched. I'm ready to order a sample size of each color!
> 
> This what it looked like when I first bought it.



Curious if your Wood and Stuff samples had any that would match burnt cedar trim?  I have an AWL vintage bag that needs its trim touched up.


----------



## dgphoto

aerinha said:


> Curious if your Wood and Stuff samples had any that would match burnt cedar trim?  I have an AWL vintage bag that needs its trim touched up.



I don’t own any burnt cedar trimmed bags to practice on but their colors in the website seem to be really true to color. Hope that helps a tiny bit!


----------



## aerinha

This is a vintage dark brown AWL with burnt cedar trim carrier bag I bought from Poshmark. It needs some TLC so I thought I would update as I progressed 


Big problem:  heavy perfume smell with hints of smoke

1. She had 36 hours in my garage. No change
2. I sealed her up with newspaper based in an internet tip. Little to no change
3.  Sealed her in with a box of baking soda inside and outside for three days. Noticeable improvement but not gone. 

I flipped the bag over so the exterior box of baking soda was sitting on her other side and will leave until weekend. Then I will leave her air.


----------



## Bagmedic

aerinha said:


> This is a vintage dark brown AWL with burnt cedar trim carrier bag I bought from Poshmark. It needs some TLC so I thought I would update as I progressed
> View attachment 4055334
> 
> Big problem:  heavy perfume smell with hints of smoke
> 
> 1. She had 36 hours in my garage. No change
> 2. I sealed her up with newspaper based in an internet tip. Little to no change
> 3.  Sealed her in with a box of baking soda inside and outside for three days. Noticeable improvement but not gone.
> 
> I flipped the bag over so the exterior box of baking soda was sitting on her other side and will leave until weekend. Then I will leave her air.


I hear aquarium charcoal works well.  I haven't tried it myself.


----------



## aerinha

Unboxed Ms Stinky and the perfume smell is gone so for those with a frangranced bag a week in a box with two boxes of Arm and Hammer works BUT it unmasked the smoke smell and that remains. Grrr!  This is my third not quite as nice as described and second with an unadvertised smell Poshmark bag...I have only had three purchases with them vs eBay where in 20 years I had two bad buys. No more Posh for me. 

I went a bit feral cat faced with the smoke and attached the bag with Lexol wipes giving me wet smoke. Yuck. And then went after the icky brass with ketchup. You read that right. Ketchup. It did a good if sticky job. Before going feral my plan had been to put painters’ tape on the leather surrounding the brass and apply with a qtip BUT today I just slathered it in with a paper towel and no tape so now the bag has a Smokey ketchup scent. 

I saved a peel open ketchup pack from take out and applied a light coating to the brass. Let it stand for two minutes then wiped with a damp paper towel. 

Here she is sauced up


Should have used the tape. 

Before of turn lock



After


Nose of lock before


Nose after


Top nub thing before


After
	

		
			
		

		
	




Nothing to be done about the abrasions that took off the top layer of brass but the ketchup shined it up unlike the baby wipe suggestion I also tried. Possibly the wipe would clean green off brass but mine had no green and the wipe did nothing to shine it up.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Grrrr is right.   I hope you can get the smells out.   I've heard ketchup is a good brass cleaner.  Glad it helped on your handbag.  As for future purchases of used handbags.... I don't know if one site has better quality or more truthful sellers or better return policies.  I guess with your experience now you will ask very specifically about odors and smells and if the home was smoke free and pet free.   Those would be concerns for me.  I've seen too many videos with animals rubbing up against handbags.  I guess if it's your pet and your handbag,  it's your choice.  But if I were buying the bag,
I'd want to know who or what it was cozy with in it's prior life.


----------



## aerinha

lavenderjunkie said:


> Grrrr is right.   I hope you can get the smells out.   I've heard ketchup is a good brass cleaner.  Glad it helped on your handbag.  As for future purchases of used handbags.... I don't know if one site has better quality or more truthful sellers or better return policies.  I guess with your experience now you will ask very specifically about odors and smells and if the home was smoke free and pet free.   Those would be concerns for me.  I've seen too many videos with animals rubbing up against handbags.  I guess if it's your pet and your handbag,  it's your choice.  But if I were buying the bag,
> I'd want to know who or what it was cozy with in it's prior life.



The first smelly bag cost way more than this one and I used their return policy to send it back, but it takes forever because they have to decide you are justified in a return.  For what I paid for this one I figured it wasn’t worth the hassle but it was listed as odor free and in good condition.  Then it arrived smelly with more rubs than what was pictured.


----------



## kkarriem

Hi, ladies! I need your help I just purchased a preloaded Vanessa bag and it is filthy. I haven’t recieved it yet, but was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on what I can use to clean it. I want to be ready for when it comes. I paid only a few bucks for it so if I can’t get it clean I won’t lose much. I’ve done both Dooney and Coach rehabs but never coated cotton. I’d appreciate any ideas you guys have.


----------



## DBLover318

For the leather trim, I would try Apple brand leather cleaner. Perhaps for the coated cotton, try wiping it down with mild soap and water on a washcloth.


----------



## kkarriem

DBLover318 said:


> For the leather trim, I would try Apple brand leather cleaner. Perhaps for the coated cotton, try wiping it down with mild soap and water on a washcloth.


Thanks so much. I have some leather cpr that I use to rehab coach bags, but I was afraid to use it on the Vachetta.


----------



## LaPaloma55

Hi everyone,
Is it ok to soak a pebble leather Dooney?  I bought it for less than $10 on ebay, but the lining smells and is dirty.  I need to clean it up!


----------



## traceyghazal

I just received a vintage all weather leather bag from shopgoodwill.  It is in great shape except that the previous owner was obviously a heavy smoker.  Any suggestions on how to get rid of the smoke and tobacco smell would be appreciated.


----------



## DaffodilDuck

LaPaloma55 said:


> Hi everyone,
> Is it ok to soak a pebble leather Dooney?  I bought it for less than $10 on ebay, but the lining smells and is dirty.  I need to clean it up!


 Did you end up soaking it?
I have washed in the washing machine a variety of different Dooney materials including Florentine, coated cotton, vachetta trim, and some sort of mildly pebbled, very obviously treated/weatherproofed leather (secondhand bag of unknown vintage--possibly early 2000s).

I'm sorry to say that the only one that turned out not great was the last one. I slathered it with Leather CPR while it was still damp, to trap the moisture. When it dried, the leather was dry and somewhat crisp, so I applied more CPR to the dry surface. No progress.

Contrary to the highly absorbent and adaptable Florentine, nothing appears to absorb and nourish this leather. I think its treatment/processing for water repellancy is the reason why it can't absorb moisture-laden products, even when damp to aid penetration.

Now, maybe a newer and softer pebbled leather such as Patterson or Dillen or Belvedere collection would take better to hydrating products. But I wouldn't try again with All Weather Leather or standard Pebbled.


----------



## Crystice

dgphoto said:


> I waited until after dunking to glue the hole and then touched it up using some acrylic paint. Doesn't look too bad. I'm waiting on my Wood n Stuff to completely do the edging rehab.
> 
> Here's the before:
> View attachment 3830240
> 
> Here's the after:
> View attachment 3830242
> 
> Here's the acrylic paint I used:
> View attachment 3830243


That is an amazing job!!


----------



## LolaCalifornia

Hi everyone,
I’ve never rehabbed a D&B (just vintage Coach), and would love some advice, please. What is the best way to clean this satchel? Can I dunk it? The interior is not fabric; it looks to be of leather. Your advice is appreciated! Thank you


----------



## Catbird9

LolaCalifornia said:


> View attachment 4174789
> View attachment 4174791
> 
> Hi everyone,
> I’ve never rehabbed a D&B (just vintage Coach), and would love some advice, please. What is the best way to clean this satchel? Can I dunk it? The interior is not fabric; it looks to be of leather. Your advice is appreciated! Thank you



I have dunked a vintage Dooney & Bourke AWL Equestrian bag successfully, but for your bag, I would *not* dunk it. I would clean it as described on the D&B website Care and Cleaning page, All Weather Leather (Classic) collection. 
https://www.dooney.com/care-n-cleaning-leather.html

They recommend not using any conditioners or creams, but I use a very light coat of Blackrock Leather 'n Rich on mine. Follow the directions on the jar for best results.

For the handles and trim, I'd use Leather CPR to clean and condition. Apply it and wipe with a clean microfiber cloth while still wet. When dry, do a light coat of Blackrock. It's normal to see some darkening on the handles.

The inside lining is leather and/or vinyl, I believe. You could just wipe it with a cloth dampened (wring it out well) with a solution of white vinegar and water. 

There are also some good tips here for care and cleaning:
https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/category/all-weather-leather-2/leather-care/

Enjoy your new red satchel!


----------



## LolaCalifornia

Catbird9 said:


> I have dunked a vintage Dooney & Bourke AWL Equestrian bag successfully, but for your bag, I would *not* dunk it. I would clean it as described on the D&B website Care and Cleaning page, All Weather Leather (Classic) collection.
> https://www.dooney.com/care-n-cleaning-leather.html
> 
> They recommend not using any conditioners or creams, but I use a very light coat of Blackrock Leather 'n Rich on mine. Follow the directions on the jar for best results.
> 
> For the handles and trim, I'd use Leather CPR to clean and condition. Apply it and wipe with a clean microfiber cloth while still wet. When dry, do a light coat of Blackrock. It's normal to see some darkening on the handles.
> 
> The inside lining is leather and/or vinyl, I believe. You could just wipe it with a cloth dampened (wring it out well) with a solution of white vinegar and water.
> 
> There are also some good tips here for care and cleaning:
> https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/category/all-weather-leather-2/leather-care/
> 
> Enjoy your new red satchel!



Thank you!


----------



## CurrentObsesh

MeezerSqueezer said:


> Have you tried acetone? I wouldn't use it on the Dooney red lining, only the checkerboard lining. I would be very careful not to get any on the leather. You probably already know to pull the lining completely out. I would try a little on a Q tip and see if it breaks up the stain. Sometimes, if the ink stain is too big, disturbing it only makes it worse. Also, you could take it to professional cleaners and see what they recommend. Good luck with your bag. [emoji122]


I feel REAL dumb replying to a 2 year old quote, but I just bought a Dooney that needs serious interior work. Outside? Perfect! Inside hot mess'o nasty.  I turned it mostly inside out, but how does one completely pull out the lining? From research, it's a black Chiara patent bag.  I don't see how it could even come out, but I was all armed with blue Dawn and a toothbrush, and thought...I'd better ask about this...


----------



## lavenderjunkie

CurrentObsesh said:


> I feel REAL dumb replying to a 2 year old quote, but I just bought a Dooney that needs serious interior work. Outside? Perfect! Inside hot mess'o nasty.  I turned it mostly inside out, but how does one completely pull out the lining? From research, it's a black Chiara patent bag.  I don't see how it could even come out, but I was all armed with blue Dawn and a toothbrush, and thought...I'd better ask about this...


Good luck.   I haven't rehabbed a bag,  so I'll leave the advice on that to others.   But,  from painful experience I will tell you to be very careful to keep chemicals, creams, sprays, etc.  away from the patent leather.   A single droplet of something can eat a hole in the patent finish.   It happened to me and ruined a new bag.   You can read the Dooney site care info to see what, if anything, they think is safe for patent leather.   But just be sure to protect the outside while cleaning the inside of your handbag.


----------



## Catbird9

CurrentObsesh said:


> I feel REAL dumb replying to a 2 year old quote, but I just bought a Dooney that needs serious interior work. Outside? Perfect! Inside hot mess'o nasty.  I turned it mostly inside out, but how does one completely pull out the lining? From research, it's a black Chiara patent bag.  I don't see how it could even come out, but I was all armed with blue Dawn and a toothbrush, and thought...I'd better ask about this...


I think you can only pull it partway out, not completely remove it. If it's sewn to the bottom of the bag it won't pull out at all. The idea is to get it far enough away from the inside of the leather so the leather doesn't get wet.

ETA: good advice above from @lavenderjunkie.


----------



## CurrentObsesh

lavenderjunkie said:


> Good luck.   I haven't rehabbed a bag,  so l leave the advice on that to others.   But,  from painful experience I will tell you to be very careful to keep chemicals, creams, sprays, etc.  away from the patent leather.   A single droplet of something can eat a hole in the patent finish.   It happened to me and ruined a new bag.   You can read the Dooney site care info to see what, if anything, they think is safe for patent leather.   But just be sure to protect the outside while cleaning the inside of your handbag.


Thank you! After reading that,  I'm glad I didn't try to wing it! 




Catbird9 said:


> I think you can only pull it partway out, not completely remove it. If it's sewn to the bottom of the bag it won't pull out at all. The idea is to get it far enough away from the inside of the leather so the leather doesn't get wet.
> ETA: good advice above from @lavenderjunkie.


That makes sense, because the lining seems very very attached.  I thought there was some trick that was known for getting it out. Thank you!


----------



## India Null

Hey y’all! I bought 2 dooney’s and need some help with rehab please. This one is AWL and I followed Dooney’s care instructions on cleaning with distilled water, which did nothing. I saw online where people use leather cleaner on AWL and it turns out great. Should I go this route? Also, the handles are very dark and other parts of the leather are lighter but look splotchy. Any fixes on that?


----------



## India Null

And on this one, the leather handles have what look to be water spots and the leather is lighter in some areas. What can I do? I have Leather CPR. Should I try that? Any other suggestions? Thanks y’all!


----------



## Catbird9

India Null said:


> Hey y’all! I bought 2 dooney’s and need some help with rehab please. This one is AWL and I followed Dooney’s care instructions on cleaning with distilled water, which did nothing. I saw online where people use leather cleaner on AWL and it turns out great. Should I go this route? Also, the handles are very dark and other parts of the leather are lighter but look splotchy. Any fixes on that?
> 
> View attachment 4230689
> View attachment 4230689


Leather CPR cleans and conditions, so that's what I would use on the smooth leather trim. The handles will probably remain dark though. 

I'd use a very light coat of CPR on the All Weather Leather, and wipe off any excess with a clean microfiber cloth.

You can finish the smooth trim with a light application of Blackrock Leather 'n Rich, wipe off excess with paper towel, let dry, then buff. I don't think it's necessary to use Blackrock on the AWL.


----------



## Catbird9

India Null said:


> And on this one, the leather handles have what look to be water spots and the leather is lighter in some areas. What can I do? I have Leather CPR. Should I try that? Any other suggestions? Thanks y’all!
> 
> View attachment 4230697
> View attachment 4230698


I'd wet a Q-tip with white vinegar and gently scrub the spotted areas. Let dry for several hours, then apply a light coat of Blackrock, wipe off excess with paper towel, let dry overnight, buff with microfiber cloth. If you don't have Blackrock, use Leather CPR instead. (But I highly recommend keeping a jar of Blackrock on hand!)


----------



## India Null

Catbird9 said:


> Leather CPR cleans and conditions, so that's what I would use on the smooth leather trim. The handles will probably remain dark though.
> 
> I'd use a very light coat of CPR on the All Weather Leather, and wipe off any excess with a clean microfiber cloth.
> 
> You can finish the smooth trim with a light application of Blackrock Leather 'n Rich, wipe off excess with paper towel, let dry, then buff. I don't think it's necessary to use Blackrock on the AWL.


Thank you!


----------



## LaughingPlace

I bought this beautiful red pre-tag zip top recently. I used Leather CPR on the trim and noticed it soaked in within a few minutes. Then when I went to wipe it down, the leather was sticky!? When I touch it, a sticky residue comes off on my fingers. I've cleaned 4 other vintage Dooneys (including a black pre tag in the same style) and never had this problem. Anyone know what it could be?


----------



## Catbird9

LaughingPlace said:


> I bought this beautiful red pre-tag zip top recently. I used Leather CPR on the trim and noticed it soaked in within a few minutes. Then when I went to wipe it down, the leather was sticky!? When I touch it, a sticky residue comes off on my fingers. I've cleaned 4 other vintage Dooneys (including a black pre tag in the same style) and never had this problem. Anyone know what it could be?


That's weird, I don't know what would cause that. Possibly some product was used on it before, and it reacted with the Leather CPR. 

I would wait a day or two, and if it's still sticky, try cleaning it with white vinegar on a clean, soft, lint-free cloth.


----------



## LaughingPlace

Catbird9 said:


> That's weird, I don't know what would cause that. Possibly some product was used on it before, and it reacted with the Leather CPR.
> 
> I would wait a day or two, and if it's still sticky, try cleaning it with white vinegar on a clean, soft, lint-free cloth.



Good idea! I might try that. It's less sticky now that it's drying, but still has a few sticky patches. I had a mini heart attack there. ‍♀️


----------



## VintageViv

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!


----------



## Catbird9

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!



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:


----------



## VintageViv

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


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.


----------



## kithrobyn

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.


----------



## VintageViv

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.


 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!


----------



## Catbird9

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.



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/


----------



## Catbird9

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!


Interesting ideas, thanks! I'll have to check out that Windex video.


----------



## kithrobyn

Has anybody dyed their AWL bag?


----------



## kithrobyn

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.


New photos of the progress I've made so far


----------



## Catbird9

kithrobyn said:


> New photos of the progress I've made so far



Awesome! She's looking SO much better!


----------



## bellebellebelle19

kithrobyn said:


> New photos of the progress I've made so far


WOW! What method did you end up using?


----------



## kithrobyn

bellebellebelle19 said:


> WOW! What method did you end up using?


I think what made the biggest difference was Leather CPR and a nonscratch scrub pad, scrubbing lightly in circles.  I would not have tried that except it was so grungy.


----------



## kithrobyn

Catbird9 said:


> Awesome! She's looking SO much better!


Thank you


----------



## kithrobyn

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.


----------



## Catbird9

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.



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.


----------



## kithrobyn

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


Thank you


----------



## VintageViv

Catbird9 said:


> Interesting ideas, thanks! I'll have to check out that Windex video.


Thx! Love your posts on these threads btw


----------



## VintageViv

kithrobyn said:


> New photos of the progress I've made so far


Lovely!


----------



## Catbird9

VintageViv said:


> Thx! Love your posts on these threads btw


Thank you!


----------



## kithrobyn

I have a new project.







The corners look like this:






Anyone fix something similar or have suggestions?  I know the color itself is a problem, but so is the texture.  

That area is pretty smooth and no longer matches the texture of the rest of the bag.  I've been having some crazy ideas like laying in a coat of leather cement, finding something with a similar texture and stamping it into the leather cement while it is tacky and then letting it dry.


----------



## Catbird9

kithrobyn said:


> I have a new project.
> 
> The corners look like this:
> 
> Anyone fix something similar or have suggestions?  I know the color itself is a problem, but so is the texture.
> 
> That area is pretty smooth and no longer matches the texture of the rest of the bag.  I've been having some crazy ideas like laying in a coat of leather cement, finding something with a similar texture and stamping it into the leather cement while it is tacky and then letting it dry.



I think that's an interesting idea, but challenging. Maybe test it on a different bag first to see how it works.

I would just dab a tiny bit of Leather CPR onto the corners with a sponge and let it soak in. (You could add a little fabric paint or Meltonian shoe cream to the conditioner for color, but then you have to worry about matching it.)

When the CPR dries, I'd use a very light coat of Blackrock all over the bag (remember to wipe off the excess with a paper towel.)


----------



## kithrobyn

Catbird9 said:


> I think that's an interesting idea, but challenging. Maybe test it on a different bag first to see how it works.
> 
> I would just dab a tiny bit of Leather CPR onto the corners with a sponge and let it soak in. (You could add a little fabric paint or Meltonian shoe cream to the conditioner for color, but then you have to worry about matching it.)
> 
> When the CPR dries, I'd use a very light coat of Blackrock all over the bag (remember to wipe off the excess with a paper towel.)


Check out what I found

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/m884-craftool-matting-stamp

It's a stamp that makes a texture on leather that looks like pebbled leather.

I also found a tool for applying edge kote evenly.


----------



## VintageViv

Catbird9 said:


> I think that's an interesting idea, but challenging. Maybe test it on a different bag first to see how it works.
> 
> I would just dab a tiny bit of Leather CPR onto the corners with a sponge and let it soak in. (You could add a little fabric paint or Meltonian shoe cream to the conditioner for color, but then you have to worry about matching it.)
> 
> When the CPR dries, I'd use a very light coat of Blackrock all over the bag (remember to wipe off the excess with a paper towel.)



I second shoe cream. I have heard good things about Meltonian but I have had excellent results with Saphir shoe cream. It comes in dozens of colors and provides very good coverage. They even have a shade that matches Dooney's taupe, so you might want to give their Navy blue (or is this bag black?) a try. It is available at Amazon. I plan to get the dark green and navy shades to touch up my Teton drawstring.


----------



## kithrobyn

VintageViv said:


> I second shoe cream. I have heard good things about Meltonian but I have had excellent results with Saphir shoe cream. It comes in dozens of colors and provides very good coverage. They even have a shade that matches Dooney's taupe, so you might want to give their Navy blue (or is this bag black?) a try. It is available at Amazon. I plan to get the dark green and navy shades to touch up my Teton drawstring.


Which of the Saphir's do you use?  There seems to be several different formulations.  Thank you


----------



## VintageViv

kithrobyn said:


> Which of the Saphir's do you use?  There seems to be several different formulations.  Thank you



I used the Saphir Creme Surfine. It comes in a 50ml glass jar and is thick/waxy. I posted about it not too long ago on this thread, I believe.


----------



## Catbird9

kithrobyn said:


> Check out what I found
> 
> https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/m884-craftool-matting-stamp
> 
> It's a stamp that makes a texture on leather that looks like pebbled leather.
> 
> I also found a tool for applying edge kote evenly.


The edge kite tool could be very handy!

I'm not sure if the matting stamp would work on the worn corner of your bag.


----------



## kithrobyn

VintageViv said:


> I used the Saphir Creme Surfine. It comes in a 50ml glass jar and is thick/waxy. I posted about it not too long ago on this thread, I believe.


I have it in my cart   Does the color rub off?  And is it okay for AWL?  I'm just curious about the practicalities of using this to cover the whole purse.


----------



## VintageViv

kithrobyn said:


> I have it in my cart   Does the color rub off?  And is it okay for AWL?  I'm just curious about the practicalities of using this to cover the whole purse.


I personally cannot recommend you use it all over. Shoe cream from my experience is best applied on faded/mismatched areas only. That is is why I love the Saphir: tons of colors so you can match it up with surrounding area and blend it in. I imagine you might have to touch up the area from time to time. I just know with my taupe bag the spot still looks good and did not rub off and the awl absorbed it beautifully.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

kithrobyn said:


> I have it in my cart   Does the color rub off?  And is it okay for AWL?  I'm just curious about the practicalities of using this to cover the whole purse.


I wouldn't use a shoe cream in any color all over any handbag.  Chances are you will get color transfer onto your clothing when you use the handbag.   No matter how much you buff and polish,  there will be some area that has a smidge left and it will come back to haunt you.

I tried shoe cream on a wallet.   Big mistake.  I was never able to use the wallet again.   Every time I picked it up I found a trace of color on my hands.  And I buffed that wallet at least a dozen times before using it and let the shoe cream absorb for weeks.   But I was still afraid the wallet would ruin my handbags and other accessories.


----------



## VintageViv

VintageViv said:


> I personally cannot recommend you use it all over. Shoe cream from my experience is best applied on faded/mismatched areas only. That is is why I love the Saphir: tons of colors so you can match it up with surrounding area and blend it in. I imagine you might have to touch up the area from time to time. I just know with my taupe bag the spot still looks good and did not rub off and the awl absorbed it beautifully.





lavenderjunkie said:


> I wouldn't use a shoe cream in any color all over any handbag.  Chances are you will get color transfer onto your clothing when you use the handbag.   No matter how much you buff and polish,  there will be some area that has a smidge left and it will come back to haunt you.
> 
> I tried shoe cream on a wallet.   Big mistake.  I was never able to use the wallet again.   Every time I picked it up I found a trace of color on my hands.  And I buffed that wallet at least a dozen times before using it and let the shoe cream absorb for weeks.   But I was still afraid the wallet would ruin my handbags and other accessories.


Agree. While I think Saphir is better than your average shoe cream and it absorbs really well (it has a beeswax base with other plant oils in it) but I covered up a dime-sized. I would only use Saphir on the very worn spots that went white.


----------



## kithrobyn

VintageViv said:


> Agree. While I think Saphir is better than your average shoe cream and it absorbs really well (it has a beeswax base with other plant oils in it) but I covered up a dime-sized. I would only use Saphir on the very worn spots that went white.


That was exactly what I was trying to figure out.  I had always heard about not using it on a purse because of color transfer.  I was trying to figure out the difference I guess between being able to use it on a small spot and the whole purse.  I was so not clear in my question, lol.  

Thanks, guys.  I appreciate your responses.  I'll update as I make progress.  My Saphir shipped this morning so hopefully in a couple of days it should be here.


----------



## aerinha

kithrobyn said:


> That was exactly what I was trying to figure out.  I had always heard about not using it on a purse because of color transfer.  I was trying to figure out the difference I guess between being able to use it on a small spot and the whole purse.  I was so not clear in my question, lol.
> 
> Thanks, guys.  I appreciate your responses.  I'll update as I make progress.  My Saphir shipped this morning so hopefully in a couple of days it should be here.



If you want permanent, why not look into leather dye instead of shoe polish?


----------



## LaPaloma55

HI there!
I am at a loss on how to clean the inside of this beautiful Dooney Bag.  The exterior is almost perfect, but the interior is heavily stained.  I used Blue Coral Upholstery cleaner and also Oxi Clean spray on Stain Remover.  Anyone have any other suggestion?


----------



## kithrobyn

LaPaloma55 said:


> HI there!
> I am at a loss on how to clean the inside of this beautiful Dooney Bag.  The exterior is almost perfect, but the interior is heavily stained.  I used Blue Coral Upholstery cleaner and also Oxi Clean spray on Stain Remover.  Anyone have any other suggestion?


One of my friends used Soilove to clean the inside of her MK bag.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

If you can pull the lining out,  then you can use a stiff brush when you clean it.   I can't recommend products.  But with the lining away from the leather,  you have less concern about damaging the exterior of the handbag.


----------



## LaPaloma55

kithrobyn said:


> One of my friends used Soilove to clean the inside of her MK bag.


Thank you!  Ill try cleaning it with Soilove outside the bag.


----------



## kithrobyn

LaPaloma55 said:


> Thank you!  Ill try cleaning it with Soilove outside the bag.


You're welcome.  I think she basically put a little of the Soilove in some water and then dipped a rag into the solution and rubbed the stained areas.  I would definitely do a test on an area that is not very noticeable first though.


----------



## aerinha

Have any of you checked out a YouTuber called itshadrian?  He lives in CA and finds all these bags in need of a little clean to big TLC and had videos on how to rehab. Some have been Dooneys. I watched a bunch yesterday and now want a bag to rehab lol


----------



## Catbird9

aerinha said:


> Have any of you checked out a YouTuber called itshadrian?  He lives in CA and finds all these bags in need of a little clean to big TLC and had videos on how to rehab. Some have been Dooneys. I watched a bunch yesterday and now want a bag to rehab lol


Thanks, I'll check that out. Sounds interesting!


----------



## aerinha

Catbird9 said:


> Thanks, I'll check that out. Sounds interesting!


He is addictive and thus dangerous...I have a beat up Celine bag coming my way to attempt one of his rehad stories lol.


----------



## smichelle

Hi everyone. This thread and the coach rehab have been so helpful to my amateur efforts. I just have a few questions.

For those who have bathed the awl bags, do you think the water would worsen water marks on the smooth leather (as opposed to the pebbled leather). I have a small Dover bag that I've been thinking about bathing. It has water marks on the bottom and I didn't want to exacerbate that. 

Also, I was thinking about painting the zipper of one of my bags. I had to replace it and want it to be the same color as the original zipper. Do you guys have any suggestions for type or brand of paint?

Thanks for all your help. Love the thread!


----------



## aerinha

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. This thread and the coach rehab have been so helpful to my amateur efforts. I just have a few questions.
> 
> For those who have bathed the awl bags, do you think the water would worsen water marks on the smooth leather (as opposed to the pebbled leather). I have a small Dover bag that I've been thinking about bathing. It has water marks on the bottom and I didn't want to exacerbate that.
> 
> Also, I was thinking about painting the zipper of one of my bags. I had to replace it and want it to be the same color as the original zipper. Do you guys have any suggestions for type or brand of paint?
> 
> Thanks for all your help. Love the thread!


I think more water would stain the smooth leather more, it might hide the original stains, but it would do so by discoloring all of it.

My youtube addicitionI mentioned above paints zippers using Angelus acrylic leather paint, not dye, mixed with water to paint the zipper tape.  He said dye would stiffen the zipper and make it not work.  If you get the paint/water mixture on the metal, he said to wait for it to dry and wipe it off the metal with rubbing alcohol.  In the video I watched, he did 3 coats to make a burgundy zipper black.


----------



## smichelle

aerinha said:


> I think more water would stain the smooth leather more, it might hide the original stains, but it would do so by discoloring all of it.
> 
> My youtube addicitionI mentioned above paints zippers using Angelus acrylic leather paint, not dye, mixed with water to paint the zipper tape.  He said dye would stiffen the zipper and make it not work.  If you get the paint/water mixture on the metal, he said to wait for it to dry and wipe it off the metal with rubbing alcohol.  In the video I watched, he did 3 coats to make a burgundy zipper black.


Thanks for letting me know! I'll try spot cleaning to get some of the stains off of the awl bag. 

I will also see about getting that specific kind of paint for the zipper. After your suggestion , I looked him up and his channel is addictive for sure!


----------



## Catbird9

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. This thread and the coach rehab have been so helpful to my amateur efforts. I just have a few questions.
> 
> For those who have bathed the awl bags, do you think the water would worsen water marks on the smooth leather (as opposed to the pebbled leather). I have a small Dover bag that I've been thinking about bathing. It has water marks on the bottom and I didn't want to exacerbate that.
> 
> Also, I was thinking about painting the zipper of one of my bags. I had to replace it and want it to be the same color as the original zipper. Do you guys have any suggestions for type or brand of paint?
> 
> Thanks for all your help. Love the thread!





aerinha said:


> I think more water would stain the smooth leather more, it might hide the original stains, but it would do so by discoloring all of it.
> 
> My youtube addicitionI mentioned above paints zippers using Angelus acrylic leather paint, not dye, mixed with water to paint the zipper tape.  He said dye would stiffen the zipper and make it not work.  If you get the paint/water mixture on the metal, he said to wait for it to dry and wipe it off the metal with rubbing alcohol.  In the video I watched, he did 3 coats to make a burgundy zipper black.



I agree, I wouldn't dunk the Dover Bag. I would use Blackrock Leather n Rich on the trim and bottom. You can use it (very lightly) on the whole bag if the AWL leather seems stiff and dry. Just be sure to wipe off any excess so it doesn't build up in the pebbled texture. I'd brush lightly with a horsehair brush after it dries.


----------



## smichelle

Catbird9 said:


> I agree, I wouldn't dunk the Dover Bag. I would use Blackrock Leather n Rich on the trim and bottom. You can use it (very lightly) on the whole bag if the AWL leather seems stiff and dry. Just be sure to wipe off any excess so it doesn't build up in the pebbled texture. I'd brush lightly with a horsehair brush after it dries.


Thanks for letting me know. I'll definitely be getting the blackrock conditioner!


----------



## aerinha

If anyone is interested in my non Dooney rehab project (a Celine luggage bag), you can find my story here: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/micro-luggage-rehab-project.1006117/#post-32940805


----------



## aerinha

Has anyone dyed AWL?  There is a bag I would like to try it on but don’t know how it would work or if it would hurt the water proofing


----------



## lavenderjunkie

aerinha said:


> Has anyone dyed AWL?  There is a bag I would like to try it on but don’t know how it would work or if it would hurt the water proofing


As I understand it,  AWL leather is shrunk and that is what gives it the high level of water resistance.   It does not have a coating or other treatment.
So,  I would think the issue would be making sure that the dye could reach and be absorbed evenly into all the nooks and crannies of the leather.
But in my mind I envision trying to get an even coating of jam on an English muffin.... and that never happens.   The jam collects in some spots and skips others.      So I would wonder if the result of dying
AWL would be an uneven color application.

I've never dyed any leather handbag,  so I can't give you any input from experience.   Maybe there is something on you tube.


----------



## Lilybarb

The brand new denim color Florentine satchel has a uneven color. Some of the other Florentine bags in chestnut are unevenly dyed as well, and are gorgeous that way! I have never dyed a bag tho, but sounds like a fun experience, that is if the possibility of it not turning out well wouldn’t bother you.


----------



## smichelle

Hi everyone. I have this late 90s brown Dooney camera bag (?) That I'd like to clean up. The leather is soft to the touch and feels pretty supple. That said, I'm not sure if I should give it a bath. The inside is a bit dirty but no pen marks or deep stains. The outside just has scuffs. It's not an awl (I think). I've attached some pics of the front and back for reference. 

Thanks for your help.


----------



## aerinha

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. I have this late 90s brown Dooney camera bag (?) That I'd like to clean up. The leather is soft to the touch and feels pretty supple. That said, I'm not sure if I should give it a bath. The inside is a bit dirty but no pen marks or deep stains. The outside just has scuffs. It's not an awl (I think). I've attached some pics of the front and back for reference.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4363211
> View attachment 4363212


Not the kind of leather I would dunk.  I would use Lexol or alcohol free baby wipes to clean it, then lightly condition it.


----------



## smichelle

aerinha said:


> Not the kind of leather I would dunk.  I would use Lexol or alcohol free baby wipes to clean it, then lightly condition it.


Ok thanks for letting me know. I'll get the wipes! Any tips on cleaning some dirt from the interior? Thanks !


----------



## Catbird9

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. I have this late 90s brown Dooney camera bag (?) That I'd like to clean up. The leather is soft to the touch and feels pretty supple. That said, I'm not sure if I should give it a bath. The inside is a bit dirty but no pen marks or deep stains. The outside just has scuffs. It's not an awl (I think). I've attached some pics of the front and back for reference.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4363211
> View attachment 4363212



I have never owned one of these but I have a feeling it would probably be fine to bathe it. There's always a chance something could go wrong, so please proceed at your own risk!

If it were mine, I would take a cautious approach. First I'd thoroughly vacuum out the inside, then wipe down inside and out with white vinegar on a clean cloth. Let it dry, then condition with Leather CPR. I'd clean up the hardware with some superfine steel wool and polish it with a Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloth (mask the surrounding leather). Then step back and live with it for a day or two.

If I felt it needed a deeper cleaning and was willing to live with an uncertain outcome, I would dunk it in warm water and a tiny bit of Dawn for 15 minutes. Scrub gently, rinse very well to remove all the soap (add vinegar to the rinse too), then stuff gently with towels and let dry. Condition again, buff, use Blackrock Leather n Rich (very sparingly, wipe with paper towel, let dry, buff) as a finishing coat.

Good luck!


----------



## smichelle

Catbird9 said:


> I have never owned one of these but I have a feeling it would probably be fine to bathe it. There's always a chance something could go wrong, so please proceed at your own risk!
> 
> If it were mine, I would take a cautious approach. First I'd thoroughly vacuum out the inside, then wipe down inside and out with white vinegar on a clean cloth. Let it dry, then condition with Leather CPR. I'd clean up the hardware with some superfine steel wool and polish it with a Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloth (mask the surrounding leather). Then step back and live with it for a day or two.
> 
> If I felt it needed a deeper cleaning and was willing to live with an uncertain outcome, I would dunk it in warm water and a tiny bit of Dawn for 15 minutes. Scrub gently, rinse very well to remove all the soap (add vinegar to the rinse too), then stuff gently with towels and let dry. Condition again, buff, use Blackrock Leather n Rich (very sparingly, wipe with paper towel, let dry, buff) as a finishing coat.
> 
> Good luck!


Wow thanks for the thorough directions! I'll try it out and hope for the best. It's a great medium sized bag that I hope to use daily.


----------



## aerinha

smichelle said:


> Ok thanks for letting me know. I'll get the wipes! Any tips on cleaning some dirt from the interior? Thanks !


Is the lining leather or suede?  In either case start with a vacuum for what comes next it depends on lining material


----------



## lavenderjunkie

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. I have this late 90s brown Dooney camera bag (?) That I'd like to clean up. The leather is soft to the touch and feels pretty supple. That said, I'm not sure if I should give it a bath. The inside is a bit dirty but no pen marks or deep stains. The outside just has scuffs. It's not an awl (I think). I've attached some pics of the front and back for reference.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4363211
> View attachment 4363212


Is the lining tacked down or can you pull it away from the bag and outside the handbag?


----------



## smichelle

lavenderjunkie said:


> Is the lining tacked down or can you pull it away from the bag and outside the handbag?


The lining is tacked down but it's not lined with cloth. More like a harder leather (?). And parts of it is unlined as well. I've attached pics for reference. Thanks !


----------



## aerinha

smichelle said:


> The lining is tacked down but it's not lined with cloth. More like a harder leather (?). And parts of it is unlined as well. I've attached pics for reference. Thanks !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4364524
> View attachment 4364525



The hard leather is vinyl, they used it for pockets on older bags.


----------



## smichelle

aerinha said:


> The hard leather is vinyl, they used it for pockets on older bags.


Ooh good to know. I've managed to get some of the stains off the vinyl so hoping it works on the rest of them as well!


----------



## kithrobyn

I had a question and I was hoping someone here would know the answer.  with the vintage Dooneys that had locks like the doctor's satchel, is there a way to get replacement keys?


----------



## aerinha

kithrobyn said:


> I had a question and I was hoping someone here would know the answer.  with the vintage Dooneys that had locks like the doctor's satchel, is there a way to get replacement keys?



Call dooney and see what they say.


----------



## kithrobyn

aerinha said:


> Call dooney and see what they say.


I sent them an email; I'll let you guys know how they respond.


----------



## aerinha

My recent new to me Dooney arrived needing some unexpected rehab.  While the bag itself was fine, the strap wasn’t looking great.  The first thing I did was wipe her down with a damp cloth.  It removed marks like this (that I thought were scuffs) and were just dirt:


After:



The rest was just in need of edge repainting.  I used Angelus acrylic leather paint and a fine brush.  I wound up doing almost all of the strap’s eding and the edging on the medallion where the straps hooks to the bag on one side. 

Before of the medallion


After



Strap before


After. Just doing the edging made the whole bag look blacker



Before you can see how gray the edges were




After



I did one coat, left it for a few hours, went back and realized more spots needed painting and did those.  The paint dries fast enough it won’t get on stuff, but did take over night to lose the slightly sticky feeling it had. I also used it to touch up some abrasions on the strap, making sure to smooth it out thing so as not to lose the grain of the leather


----------



## Catbird9

aerinha said:


> My recent new to me Dooney arrived needing some unexpected rehab.  While the bag itself was fine, the strap wasn’t looking great.  The first thing I did was wipe her down with a damp cloth.  It removed marks like this (that I thought were scuffs) and were just dirt:
> View attachment 4375353
> 
> After:
> View attachment 4375354
> 
> 
> The rest was just in need of edge repainting.  I used Angelus acrylic leather paint and a fine brush.  I wound up doing almost all of the strap’s eding and the edging on the medallion where the straps hooks to the bag on one side.
> 
> Before of the medallion
> View attachment 4375360
> 
> After
> View attachment 4375361
> 
> 
> Strap before
> View attachment 4375363
> 
> After. Just doing the edging made the whole bag look blacker
> View attachment 4375362
> 
> 
> Before you can see how gray the edges were
> 
> View attachment 4375365
> 
> 
> After
> View attachment 4375366
> 
> 
> I did one coat, left it for a few hours, went back and realized more spots needed painting and did those.  The paint dries fast enough it won’t get on stuff, but did take over night to lose the slightly sticky feeling it had. I also used it to touch up some abrasions on the strap, making sure to smooth it out thing so as not to lose the grain of the leather


It looks so much better! Thanks for posting!


----------



## kithrobyn

I've got a couple of AWL bags that are misshapen.  Does anybody have a way to get them back to original shape?  With a vintage Coach, I would dunk it and then stuff it with towels.  I'm not sure that this will work with the AWL bags because they are basically water proof.  Thanks.


----------



## Catbird9

kithrobyn said:


> I've got a couple of AWL bags that are misshapen.  Does anybody have a way to get them back to original shape?  With a vintage Coach, I would dunk it and then stuff it with towels.  I'm not sure that this will work with the AWL bags because they are basically water proof.  Thanks.


I dunked and reshaped a vintage AWL Equestrian bag, so it can be done on some models. That being said, I wouldn't advise it in most cases.

 You can try stuffing the bag with towels and hanging it in a steamy bathroom, or stuffing it with warm towels from the dryer and letting it stand, or hang, for several days. 

For square or rectangular bags, you can cut pieces of foam core board to fit inside the bag, to help maintain the shape while not in use.


----------



## kithrobyn

Catbird9 said:


> I dunked and reshaped a vintage AWL Equestrian bag, so it can be done on some models. That being said, I wouldn't advise it in most cases.
> 
> You can try stuffing the bag with towels and hanging it in a steamy bathroom, or stuffing it with warm towels from the dryer and letting it stand, or hang, for several days.
> 
> For square or rectangular bags, you can cut pieces of foam core board to fit inside the bag, to help maintain the shape while not in use.


Thank you, I will try some of these and let you guys know how it goes.


----------



## RadhaDB

Those of you with vintage bags trimmed in the classic British tan, what color of edge coating do you buy? I had thought I would need tan, but on my bags the edging actually appears to be a darker, more truly brown color.  I’d love thoughts and/pictures!


----------



## Miss Understood

RadhaDB said:


> Those of you with vintage bags trimmed in the classic British tan, what color of edge coating do you buy? I had thought I would need tan, but on my bags the edging actually appears to be a darker, more truly brown color.  I’d love thoughts and/pictures!


Fiebings Edge Kote in brown works well for touching up the edge coat on straps. Then seal with brown resolene.


----------



## RadhaDB

Miss Understood said:


> Fiebings Edge Kote in brown works well for touching up the edge coat on straps. Then seal with brown resolene.


Thanks!


----------



## whateve

Miss Understood said:


> Fiebings Edge Kote in brown works well for touching up the edge coat on straps. Then seal with brown resolene.


Sound like a lot of work. For vintage bags, which never had edge coating to begin with, I don't want to add anything that would substantially change the bag. If my straps aren't fuzzy I leave them alone. If they are fuzzy, I just rub some craft paint on the edge to smooth them.


----------



## Dooneysta

RadhaDB said:


> Thanks!


I’ve used several Fiebings products, they are easy to work with. Tandy Leather also makes a product for the same purpose that has a slightly higher wax content and is more like the edge coating that you find on, say, Coach. That texture. 

Adding edge coat is pretty low-effort assuming you have a reasonably steady hand. I’m buying some Tandy next week, actually, to edge a bag that never had any and could stand to have some. Good luck!


----------



## Ljldrn

aerinha said:


> This is a vintage dark brown AWL with burnt cedar trim carrier bag I bought from Poshmark. It needs some TLC so I thought I would update as I progressed
> View attachment 4055334
> 
> Big problem:  heavy perfume smell with hints of smoke
> 
> 1. She had 36 hours in my garage. No change
> 2. I sealed her up with newspaper based in an internet tip. Little to no change
> 3.  Sealed her in with a box of baking soda inside and outside for three days. Noticeable improvement but not gone.
> 
> I flipped the bag over so the exterior box of baking soda was sitting on her other side and will leave until weekend. Then I will leave her air.


Have you tried charcoal???  Put it in a plastic tote and don’t let the charcoal touch the bag.


----------



## Miss Understood

whateve said:


> Sound like a lot of work. For vintage bags, which never had edge coating to begin with, I don't want to add anything that would substantially change the bag. If my straps aren't fuzzy I leave them alone. If they are fuzzy, I just rub some craft paint on the edge to smooth them.


I have never seen a vintage Dooney that didn’t have edge coat on the straps, and I own a couple hundred.


----------



## Miss Understood

smichelle said:


> Hi everyone. I have this late 90s brown Dooney camera bag (?) That I'd like to clean up. The leather is soft to the touch and feels pretty supple. That said, I'm not sure if I should give it a bath. The inside is a bit dirty but no pen marks or deep stains. The outside just has scuffs. It's not an awl (I think). I've attached some pics of the front and back for reference.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4363211
> View attachment 4363212


This bag is glove leather. I use Bick 4 conditioner on glove leather and AWL.


----------



## Beauty Marked

Sorry if this has been asked before but I have a small blue pen mark on my bone colored AWL bag. Is there something I can do to remove or fade it? Or even paint over it?


----------



## Catbird9

Beauty Marked said:


> Sorry if this has been asked before but I have a small blue pen mark on my bone colored AWL bag. Is there something I can do to remove or fade it? Or even paint over it?


I don't know of any way to remove an ink mark, but you can paint over it with fabric paint or acrylic paint. You may have to mix colors to get the right shade. Add a bit of leather conditioner to the paint and lightly dot it onto the ink mark with a tiny paintbrush. I painted over some minor scuffs on a Taupe AWL bag and it worked well.


----------



## Beauty Marked

Catbird9 said:


> I don't know of any way to remove an ink mark, but you can paint over it with fabric paint or acrylic paint. You may have to mix colors to get the right shade. Add a bit of leather conditioner to the paint and lightly dot it onto the ink mark with a tiny paintbrush. I painted over some minor scuffs on a Taupe AWL bag and it worked well.



Thanks so much for the feedback. I’ll try the paint method to cover up this ink mark.


----------



## RadhaDB

Had a tough day at work yesterday and so went thrifting (as you do- cheap therapy!) and look what I found! Happy weekend projects for 6.00 each. They look pretty pitiful in person but I think they will clean up well.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

RadhaDB said:


> View attachment 4551922
> View attachment 4551923
> View attachment 4551924
> View attachment 4551925
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Had a tough day at work yesterday and so went thrifting (as you do- cheap therapy!) and look what I found! Happy weekend projects for 6.00 each. They look pretty pitiful in person but I think they will clean up well.


Have fun  with your rehab projects.


----------



## bolsathemosta

RadhaDB said:


> View attachment 4551922
> View attachment 4551923
> View attachment 4551924
> View attachment 4551925
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Had a tough day at work yesterday and so went thrifting (as you do- cheap therapy!) and look what I found! Happy weekend projects for 6.00 each. They look pretty pitiful in person but I think they will clean up well.


I went to goodwill the other day to find something to display jewelry and ended up with 10 bags. 2 of them The saddest old Dooneys I've seen in awhile. One is bone colored so that will be a first for me. They must of been stored smashed down by other things and they are super dry. Definitely the worst condition I have attempted to rehab.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

bolsathemosta said:


> I went to goodwill the other day to find something to display jewelry and ended up with 10 bags. 2 of them The saddest old Dooneys I've seen in awhile. One is bone colored so that will be a first for me. They must of been stored smashed down by other things and they are super dry. Definitely the worst condition I have attempted to rehab.


Good luck with the rehab.


----------



## Lothruin

I picked up this very sad and bedraggled Teton Drawstring for $3, specifically to practice rehab, since the main leather should be treated differently than the very forgiving vintage Coach leather I've worked on before.




So far I have given it a very brief full dunk in cold water, and done some selective conditioning, and I think it is already looking heaps better.


I dunked to reshape rather than steamed, as I have seen suggested here, because steam also opens pores, while cold water tends to shock pores closed, so I decided to go that route. It really worked rather well.

Even though the trim on the Tetons appears to be AWL, I decided to risk disrupting the pores on the straps, tassel, and green piping, because it was so very dry. The straps were the worst. I had to dunk, extreme condition the bits that contacted the hardware, and then press flat to dry. I decided I would rather sacrifice the weatherproofing on those limited bits, if it meant protecting the leather from splitting or cracking. 

After comparing the feel of the main body leather to my good-condition AWL bags, I have determined it does not need any conditioning. It isn't as supple as Coach leather, but I don't think it ever was or will be. I was worried I might have to do a full condition in the end, which is not recommended, but I wouldn't mind for a bag for ME, if it really needed it, but I don't think it's going to be necessary. 

I am ordering a set of Angelus leather paints to customize a vintage Coach bag, so I will have that to do some color correcting on the green piping and trim, and I need to get some edgekote for the dark brown straps.

Does anyone have any suggestions for smoothing out the little sawtooth points on the trim and top of the tassels? The tassels themselves smoothed out really nicely with some massaged Leather CPR, but I tried to do something similar on the green trim and the tops of the tassels, to very limited success. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to work in sections, put something flat inside the bag, like a book or something, slip a foil under the trim, condition or wet it, then set a weight on. That still won't help with the limited sawtooth bit about the top of the tassel, but would at least get the green trim under control.


----------



## Catbird9

Lothruin said:


> I picked up this very sad and bedraggled Teton Drawstring for $3, specifically to practice rehab, since the main leather should be treated differently than the very forgiving vintage Coach leather I've worked on before.
> 
> View attachment 4584761
> View attachment 4584762
> 
> So far I have given it a very brief full dunk in cold water, and done some selective conditioning, and I think it is already looking heaps better.
> View attachment 4584763
> 
> I dunked to reshape rather than steamed, as I have seen suggested here, because steam also opens pores, while cold water tends to shock pores closed, so I decided to go that route. It really worked rather well.
> 
> Even though the trim on the Tetons appears to be AWL, I decided to risk disrupting the pores on the straps, tassel, and green piping, because it was so very dry. The straps were the worst. I had to dunk, extreme condition the bits that contacted the hardware, and then press flat to dry. I decided I would rather sacrifice the weatherproofing on those limited bits, if it meant protecting the leather from splitting or cracking.
> 
> After comparing the feel of the main body leather to my good-condition AWL bags, I have determined it does not need any conditioning. It isn't as supple as Coach leather, but I don't think it ever was or will be. I was worried I might have to do a full condition in the end, which is not recommended, but I wouldn't mind for a bag for ME, if it really needed it, but I don't think it's going to be necessary.
> 
> I am ordering a set of Angelus leather paints to customize a vintage Coach bag, so I will have that to do some color correcting on the green piping and trim, and I need to get some edgekote for the dark brown straps.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions for smoothing out the little sawtooth points on the trim and top of the tassels? The tassels themselves smoothed out really nicely with some massaged Leather CPR, but I tried to do something similar on the green trim and the tops of the tassels, to very limited success. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to work in sections, put something flat inside the bag, like a book or something, slip a foil under the trim, condition or wet it, then set a weight on. That still won't help with the limited sawtooth bit about the top of the tassel, but would at least get the green trim under control.


It does look a LOT better! The main body of the bag is noticeably darker and richer looking. 

I don't have any special tricks for the sawtooth edges, but your plan sounds good. 

Great job bringing this well-loved Teton back to life!


----------



## jdal622

I've just recently started rehabbing(coach only so far but I have quite a few Dooney bags I want to work on). I was told that if the edges of the strap gets fuzzy, you could put clear top coat fingernail polish over it? Idk if that's okay or not. Would like to hear some feedback. I read a few post back about the straps and seems like they could be tricky if they get real fuzzy.


----------



## Catbird9

jdal622 said:


> I've just recently started rehabbing(coach only so far but I have quite a few Dooney bags I want to work on). I was told that if the edges of the strap gets fuzzy, you could put clear top coat fingernail polish over it? Idk if that's okay or not. Would like to hear some feedback. I read a few post back about the straps and seems like they could be tricky if they get real fuzzy.



Can you post a picture of the strap in question? The type of edge coatings used were different depending on when the bag was made.

I don't think I'd use clear nail polish in any case. Instead, for an older, vintage bag I'd probably use Fiebing's Edge Kote. They make a clear one (I think they call it neutral or natural) and a few other colors. I've used the Brown on vintage Dooney straps and it's a good match. I used a toothpick to apply it, or you can buy a metal tool.

Here's a detailed tutorial showing how to apply edge coat using a Vernis product. As you can see, he uses two coats, sanding lightly between coats. It results in a thicker edge like you see on more the recent styles. Lots of work though!
https://www.goldbarkleather.com/sourceblog/how-to-use-edge-paint


----------



## whateve

jdal622 said:


> I've just recently started rehabbing(coach only so far but I have quite a few Dooney bags I want to work on). I was told that if the edges of the strap gets fuzzy, you could put clear top coat fingernail polish over it? Idk if that's okay or not. Would like to hear some feedback. I read a few post back about the straps and seems like they could be tricky if they get real fuzzy.


If they didn't originally have edge coating, I would just seal them with leather glue to flatten out the fuzzies. I like to keep them as close to original as possible. There was no need to use edge coating back in the day because the entire strap was made of leather. On newer bags they use edge coating to hide the fillers.


----------



## Catbird9

jdal622 said:


> I've just recently started rehabbing(coach only so far but I have quite a few Dooney bags I want to work on). I was told that if the edges of the strap gets fuzzy, you could put clear top coat fingernail polish over it? Idk if that's okay or not. Would like to hear some feedback. I read a few post back about the straps and seems like they could be tricky if they get real fuzzy.





whateve said:


> If they didn't originally have edge coating, I would just seal them with leather glue to flatten out the fuzzies. I like to keep them as close to original as possible. There was no need to use edge coating back in the day because the entire strap was made of leather. On newer bags they use edge coating to hide the fillers.



Here's an example of a vintage Dooney, in brand new condition. The strap edges are coated or painted with something.  

Photo credit: https://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/ZIPTOP/1259-R60-ziptop-macys-rougebt.htm


----------



## jdal622

It's really only fuzzy in a couple small places. Here's what they look like...
Not awful, but I'd like to get ahead of it. 
The last picture shows what coating it has on it.
@whateve the zipper is worse than I had originally thought, there are prongs missing in all the right places to cause it to not go at all. Lol


----------



## whateve

jdal622 said:


> It's really only fuzzy in a couple small places. Here's what they look like...
> Not awful, but I'd like to get ahead of it.
> The last picture shows what coating it has on it.
> @whateve the zipper is worse than I had originally thought, there are prongs missing in all the right places to cause it to not go at all. Lol


Yeah, that does like edge coating. I just checked my Dooney and it does look like that. I think a little brown paint might do the trick.

What are you going to do about the zipper?


----------



## jdal622

whateve said:


> Yeah, that does like edge coating. I just checked my Dooney and it does look like that. I think a little brown paint might do the trick.
> 
> What are you going to do about the zipper?


Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Maybe just take it and match it in store?
And honestly I have no idea now. Idk what the best route would be. I would take it to mamaw but she's still got the flu.
Any suggestions?


----------



## whateve

jdal622 said:


> Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Maybe just take it and match it in store?
> And honestly I have no idea now. Idk what the best route would be. I would take it to mamaw but she's still got the flu.
> Any suggestions?


It is really hard to replace a zipper in a bag. They normally put the zippers in before the bag is assembled. I once took a bag to a leather repair place and he quoted $70 to replace the zipper.


----------



## jdal622

whateve said:


> It is really hard to replace a zipper in a bag. They normally put the zippers in before the bag is assembled. I once took a bag to a leather repair place and he quoted $70 to replace the zipper.


So in other words, it would be better to just leave it be? Lol the bag itself is in perfect condition. The straps have that little wear on them. I only paid $6 for it so I'm not really out anything.


----------



## whateve

jdal622 said:


> So in other words, it would be better to just leave it be? Lol the bag itself is in perfect condition. The straps have that little wear on them. I only paid $6 for it so I'm not really out anything.


As long you are fine with using it with the zipper open, I would just leave it.


----------



## jdal622

whateve said:


> As long you are fine with using it with the zipper open, I would just leave it.


Can I dunk that Dooney? Or is that not a good idea? Lol it's awful dry and the inside has a bit of grunge.


----------



## sewidyll

Has anyone dunked an AWL and have bad results?


----------



## whateve

Any suggestions on the best way to cover the piping while coloring the rest of the bag (AWL)? I'm using saphir creme surfine. I think it was suggested on this thread.


----------



## RadhaDB

I have dunked them and thought I got good results,  but I will say it softens the leather and the bag shape can be affected.  Apparently you are not supposed to dunk AWL, but the bags I had were dirty and smelled like smoke, so ‍


----------



## bolsathemosta

whateve said:


> Any suggestions on the best way to cover the piping while coloring the rest of the bag (AWL)? I'm using saphir creme surfine. I think it was suggested on this thread.


I use artist and drafting tape. It adheres well and comes off well. It also comes in various thicknesses to make it easy to cover something like piping without any extra steps


----------



## bolsathemosta

RadhaDB said:


> I have dunked them and thought I got good results,  but I will say it softens the leather and the bag shape can be affected.  Apparently you are not supposed to dunk AWL, but the bags I had were dirty and smelled like smoke, so ‍


I dunk my AWL and scrub them well
 I also use a super whammy or a shawow to dry them off and stuff them with towels. Make sure to change the everyday until its dry. For nasty smells nothing works better than an ozone emitter. It doesnt leave any chemicals or fragrance behind and it breaks down cigarette smell very easy. The only smell I've had to apply ozone to more than once was the smell of Curry spices. The former owner must have worked in an Indian restaurant or was actually Indian. I like that smell but most just want a smell free bag.


----------



## bolsathemosta

jdal622 said:


> So in other words, it would be better to just leave it be? Lol the bag itself is in perfect condition. The straps have that little wear on them. I only paid $6 for it so I'm not really out anything.



How exactly is it broken? If it's missing teeth or off the zip you may be able to fix it so its works. There are a few other ways to fix common zipper issues and they work well on sturdy zippers like dooneys tend to have. 
My leather guy gave me a very high quote to replace a zipper but when I told his to put it on the track and sew the bottom so it wouldn't come off it only cost me 20 bucks.


----------



## bolsathemosta

sewidyll said:


> Has anyone dunked an AWL and have bad results?


I shouldn't have dunked one before doing a basic clean first and the one with a ripped seam probably would have come out better had I fixed it first. I also discovered how fake one of them was cause they do not handle being dunked at all


----------



## jdal622

bolsathemosta said:


> How exactly is it broken? If it's missing teeth or off the zip you may be able to fix it so its works. There are a few other ways to fix common zipper issues and they work well on sturdy zippers like dooneys tend to have.
> My leather guy gave me a very high quote to replace a zipper but when I told his to put it on the track and sew the bottom so it wouldn't come off it only cost me 20 bucks.


I'll have to take pictures of it so you can see.
It is off track and missing some teeth. Maybe 6 prongs AT LEAST. I've fooled with it some but no luck.


----------



## whateve

bolsathemosta said:


> I use artist and drafting tape. It adheres well and comes off well. It also comes in various thicknesses to make it easy to cover something like piping without any extra steps


Thanks!


----------



## bolsathemosta

jdal622 said:


> I'll have to take pictures of it so you can see.
> It is off track and missing some teeth. Maybe 6 prongs AT LEAST. I've fooled with it some but no luck.


Some zipper fix gets have extra teeth you can install, but in my experience if it's more than 3 it doesn't work well. If they are missing from one end of the track you can add a few teeth , leaving room to get it back on track and sew the area where you put it on so it doesnt slip off again. I have had it done on boots by my cobbler because I couldn't leverage the zipper back on track but it works still.


----------



## IRuehl

Hi ladies. I found this at the thrift store not too long ago. Smelled like cigarettes and feet and was rather disgusting to be honest. I put it away and forgot about it until the other day. So far I  dunked/ hand washed it (the water was black, took 3 washes to get the smell out), figured the condition it was in, it couldn't hurt. It's dry now. So my question is this, can I use mink oil on it to give some of the color back and make the leather supple again? Or use leather cpr? Will the cpr help fix the color? Can I use both? Sorry for the gritty picture,  took it in the evening while it was drying.


----------



## Catbird9

IRuehl said:


> Hi ladies. I found this at the thrift store not too long ago. Smelled like cigarettes and feet and was rather disgusting to be honest. I put it away and forgot about it until the other day. So far I  dunked/ hand washed it (the water was black, took 3 washes to get the smell out), figured the condition it was in, it couldn't hurt. It's dry now. So my question is this, can I use mink oil on it to give some of the color back and make the leather supple again? Or use leather cpr? Will the cpr help fix the color? Can I use both? Sorry for the gritty picture,  took it in the evening while it was drying.


The bag seems to have held up very well to 3 washings! 

I've never used mink oil, however from what I've read, it will darken leather, but not necessarily evenly.

Dooney has this on their website:

"Ostrich Collection. Made of embossed cowhide in rich, saturated colors, the bags are finished with Vacchetta leather trim and gold plated logos."
https://www.dooney.com/collections/the-ostrich-collection/?pg=2&start=0&sz=36

"Ostrich Collection
 The leather has been treated for water repellency. Each piece is hand-stitched and rubbed with natural dyes and oils for a lustrous, protective finish.

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 requires no creams, polishes, or leather conditioning products to maintain its beauty."

https://www.dooney.com/care-n-cleaning-leather.html

That being said, I would probably try a little Leather CPR on it, but test it first in a small, inconspicuous area if possible.

Nice thrift store find!


----------



## IRuehl

Catbird9 said:


> The bag seems to have held up very well to 3 washings!
> 
> I've never used mink oil, however from what I've read, it will darken leather, but not necessarily evenly.
> 
> Dooney has this on their website:
> 
> "Ostrich Collection. Made of embossed cowhide in rich, saturated colors, the bags are finished with Vacchetta leather trim and gold plated logos."
> https://www.dooney.com/collections/the-ostrich-collection/?pg=2&start=0&sz=36
> 
> "Ostrich Collection
> The leather has been treated for water repellency. Each piece is hand-stitched and rubbed with natural dyes and oils for a lustrous, protective finish.
> 
> 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 requires no creams, polishes, or leather conditioning products to maintain its beauty."
> 
> https://www.dooney.com/care-n-cleaning-leather.html
> 
> That being said, I would probably try a little Leather CPR on it, but test it first in a small, inconspicuous area if possible.
> 
> Nice thrift store find!


 

Thank you! The color is faded and it feels dry and stiff. I think it took some serious use before ending up in the thrift shop. Overall though it isn't too bad


----------



## RadhaDB

IRuehl said:


> Hi ladies. I found this at the thrift store not too long ago. Smelled like cigarettes and feet and was rather disgusting to be honest. I put it away and forgot about it until the other day. So far I  dunked/ hand washed it (the water was black, took 3 washes to get the smell out), figured the condition it was in, it couldn't hurt. It's dry now. So my question is this, can I use mink oil on it to give some of the color back and make the leather supple again? Or use leather cpr? Will the cpr help fix the color? Can I use both? Sorry for the gritty picture,  took it in the evening while it was drying.



Super fun find! Agree about using a little CPR, at least to start, since it feels dry. I have used mink oil but it did darken my bag a bit and made it a bit shiny, which you may or may not want. Leather CPR will help with dryness.


----------



## IRuehl

Thanks ladies! I went ahead with the mink oil after testing in a hidden part. It gave it it's color, luster and supple texture back! I didn't glob it on, just small amounts rubbed in! Can't believe the difference!

Sorry they are out of order. First pic is when it was drying.
 Second two are after 2 light layers of mink oil.
Last picture was after it dried and before oil. It looked good but was crunchy in spots.


----------



## RadhaDB

IRuehl said:


> Thanks ladies! I went ahead with the mink oil after testing in a hidden part. It gave it it's color, luster and supple texture back! I didn't glob it on, just small amounts rubbed in! Can't believe the difference!
> 
> Sorry they are out of order. First pic is when it was drying.
> Second two are after 2 light layers of mink oil.
> Last picture was after it dried and before oil. It looked good but was crunchy in spots.



  That makes a big difference- it looks great!


----------



## Catbird9

IRuehl said:


> Thanks ladies! I went ahead with the mink oil after testing in a hidden part. It gave it it's color, luster and supple texture back! I didn't glob it on, just small amounts rubbed in! Can't believe the difference!
> 
> Sorry they are out of order. First pic is when it was drying.
> Second two are after 2 light layers of mink oil.
> Last picture was after it dried and before oil. It looked good but was crunchy in spots.


Great result! I will keep this in mind for future projects. CPR may not be oily enough for some situations.


----------



## whateve

Catbird9 said:


> Great result! I will keep this in mind for future projects. CPR may not be oily enough for some situations.


I've used mink oil for very dry bags. It gives similar results as Leather Honey but is less messy.


----------



## RadhaDB

So it looks like I may have picked up a Alto Happy bag(?) in blue for what seemed like a good price. It has some water marks- can anyone tell me about this type of leather? This would be my first non-vintage Dooney.

https://merc.li/rK2ZZDS5b


----------



## Catbird9

RadhaDB said:


> So it looks like I may have picked up a Alto Happy bag(?) in blue for what seemed like a good price. It has some water marks- can anyone tell me about this type of leather? This would be my first non-vintage Dooney.
> 
> https://merc.li/rK2ZZDS5b



Cute bag, great price!

I've never worked with the Alto leather, but I would first try wiping it down with a solution of white vinegar and water on a soft cloth, then waiting until it's completely dry. If you still see the spots, they may be something other than water. You could try using Leather CPR evenly all over the bag, let dry, and buff. As you use the bag, I suspect the spots will become less noticeable.

https://www.dooney.com/care-n-cleaning-leather.html
"The Alto Collection has not been specifically treated for water repellency. Thus, the leather will temporarily darken when wet, and return to the original tone once completely dry. The waxed surface may assist in staving off some dirt. With continued use, a lovely shine or patina will develop, only enhancing the beauty of this leather. It is also characteristic for lighter colors to darken with use over time, and with exposure to light.

Minor abrasions may be removed or lessened with the use of a very soft cloth and a gentle buffing action.

This collection requires no creams, polishes, or leather conditioning products to maintain its beauty."


----------



## lavenderjunkie

RadhaDB said:


> So it looks like I may have picked up a Alto Happy bag(?) in blue for what seemed like a good price. It has some water marks- can anyone tell me about this type of leather? This would be my first non-vintage Dooney.
> 
> https://merc.li/rK2ZZDS5b


Congratulations on your new Alto handbag.  Alto leather is thick and structured,  with a smooth, matte, very fine grain finish.    It will show marks and scratches, as that is the nature of this type of leather.... think saddlery or high end briefcases or wallets.

  I've never treated, conditioned, or tried to clean Alto leather.  Any type of liquid or cleaner or cream/oil will be absorbed into the leather,  so be very careful and test in a small hidden spot first. 

Enjoy your new find.... that is a great price and I love the color too.


----------



## DooneyBear

I just received this Dooney and it is in pretty rough shape. Any advice for fixing up the piping, worn spots on the front, or stains on the duck tag? I am wary of using shoe polish that will rub off. I have seen Leather CPR and Bick 4 recommended, but not sure which is better. I know AWL isn’t supposed to be conditioned, but thought that might help with the rough spots.


----------



## DooneyBear

Double post


----------



## Catbird9

DooneyBear said:


> I just received this Dooney and it is in pretty rough shape. Any advice for fixing up the piping, worn spots on the front, or stains on the duck tag? I am wary of using shoe polish that will rub off. I have seen Leather CPR and Bick 4 recommended, but not sure which is better. I know AWL isn’t supposed to be conditioned, but thought that might help with the rough spots.
> 
> View attachment 4725324
> View attachment 4725325



I wouldn't use any shoe polish on it.

I would take a soft cloth lightly moistened with water and wipe down the outside of the bag to remove surface dust/soil/marks. Let that dry.

Then I'd do a light coat of Leather CPR. It's a cleaner and conditioner. Use sparingly and avoid letting it build up in the creases. Wipe off any excess.

When that's dry, I'd do a light coat of Blackrock Leather n Rich, paying special attention to the edge trim and piping. This should help with the superficial scuffs and scratches.

I haven't been very successful trying to fix stains and scuffs on the duck emblem.


----------



## DooneyBear

Catbird9 said:


> I wouldn't use any shoe polish on it.
> 
> I would take a soft cloth lightly moistened with water and wipe down the outside of the bag to remove surface dust/soil/marks. Let that dry.
> 
> Then I'd do a light coat of Leather CPR. It's a cleaner and conditioner. Use sparingly and avoid letting it build up in the creases. Wipe off any excess.
> 
> When that's dry, I'd do a light coat of Blackrock Leather n Rich, paying special attention to the edge trim and piping. This should help with the superficial scuffs and scratches.
> 
> I haven't been very successful trying to fix stains and scuffs on the duck emblem.


I was thinking to just condition the noticeably worn spots and piping, to minimize the effect on the AWL. Would that not blend well? Would you do the whole thing?


----------



## whateve

DooneyBear said:


> I was thinking to just condition the noticeably worn spots and piping, to minimize the effect on the AWL. Would that not blend well? Would you do the whole thing?


I used Blackrocks on my AWL all the time. Whatever water resistance you might lose from conditioning the AWL you get back from the Blackrocks.

ETA: You might be able to add some color to cover the stains on the AWL. I haven't been very successful on the smooth leather. I've used craft paint mixed with condtioner. Someone suggested this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00URKNIHU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It matched my bag pretty well but I had trouble keeping it off the trim and decided it didn't need it.


----------



## Catbird9

DooneyBear said:


> I was thinking to just condition the noticeably worn spots and piping, to minimize the effect on the AWL. Would that not blend well? Would you do the whole thing?


Yes, I'd do the whole bag.


----------



## DooneyBear

I finished with Leather CPR and Blackrock. It didn’t seem to me that the Leather CPR really did much, but the Blackrock made is so shiny. I do like that the Blackrock seems to have made the worn parts on the front less noticeable... but is it too shiny? I rubbed it down thoroughly.


----------



## Catbird9

DooneyBear said:


> I finished with Leather CPR and Blackrock. It didn’t seem to me that the Leather CPR really did much, but the Blackrock made is so shiny. I do like that the Blackrock seems to have made the worn parts on the front less noticeable... but is it too shiny? I rubbed it down thoroughly.


It looks great! I don’t think it’s too shiny. The shine will probably wear off a bit as you carry the bag.


----------



## Michelle1x

Hi there, I recently acquired some vintage Coach bags and this Dooney - I'm trying to clean them up.
Unfortunately the leather that is holding the brass duck fob split and disintegrated as I was cleaning this.  Now I need to replace the leather fob holder which is harder than you would think because there are actually no ties in it - it is a circular leather piece (ties might come undone).
I was thinking of checking bead shops or jewelry supply.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Fortunately the brass duck fob is fine.


----------



## Catbird9

Michelle1x said:


> View attachment 4740731
> View attachment 4740732
> 
> Hi there, I recently acquired some vintage Coach bags and this Dooney - I'm trying to clean them up.
> Unfortunately the leather that is holding the brass duck fob split and disintegrated as I was cleaning this.  Now I need to replace the leather fob holder which is harder than you would think because there are actually no ties in it - it is a circular leather piece (ties might come undone).
> I was thinking of checking bead shops or jewelry supply.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Fortunately the brass duck fob is fine.


1. If you have skills and the right tools, you could make one from a scrap of thin leather, using the old one as a pattern, if it’s still more or less intact.

2. Possibly a leather worker could make one for you.

3. People sometimes sell these duck fobs on eBay with the leather hanger attached.


----------



## totosmom

Good morning, ladies.  New member here.  I must say that I am so impressed with your efforts at renewing these lovelies!  Bringing them back to life and giving them a second chance is so gratifying, and you ladies rock the rehab!  

I've done a little bit of rehabbing myself but only on a Coach.  I really had to take a deep breath and talk myself into  dunking that bad boy, but he didn't disintegrate before my eyes or blow up in my face, so I consider it a success.  Now I'm ready to do a clean up of a vintage Gladstone in average condition, but first I have questions about products.

Yesterday I spent most of my time reading through the 20 pages of posts and noticed that the following products were often used:
   vinegar
   Apple brand
   Bick4
   CPR
   Fiebing's saddle soap 
   Wood n Stuff
   Blackrock &
   Ozone Emitter,  along with clean rags and micro fiber cloths.

So, my question is:  which products are used in which situations?  Which ones are best for what problems?  With your vast experience, I'll be prepared to log on to Amazon.


----------



## whateve

totosmom said:


> Good morning, ladies.  New member here.  I must say that I am so impressed with your efforts at renewing these lovelies!  Bringing them back to life and giving them a second chance is so gratifying, and you ladies rock the rehab!
> 
> I've done a little bit of rehabbing myself but only on a Coach.  I really had to take a deep breath and talk myself into  dunking that bad boy, but he didn't disintegrate before my eyes or blow up in my face, so I consider it a success.  Now I'm ready to do a clean up of a vintage Gladstone in average condition, but first I have questions about products.
> 
> Yesterday I spent most of my time reading through the 20 pages of posts and noticed that the following products were often used:
> vinegar
> Apple brand
> Bick4
> CPR
> Fiebing's saddle soap
> Wood n Stuff
> Blackrock &
> Ozone Emitter,  along with clean rags and micro fiber cloths.
> 
> So, my question is:  which products are used in which situations?  Which ones are best for what problems?  With your vast experience, I'll be prepared to log on to Amazon.


Vinegar - a mild cleaner that can be used on leather. It's the best cleaner for vachetta leather. It can also be used to clean brass. It kills mold and mildew, and helps with odors. You'll want plain white vinegar.
Apple brand - Not something I normally use. I don't consider it to be good for rehabs, just for maintenance.
Bick4 - I've used it a few times, again generally for maintenance. It is a thinner conditioner.
CPR - The best all purpose conditioner for rehabs, especially for bags that have been dunked.
Fiebings saddle soap - I never use it. I believe I read that saddle soap isn't very good for leather due to the ph.
Wood n Stuff - an acrylic paint that can be used to touch up or possibly for a complete dye job, although there are probably better things for an all over color change. It isn't really a dye, it sits on top rather than soaks in, but has very good coverage. 
Blackrock leather n rich - The best finishing conditioner. I use it at the end of rehabs. It adds shine, hides scratches, and protects the leather from stains and water. I've used it on Dooney AWL and trim.
Ozone emitter - I don't have one. It would be useful in removing odors.
Clean rags and micro fiber cloths - Used for stuffing bags after dunking for reshaping. Also used to applying some conditioners and for buffing afterwards. I prefer a brush for buffing.

With an AWL bag, Wood n Stuff might be used to cover up any flaws in the pebbled leather. Or you could use Saphir Creme Surfine. Most times all that is needed for the pebbled leather is a light coat of Blackrocks, wiped off. The trim can be cleaned with vinegar and then conditioned with CPR and Blackrocks. Brass can be cleaned with vinegar, or a metal polish such as Brasso or Flitz. Fine steel wool can help polish. There are also Cape Cod polishing cloths that do a good job on brass.

All of this is just my opinion. Others may use other products with success.


----------



## totosmom

whateve said:


> Vinegar - a mild cleaner that can be used on leather. It's the best cleaner for vachetta leather. It can also be used to clean brass. It kills mold and mildew, and helps with odors. You'll want plain white vinegar.
> Apple brand - Not something I normally use. I don't consider it to be good for rehabs, just for maintenance.
> Bick4 - I've used it a few times, again generally for maintenance. It is a thinner conditioner.
> CPR - The best all purpose conditioner for rehabs, especially for bags that have been dunked.
> Fiebings saddle soap - I never use it. I believe I read that saddle soap isn't very good for leather due to the ph.
> Wood n Stuff - an acrylic paint that can be used to touch up or possibly for a complete dye job, although there are probably better things for an all over color change. It isn't really a dye, it sits on top rather than soaks in, but has very good coverage.
> Blackrock leather n rich - The best finishing conditioner. I use it at the end of rehabs. It adds shine, hides scratches, and protects the leather from stains and water. I've used it on Dooney AWL and trim.
> Ozone emitter - I don't have one. It would be useful in removing odors.
> Clean rags and micro fiber cloths - Used for stuffing bags after dunking for reshaping. Also used to applying some conditioners and for buffing afterwards. I prefer a brush for buffing.
> 
> With an AWL bag, Wood n Stuff might be used to cover up any flaws in the pebbled leather. Or you could use Saphir Creme Surfine. Most times all that is needed for the pebbled leather is a light coat of Blackrocks, wiped off. The trim can be cleaned with vinegar and then conditioned with CPR and Blackrocks. Brass can be cleaned with vinegar, or a metal polish such as Brasso or Flitz. Fine steel wool can help polish. There are also Cape Cod polishing cloths that do a good job on brass.
> 
> All of this is just my opinion. Others may use other products with success.



I KNEW I came to the right place. You're a veritable encyclopedia of rehab.  Thank you so much.

So, I'll start with vinegar first;  I figure I'll have to clean the vachetta more than once.  And what is your opinion of dunking the AWL?  As is often the case, the corners are grungy with wear and dirt. At some point I may want to color them up, but for now I'd just like them less dirty.  As for the handles, they are dark but not black, so I may just live with them.

I'd love to hear from others, too....


----------



## Transported

totosmom said:


> I KNEW I came to the right place. You're a veritable encyclopedia of rehab.  Thank you so much.
> 
> So, I'll start with vinegar first;  I figure I'll have to clean the vachetta more than once.  And what is your opinion of dunking the AWL?  As is often the case, the corners are grungy with wear and dirt. At some point I may want to color them up, but for now I'd just like them less dirty.  As for the handles, they are dark but not black, so I may just live with them.
> 
> I'd love to hear from others, too....


I have dunked AWL Dooneys.... and haven't had any problem but some folks have with piping crack so... it can happen (with any bag there can be a risk in dunking)......on Dooneys after a dunk I use Leather therapy on the straps and trim and occasionally on the pebbled leather if it is really dry and a final thin coat of Blackrocks , followed by horse hair brushing. Hope that helps.

P.S. Leather therapy also makes a cleaner that I use sometimes on dooneys....... add a few spritzes to the water for a dunk or  sprayed on a damp cloth just to clean off grime without dunking.


----------



## totosmom

Yes, that does help.  Once again, thanks so much.

So after it gets a bath, you use Leather Therapy on it.  Is that just to condition it?  I was thinking of using CPR and then Blackrocks.

My General Inspector Rascal & I are not toooo worried about the corners, but he wants me to focus on the splotchy vachetta first.  This morning we wiped down the interior with vinegar which he did not like. At all.

In this moment, I'm still on the fence about a bath.  I suppose it would be good to help to reshape it, but it's a lot of work.  Oh, decisions, decisions.  So many decisions.


----------



## whateve

totosmom said:


> Yes, that does help.  Once again, thanks so much.
> 
> So after it gets a bath, you use Leather Therapy on it.  Is that just to condition it?  I was thinking of using CPR and then Blackrocks.
> 
> My General Inspector Rascal & I are not toooo worried about the corners, but he wants me to focus on the splotchy vachetta first.  This morning we wiped down the interior with vinegar which he did not like. At all.
> 
> In this moment, I'm still on the fence about a bath.  I suppose it would be good to help to reshape it, but it's a lot of work.  Oh, decisions, decisions.  So many decisions.


Your general inspector is adorable! If you can get away without dunking, I would. You could try stuffing it with warm towels and placing it in a steamy bathroom. Heat can help reshape it.


----------



## totosmom

Oh, little Rascal is aptly named.  He is into everything and anything on the floor is a toy. (In the first pic he has his two front paws *inside* the Gladstone, just to be sure, y'know?) But he's also 
very affectionate.





Well, I think I'll continue to scrub a dub dub inside and out with vinegar and then do CPR.  After that I'll decide what to do next.  I'm thinking I won't use Blackrocks until it's nice & clean and possibly re-dyed at the corners.  This puppy is very dry, but I don't want to condition it either until it's as clean as I can get it.  Does that make sense to you?  Any other suggestions?


----------



## whateve

totosmom said:


> Oh, little Rascal is aptly named.  He is into everything and anything on the floor is a toy. (In the first pic he has his two front paws *inside* the Gladstone, just to be sure, y'know?) But he's also
> very affectionate.
> 
> View attachment 4761784
> View attachment 4761785
> 
> 
> Well, I think I'll continue to scrub a dub dub inside and out with vinegar and then do CPR.  After that I'll decide what to do next.  I'm thinking I won't use Blackrocks until it's nice & clean and possibly re-dyed at the corners.  This puppy is very dry, but I don't want to condition it either until it's as clean as I can get it.  Does that make sense to you?  Any other suggestions?


I would do all conditioning before any recoloring. Sometimes the conditioning helps with color loss and the color changes slightly so you'll want to match the colorant to the color of the bag after conditioning, not before.

Rascal looks tiny and huggable. I miss having a kitty.


----------



## Transported

Trying Multi quotes


totosmom said:


> Yes, that does help.  Once again, thanks so much.
> 
> So after it gets a bath, you use Leather Therapy on it.  Is that just to condition it?  I was thinking of using CPR and then Blackrocks.
> 
> My General Inspector Rascal & I are not toooo worried about the corners, but he wants me to focus on the splotchy vachetta first.  This morning we wiped down the interior with vinegar which he did not like. At all.
> 
> In this moment, I'm still on the fence about a bath.  I suppose it would be good to help to reshape it, but it's a lot of work.  Oh, decisions, decisions.  So many decisions.


I agree with Whateve... looks in good shape. try cleaning and conditioning. You can use Leather CPR ( I do sometimes on doonies) just use a light hand as it can get caught in the Nooks and crannies of the pebble leather and leave white marks. 

Oh and your Fuzzie is adorable..... I miss mine,,,


----------



## totosmom

Well, now, ladies, missing little furkids is a problem easily solved.  There are plenty of irresistible ones, young & old, at your nearest shelter.

As for the Doonie, I'm not too concerned about the AWL - as you know, it's tough as nails and in great shape. The vachetta is another story.  Fortunately for me, I'm not very demanding and will probably just focus on that.  Wish me luck!

Thanks for all your advice.  i'll let you know how it turns out.


----------



## totosmom

totosmom said:


> Thanks for all your advice. i'll let you know how it turns out.



So, I spent a few hours working on this puppy and feel that it turned out pretty well.  Three applications of CPR seems to have removed as much dirt as possible from the corners which was what I wanted, and after a coat of Black Rock, it looks decent enough to use.  The stains on the vachetta have been muted, but the handles did not lighten up at all (no surprise there).

I made a stab at reshaping it with warm moist towels stuffed inside which  improved it somewhat, but once I put my essentials inside, well, gravity had its way with it.  I may or may not try again.  

Thanks so much to you both for your help.  I'm now working on another one.

A few pics:


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Enjoy your 'rehabbed' handbag.   I love to see these bags returned to good condition....
shows how good the underlying original quality was,  it's good for the planet,
and they are beautiful classic handbags.  And all your hard work was successful!
And you got a great buy.


----------



## totosmom

Yeah, it DOES feel good to bring these girls back to life.  In fact, during the quarantine, I pulled out all my vintages bags, and like a girl with her dolls, lined them up on the couch.  After a few days, I moved them to the guest room for a change of scenery. Even though I'm not using them as much lately, it was fun to see them all together.


----------



## HannaS1001

I got a bag online, was told it was a samba which is what I wanted, turns out it’s calf. The girl wants me to pay return shipping for her screwing me on this sale and wanting a refund so I’m keeping it.    It does have a mild musty odor.  Any way to get rid of the smell?


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Can't help on the rehab.  Sorry.
But,  Dooney uses lots of names for their collections.... some refer to a type of leather and others to the way the leather might have been processed or treated and other times the name refers to the design elements of the collection.

I only mention this because now Samba is probably a name that Dooney uses for a collection where the leather has been processed to be very soft.   The leather itself may be calf leather.
A pebbled leather collection could also be made with calf leather.
And calf leather in itself is probably available in many thicknesses and qualities.
It's all very confusing.

Years ago Dooney had a Samba leather collection that was much more structured than the
Samba leather small satchels that appeared more recently.  If we compared the leather on 
both these Dooney Sambas I'm guessing they would be somewhat different.  The original Samba
collection had oversized and distinctive hardware trim (a large, hanging almost heart shaped lock with the Dooney logo), the leather was not as soft, and was thicker than the small Samba satchels of more recent years.

I'm sorry if I made things more confusing.    And since Dooney makes the same style handbag.... the small satchel (zip smiling top, double handle, 'Florentine' style) in many leathers..... it's sometimes hard to know what leather a specific bag is made of.  In addition to the production models made for different retailers (department stores, shopping channels, Dooney boutiques) there are also some
sample models that sometimes float around on resale sites.   Unless the bag has an official production
model number it's very hard to know what leather it is made from.   Dooney sales reps are not always
a good source of info.


----------



## bolsathemosta

Sooo anybody ever dunk one of these suede bags?


----------



## totosmom

Oh, I love that shade of blue. 

But no, I’ve never dumped one of them. If you do, let us know how it turns out.


----------



## bolsathemosta

totosmom said:


> Oh, I love that shade of blue.
> 
> But no, I’ve never dumped one of them. If you do, let us know how it turns out.


I have 2 of these bags so might risk it.


----------



## bolsathemosta

totosmom said:


> Oh, I love that shade of blue.
> 
> But no, I’ve never dumped one of them. If you do, let us know how it turns out.


Well I did a suede shampoo instead of a full dunk. It doesn't have any shape or wrinkling issues so I used some sneaker cleaner that works on suede and got it wet and scrubbed it. Pretty decent results but the other one I am going to do a more thorough cleaning with a brush, eraser, and suede stone before the shampoo.
This one had some oil stains on it and I missed a spot with the shampoo as it's hard to see where they are once it's wet.


----------



## Steph_86

I just purchased this Dooney and Bourke Dillen (I believe that's the name). I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what I can use to fix the wear on the bottom corners? There's also a few scratches but I can probably live with those. I'm not familiar with DB bags so I'm not sure what kind of leather this bag is made of. The edging on the straps are starting to crack. Is this something I should also address before it gets worse, and if so what is the best product for that? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!


----------



## totosmom

bolsathemosta said:


> Well I did a suede shampoo instead of a full dunk. It doesn't have any shape or wrinkling issues so I used some sneaker cleaner that works on suede and got it wet and scrubbed it. Pretty decent results but the other one I am going to do a more thorough cleaning with a brush, eraser, and suede stone before the shampoo.
> This one had some oil stains on it and I missed a spot with the shampoo as it's hard to see where they are once it's wet.
> 
> View attachment 4793757
> 
> 
> View attachment 4793758


Wow, that looks MUCH better!  Well done. And I love the colors even more now;  brown & blue have always been a favorite because they remind me of bare trees against a winter sky. 

Please keep us posted on your second suede rehab.  I'm thinking of doing the same thing.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Question for those experienced with Dooney rehab...
what happens if you dink the bag and the interior contained some
kind of backing (cardboard) that gave the bag structure?


----------



## totosmom

lavenderjunkie said:


> Question for those experienced with Dooney rehab...
> what happens if you dink the bag and the interior contained some
> kind of backing (cardboard) that gave the bag structure?



Well, I've never had that problem, but after the worst case scenario when the backing dissolves, one can buy a "purse shaper" on Etsy or  Amazon. It's basically a sheet of acrylic cut specifically for the size of the purse to keep its shape.  In addition, there are "bag organizers" often made of felt which can provide structure along with pockets & slots to help keep your stuff from sliding around or hiding from you.  I've found the organizers (Easy, Amazon) very helpful, especially in larger bags.  HTH.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

totosmom said:


> Well, I've never had that problem, but after the worst case scenario when the backing dissolves, one can buy a "purse shaper" on Etsy or  Amazon. It's basically a sheet of acrylic cut specifically for the size of the purse to keep its shape.  In addition, there are "bag organizers" often made of felt which can provide structure along with pockets & slots to help keep your stuff from sliding around or hiding from you.  I've found the organizers (Easy, Amazon) very helpful, especially in larger bags.  HTH.


Thanks.  I was curious as to whether anyone had that problem and if the backing disintegrated....
did it make the bag lumpy or smelly, etc.


----------



## bolsathemosta

So has anyone here dunked and washed a florentine bag? I have an old school michael kors collection bag that was made in Italy with leather that's just like a florentine.  She has been well loved and has some pretty heavy stains from what looks like food spills on the outside and the inside is very dirty. 
If someone has had success dunking a florentine or bag with the same type if leather I may go for it.


----------



## Nataluccia3

Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?

I have on hand:
Leather honey
CPR
Chamberlains leather balm
Renapur
BlackRock
Kiwi Saddle soap
Lexol
Cadillac

and probably some more bottles of things I don’t use regularly. I’m planning to spot test on the inside of the strap. Maybe chamberlains or cpr first. What do you all think?


----------



## Narnanz

Nataluccia3 said:


> Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?
> 
> I have on hand:
> Leather honey
> CPR
> Chamberlains leather balm
> Renapur
> BlackRock
> Kiwi Saddle soap
> Lexol
> Cadillac
> 
> and probably some more bottles of things I don’t use regularly. I’m planning to spot test on the inside of the strap. Maybe chamberlains or cpr first. What do you all think?
> 
> View attachment 4850453
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850454
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850455
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850456
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850457
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850458
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850459


Ha..great minds...was going to direct you here.


----------



## Nataluccia3

Narnanz said:


> Ha..great minds...was going to direct you here.


Teehee. I do see some familiar peeps over here so hopefully we can make this bag wearable again! I’ll look back through the older posts for thoughts on the satchel type thingie (see my technical verbiage   )

it’s missing the strap, unfortunate. But hopefully it’ll clean up well. It also has loads of pockets and such on the inside - a feature I’m not accustomed to. I usually prefer them naked, but we’ll see if it grown on me.


----------



## Nataluccia3

@RadhaDB hi!! Do you think there’s paint on this bag? It looks like a thin layer on top that is cracking. Strange. Here’s the top flap and the strap:




But the inside of the strap has nothing of the sort. I put chamberlains on the inside of the strap and it has moistened its up nicely. Two coats of CPR so far on the rest of the bag.




I don’t know the history here... maybe it is a layer of paint, or similar top coat of some sort


----------



## RadhaDB

Nataluccia3 said:


> @RadhaDB hi!! Do you think there’s paint on this bag? It looks like a thin layer on top that is cracking. Strange. Here’s the top flap and the strap:
> View attachment 4850621
> 
> View attachment 4850622
> 
> But the inside of the strap has nothing of the sort. I put chamberlains on the inside of the strap and it has moistened its up nicely. Two coats of CPR so far on the rest of the bag.
> View attachment 4850623
> 
> View attachment 4850624
> 
> I don’t know the history here... maybe it is a layer of paint, or similar top coat of some sort



I'm not really an expert, I'm afraid- more of a dabbler. But unlike vintage Coach, it seems to me that vintage DB definitely has surface color of some sort on their bags. I have had some with a loss of color that were not the same as faded Coach. What I have observed is that the leather trims and staps are dyed through like Coach, but the more colorful surfaces of the main areas sometimes appear coated. 
So, maybe your surface coat has just cracked with dryness?

I'll go look at some of my DB and see if I can find anything comparable.  

More expert opinions than mine are definitely welcome!


----------



## Nataluccia3

RadhaDB said:


> I'm not really an expert, I'm afraid- more of a dabbler. But unlike vintage Coach, it seems to me that vintage DB definitely has surface color of some sort on their bags. I have had some with a loss of color that were not the same as faded Coach. What I have observed is that the leather trims and staps are dyed through like Coach, but the more colorful surfaces of the main areas sometimes appear coated.
> So, maybe your surface coat has just cracked with dryness?
> 
> I'll go look at some of my DB and see if I can find anything comparable.
> 
> More expert opinions than mine are definitely welcome!


Exactly. Faded Coach is a completely different thing. My surface has certainly cracked. Also in the strap. But it looks like it’ll lay back down again on the strap. It’s pulled up like scales - on an angle. The top of the flap is a different situation... I’ll search through this thread to see if anyone uses acrylic+cpr like coach or if there’s another trick for these


----------



## Nataluccia3

RadhaDB said:


> I'm not really an expert, I'm afraid- more of a dabbler. But unlike vintage Coach, it seems to me that vintage DB definitely has surface color of some sort on their bags. I have had some with a loss of color that were not the same as faded Coach. What I have observed is that the leather trims and staps are dyed through like Coach, but the more colorful surfaces of the main areas sometimes appear coated.
> So, maybe your surface coat has just cracked with dryness?
> 
> I'll go look at some of my DB and see if I can find anything comparable.
> 
> More expert opinions than mine are definitely welcome!


Thanks for entertaining my rehab process here in DB land!!


----------



## pammbw

Nataluccia3 said:


> Teehee. I do see some familiar peeps over here so hopefully we can make this bag wearable again! I’ll look back through the older posts for thoughts on the satchel type thingie (see my technical verbiage   )
> 
> it’s missing the strap, unfortunate. But hopefully it’ll clean up well. It also has loads of pockets and such on the inside - a feature I’m not accustomed to. I usually prefer them naked, but we’ll see if it grown on me.
> 
> View attachment 4850513
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850514
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850515



I have this bag in Navy that I inherited from my mom. She was a Dooney fanatic! It's a great bag! It has loops on the side so you should be able to use any strap with clips.


----------



## Nataluccia3

pammbw said:


> I have this bag in Navy that I inherited from my mom. She was a Dooney fanatic! It's a great bag! It has loops on the side so you should be able to use any strap with clips.


It is a cool bag! I’m certainly not used to all of the pockets inside though. It kind of feels like an overgrown wallet. Haha. Tough to swap out bags if you actually use the pockets


----------



## Nataluccia3

@pammbw have you ever worked on one of these?


Nataluccia3 said:


> @RadhaDB hi!! Do you think there’s paint on this bag? It looks like a thin layer on top that is cracking. Strange. Here’s the top flap and the strap:
> View attachment 4850621
> 
> View attachment 4850622
> 
> But the inside of the strap has nothing of the sort. I put chamberlains on the inside of the strap and it has moistened its up nicely. Two coats of CPR so far on the rest of the bag.
> View attachment 4850623
> 
> View attachment 4850624
> 
> I don’t know the history here... maybe it is a layer of paint, or similar top coat of some sort


----------



## pammbw

Nataluccia3 said:


> @pammbw have you ever worked on one of these?



Have not worked on that particular bag but I am pretty sure it's not paint. Dooney did some bags using bridle or saddle leather. Much like Hermes,  Dooney has an equestrian heritage. The part that is cracking is basically the finish on the leather. Maybe Google saddle leather restoration and see if there is any useful info? I would not attempt to fill the cracks with paint. I prefer to leave the patina but that is totally personal preference.


----------



## Nataluccia3

pammbw said:


> Have not worked on that particular bag but I am pretty sure it's not paint. Dooney did some bags using bridle or saddle leather. Much like Hermes, Coach and Dooney have an equestrian heritage. The part that is cracking is basically the finish on the leather. Maybe Google saddle leather restoration and see if there is any useful info? I would not attempt to fill the cracks with paint. I prefer to leave the patina but that is totally personal preference.


Completely agree about not using paint unless it’s a last resort. Also because it’ll crack much the same as what’s currently on the bag. I need something pliable.

I’ll search online as you suggested. Hopefully I can find something useful. It’s a great piece but I’m afraid of it because it’s completely unfamiliar to me.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Nataluccia3 said:


> It is a cool bag! I’m certainly not used to all of the pockets inside though. It kind of feels like an overgrown wallet. Haha. Tough to swap out bags if you actually use the pockets


Switching between different manufacturers handbags with different interior pocket designs
can be a pain.  Lot's of ladies use an organizer so they can just pop the whole thing in and out.
And these days pouches (and pouchettes) are very popular as an alternative also.

But,  once you get used to using the pockets on a Dooney you realize how useful the
organization can be.  If you stay in the same handbag for a while,  you remember what
you put in which pocket.   Or if you switch between other Dooneys,  then the 'standard
Dooney set-up' of interior pockets,  as collectors call it,  make it every easy too stay
organized.   But if you go between brands, as many do,  then pouches or a bag organizer
makes the switching easier and takes away the problem of getting used to the interior
organizational differences among brands.

Enjoy your new Dooney once you get it rehabbed.


----------



## Nataluccia3

lavenderjunkie said:


> Switching between different manufacturers handbags with different interior pocket designs
> can be a pain.  Lot's of ladies use an organizer so they can just pop the whole thing in and out.
> And these days pouches (and pouchettes) are very popular as an alternative also.
> 
> But,  once you get used to using the pockets on a Dooney you realize how useful the
> organization can be.  If you stay in the same handbag for a while,  you remember what
> you put in which pocket.   Or if you switch between other Dooneys,  then the 'standard
> Dooney set-up' of interior pockets,  as collectors call it,  make it every easy too stay
> organized.   But if you go between brands, as many do,  then pouches or a bag organizer
> makes the switching easier and takes away the problem of getting used to the interior
> organizational differences among brands.
> 
> Enjoy your new Dooney once you get it rehabbed.


Oh hello!! Thanks for your response 

I do enjoy pockets in my large bags. They’re all designated for particular things and serve me well in various types of outings. I usually use them to stay organized but don’t switch out those bags often. Whenever I need that arrangement of items, I grab that bag and go. For these, I’m not quite sure how I’ll put them to good use. Once I’ve seen it in action, it’ll be easier to move in. I typically prefer the bags within bags approach for handbags because I do switch out often. I’ll grab various bags depending on what I need but they typically fit well together (mostly snack and diaper bags, first aid kits, sunscreen or big spray if outside activities, extra socks for play gyms, etc. haha).

I have seen your name a bit in this thread. do you have any experience with the older bridle leather? I have a bag that I adore from about ‘82 or ‘83 and I’m not sure where to begin with the rehab. I’ve done some online searches of repairing cracked bridle leather but nothing has been useful thus far. Here’s the bag:





						Dooney rehab thread
					

Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?  I have on hand: Leather honey CPR Chamberlains leather balm Renapur BlackRock Kiwi Saddle soap Lexol Cadillac  and probably some more bottles of things...




					forum.purseblog.com
				




Any thoughts?


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Nataluccia3 said:


> Oh hello!! Thanks for your response
> 
> I do enjoy pockets in my large bags. They’re all designated for particular things and serve me well in various types of outings. I usually use them to stay organized but don’t switch out those bags often. Whenever I need that arrangement of items, I grab that bag and go. For these, I’m not quite sure how I’ll put them to good use. Once I’ve seen it in action, it’ll be easier to move in. I typically prefer the bags within bags approach for handbags because I do switch out often. I’ll grab various bags depending on what I need but they typically fit well together (mostly snack and diaper bags, first aid kits, sunscreen or big spray if outside activities, extra socks for play gyms, etc. haha).
> 
> I have seen your name a bit in this thread. do you have any experience with the older bridle leather? I have a bag that I adore from about ‘82 or ‘83 and I’m not sure where to begin with the rehab. I’ve done some online searches of repairing cracked bridle leather but nothing has been useful thus far. Here’s the bag:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dooney rehab thread
> 
> 
> Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?  I have on hand: Leather honey CPR Chamberlains leather balm Renapur BlackRock Kiwi Saddle soap Lexol Cadillac  and probably some more bottles of things...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> forum.purseblog.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any thoughts?


I've never done any rehab.  Sorry I can't help.   Good luck.  There are others who have more
experience with rehabbing older handbags.   Hopefully they will chime in with info for you.


----------



## Nataluccia3

lavenderjunkie said:


> I've never done any rehab.  Sorry I can't help.   Good luck.  There are others who have more
> experience with rehabbing older handbags.   Hopefully they will chime in with info for you.


I hope so too!!


----------



## Jacynthe

Nataluccia3 said:


> Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?
> 
> I have on hand:
> Leather honey
> CPR
> Chamberlains leather balm
> Renapur
> BlackRock
> Kiwi Saddle soap
> Lexol
> Cadillac
> 
> and probably some more bottles of things I don’t use regularly. I’m planning to spot test on the inside of the strap. Maybe chamberlains or cpr first. What do you all think?
> 
> View attachment 4850453
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850454
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850455
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850456
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850457
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850458
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850459



Just a FYI.. I have two like these, one is red and seems to be older than the brown one (which looks like yours). The red has the same cracking as yours, CPR helped but I don't know how to correct the cracking. I thought maybe CPR with leather cement? I am an amateur re-habber so I haven't had the courage to try this idea.


----------



## Nataluccia3

Jacynthe said:


> Just a FYI.. I have two like these, one is red and seems to be older than the brown one (which looks like yours). The red has the same cracking as yours, CPR helped but I don't know how to correct the cracking. I thought maybe CPR with leather cement? I am an amateur re-habber so I haven't had the courage to try this idea.


Oh hello!! They are such beautiful bags. I really don’t want to do anything that’ll hurt it either. I had thought about something like rubber cement, applying it while flat. But I’m not sure if it’ll be alright opening and closing along that seam in the future. I’m still not sure what to do with it. Can’t seem to find anything online either.


----------



## Jacynthe

Nataluccia3 said:


> Oh hello!! They are such beautiful bags. I really don’t want to do anything that’ll hurt it either. I had thought about something like rubber cement, applying it while flat. But I’m not sure if it’ll be alright opening and closing along that seam in the future. I’m still not sure what to do with it. Can’t seem to find anything online either.


Hello! Maybe someone with more experience will chime in. There is also a site called horsekeeping that sells (or sold not sure if still active) not sure if they could provide any information.


----------



## Jacynthe

oh! I have used Feilbing leather cement on non Coach non Dooney to separated leather straps on bags and it worked well. I just cannot recommend because as I previously said, I am amateur re-habber and not sure how it would work on the cracking.


----------



## Nataluccia3

Jacynthe said:


> Hello! Maybe someone with more experience will chime in. There is also a site called horsekeeping that sells (or sold not sure if still active) not sure if they could provide any information.


I saw the bag for sale there but it didn’t provide much information. That’s where I got the term ‘bridle leather’ but when I google it, it doesn’t seem much different from full grain glove tanned.


----------



## Nataluccia3

Jacynthe said:


> oh! I have used Feilbing leather cement on non Coach non Dooney to separated leather straps on bags and it worked well. I just cannot recommend because as I previously said, I am amateur re-habber and not sure how it would work on the cracking.


Yes I’ve used it to repair tears and such but I’m not confident it won’t be really bad on like a whole plane of leather. Ugh. Ah well. I’ve got a lot of other rehabs on the table right now. Have you noticed any worsening of the cracks on your red one since you got it?


----------



## Nataluccia3

Nataluccia3 said:


> Hi Dooney friends! I usually work on vintage Coach so I have no idea what to do with this bag. It’s hard as wood, it’s so stiff. Any thoughts?
> 
> I have on hand:
> Leather honey
> CPR
> Chamberlains leather balm
> Renapur
> BlackRock
> Kiwi Saddle soap
> Lexol
> Cadillac
> 
> and probably some more bottles of things I don’t use regularly. I’m planning to spot test on the inside of the strap. Maybe chamberlains or cpr first. What do you all think?
> 
> View attachment 4850453
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850454
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850455
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850456
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850457
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850458
> 
> 
> View attachment 4850459





Nataluccia3 said:


> @RadhaDB hi!! Do you think there’s paint on this bag? It looks like a thin layer on top that is cracking. Strange. Here’s the top flap and the strap:
> View attachment 4850621
> 
> View attachment 4850622
> 
> But the inside of the strap has nothing of the sort. I put chamberlains on the inside of the strap and it has moistened its up nicely. Two coats of CPR so far on the rest of the bag.
> View attachment 4850623
> 
> View attachment 4850624
> 
> I don’t know the history here... maybe it is a layer of paint, or similar top coat of some sort





Jacynthe said:


> oh! I have used Feilbing leather cement on non Coach non Dooney to separated leather straps on bags and it worked well. I just cannot recommend because as I previously said, I am amateur re-habber and not sure how it would work on the cracking.





Nataluccia3 said:


> Yes I’ve used it to repair tears and such but I’m not confident it won’t be really bad on like a whole plane of leather. Ugh. Ah well. I’ve got a lot of other rehabs on the table right now. Have you noticed any worsening of the cracks on your red one since you got it?


I’m planning to use leather filler and some dye per the instructions here:





						Carl Friedrik
					






					www.carlfriedrik.com
				




I have a few other projects underway right now but I’ll be on the lookout for some recommended fillers and keep you posted


----------



## whateve

Nataluccia3 said:


> I’m planning to use leather filler and some dye per the instructions here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Carl Friedrik
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.carlfriedrik.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have a few other projects underway right now but I’ll be on the lookout for some recommended fillers and keep you posted


I'm interested to see what you'll use for a leather filler.


----------



## Jacynthe

Nataluccia3 said:


> Yes I’ve used it to repair tears and such but I’m not confident it won’t be really bad on like a whole plane of leather. Ugh. Ah well. I’ve got a lot of other rehabs on the table right now. Have you noticed any worsening of the cracks on your red one since you got it?


Cracking seems stable and not worsening.


----------



## Nataluccia3

whateve said:


> I'm interested to see what you'll use for a leather filler.


This one has good reviews but I remember reading one that said this is for deep cuts and cracks so you’d need this in addition to a top filler to finish it off. More research needed before I buy








						Leather Filler
					

Leather World Leather Filler is designed for scratches, tears, and small-to-medium holes in leather. Can be used under or mixed with dye colorant.




					leatherworldtech.com


----------



## Jacynthe

Nataluccia3 said:


> I’m planning to use leather filler and some dye per the instructions here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Carl Friedrik
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.carlfriedrik.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have a few other projects underway right now but I’ll be on the lookout for some recommended fillers and keep you posted



I am also interested on the old green patch D&B cracked leather project. Keep us updated and good luck!


----------



## bolsathemosta

While this isn't a Dooney, my new rehab project has piping/trim issues. I replaced the missing piping with new leather cord and glued it in with tear mender. Now I need to patch the exposed parts and I thought I'd ask here.
Dooneys seem to have more styles with piping, especially the AWL's and I seem to remember someone from here having some good advice but couldn't find it in a search.
So here is my vintage Prada. The extra goop is the excess glue which cleans off as you can see in the 2nd pic.


----------



## whateve

bolsathemosta said:


> While this isn't a Dooney, my new rehab project has piping/trim issues. I replaced the missing piping with new leather cord and glued it in with tear mender. Now I need to patch the exposed parts and I thought I'd ask here.
> Dooneys seem to have more styles with piping, especially the AWL's and I seem to remember someone from here having some good advice but couldn't find it in a search.
> So here is my vintage Prada. The extra goop is the excess glue which cleans off as you can see in the 2nd pic.


Coaches have piping too. I've repaired edges like this with fabric puff paint. It takes some finesse to get the absolute correct shape but it looks great if you can. I didn't do that well on this one but I've gotten better at it.


----------



## bolsathemosta

whateve said:


> Coaches have piping too. I've repaired edges like this with fabric puff paint. It takes some finesse to get the absolute correct shape but it looks great if you can. I didn't do that well on this one but I've gotten better at it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4900355


That's genius. I'll practice on another bag till I get the hang of it. I think I remember something someone said on here or the coach rehab thread about paint and gorrilla glue for filling in areas as well. There are so many types of gorilla glue though..I have a  Marc Jacob's that has a pretty good expanse of its trim missing or split too.


----------



## samfalstaff

So it sounds like the consensus among people here is not to dunk an AWL bag. I just picked up an AWL equestrian, but it smells like mothballs or some kind of horrible cleaner. (I don't want to even think about what it smelled like before they used the cleaner.) People here have said that dunking ruined the shape. I was wondering if there were other side effects to dunking AWL. Thanks for any info!


----------



## lavenderjunkie

samfalstaff said:


> So it sounds like the consensus among people here is not to dunk an AWL bag. I just picked up an AWL equestrian, but it smells like mothballs or some kind of horrible cleaner. (I don't want to even think about what it smelled like before they used the cleaner.) People here have said that dunking ruined the shape. I was wondering if there were other side effects to dunking AWL. Thanks for any info!


I am not a rehab expert.... but Dooney AWL leather is water resistant because it is shrunken to
tighten the pores.  I don't know  if dunking will provide the in-depth cleaning you are looking for.
And I have no idea what it will do to the construction or shape.  

I would guess that odors were absorbed thru the interior, which on original AWL bags is primarily
the unlined suede underside of the leather.   I'd focus on the interior.  Clean the interior as well
as possible....vacuum,  brush, spot clean, damp soapy microfiber cloth (don't use too much soap or it will be very hard to remove.   Leave the bag open, in well ventilated (preferably outside) area,  after it's dry, stuff with coffee beans,  baking soda,  charcoal packets.  Repeat as needed.   Good luck. 


Smells are a challenge.    But,  if they were introduced after the bag was manufactured,  then you
have a good chance of resolving the problem.    Smells that come from the tanning or
dyeing process are often permanent.  But I think that is much less likely with an AWL bag.


----------



## samfalstaff

lavenderjunkie said:


> I am not a rehab expert.... but Dooney AWL leather is water resistant because it is shrunken to
> tighten the pores.  I don't know  if dunking will provide the in-depth cleaning you are looking for.
> And I have no idea what it will do to the construction or shape.
> 
> I would guess that odors were absorbed thru the interior, which on original AWL bags is primarily
> the unlined suede underside of the leather.   I'd focus on the interior.  Clean the interior as well
> as possible....vacuum,  brush, spot clean, damp soapy microfiber cloth (don't use too much soap or it will be very hard to remove.   Leave the bag open, in well ventilated (preferably outside) area,  after it's dry, stuff with coffee beans,  baking soda,  charcoal packets.  Repeat as needed.   Good luck.
> 
> 
> Smells are a challenge.    But,  if they were introduced after the bag was manufactured,  then you
> have a good chance of resolving the problem.    Smells that come from the tanning or
> dyeing process are often permanent.  But I think that is much less likely with an AWL bag.


Thanks for the information about the interior. You gave me hope that I will be able to beat the smell! Because I really love this bag, but I don't want it to give me any headaches literally.


----------



## whateve

samfalstaff said:


> Thanks for the information about the interior. You gave me hope that I will be able to beat the smell! Because I really love this bag, but I don't want it to give me any headaches literally.


There is a Febreze Free that doesn't add any scent but may help to remove odors. It is alcohol based, I think. I have sprayed it inside bags but usually I dunk them afterwards.


----------



## pammbw

Hello rehabbers! I just purchased this bag on Posh and need some advice. The leather is EXTREMELY dry. Like feels like paper. I think someone put it through the washing machine but never put any leather conditioner on after and it just dried out and shriveled up. My question is- should I dunk to open up the pores and rehydrate, or should I just keep putting on thick coats of CPR followed up with leather honey or blackrocks? I believe it is florentine leather, but if anyone knows for sure please let me know. I may cross post in the Coach rehab thread just to get more eyeballs on this and more opinions.


----------



## pammbw

samfalstaff said:


> So it sounds like the consensus among people here is not to dunk an AWL bag. I just picked up an AWL equestrian, but it smells like mothballs or some kind of horrible cleaner. (I don't want to even think about what it smelled like before they used the cleaner.) People here have said that dunking ruined the shape. I was wondering if there were other side effects to dunking AWL. Thanks for any info!



I have dunked an AWL bag. It didn't hurt it, and the interior was cleaner, but it really didn't help much either. I feel like I could have ended up with the same result without dunking. If it smelled bad I may be more inclined to dunk to get rid of the odor, but as always your results may vary and dunk at your own risk.


----------



## samfalstaff

whateve said:


> There is a Febreze Free that doesn't add any scent but may help to remove odors. It is alcohol based, I think. I have sprayed it inside bags but usually I dunk them afterwards.





pammbw said:


> I have dunked an AWL bag. It didn't hurt it, and the interior was cleaner, but it really didn't help much either. I feel like I could have ended up with the same result without dunking. If it smelled bad I may be more inclined to dunk to get rid of the odor, but as always your results may vary and dunk at your own risk.


I don't think I will try dunking. (I have not actually dunked a bag. I think I will save that honor for my first vintage Coach bag.) I think I can get rid of the smell using everyone's suggestions. Already the smell has dissipated a bit while sitting in the sun.


----------



## Steph_86

I'm needing help figuring out what the color name for this bag is. I purchased it secondhand so I have no clue what it is. I'm going to order a leather touch up pen but I don't know what color it is so they can get me the correct color. TIA!


----------



## lavenderjunkie

The Dooney duck gold logo patch is from the Dillen pebbled leather collection.
Color appears to be one of the dark blues..... navy or  midnight.
Dooney generally uses one or the other name in different collections to
describe what we would call navy blue.
Or is the color a dark purple???? Hard to tell from the picture....
Let us know so we can help you pin down the color name.


----------



## Steph_86

lavenderjunkie said:


> The Dooney duck gold logo patch is from the Dillen pebbled leather collection.
> Color appears to be one of the dark blues..... navy or  midnight.
> Dooney generally uses one or the other name in different collections to
> describe what we would call navy blue.
> Or is the color a dark purple???? Hard to tell from the picture....
> Let us know so we can help you pin down the color name.


Thank you for getting back to me! I was thinking it was pebbled leather! I just took her outside and she appears to be a dark brown. With a purple sorta undertone if that makes sense, lol.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Steph_86 said:


> Thank you for getting back to me! I was thinking it was pebbled leather! I just took her outside and she appears to be a dark brown. With a purple sorta undertone if that makes sense, lol.


I don't recall the names Dooney used for brown bags in that collection.... could be T'moro brown
(that was used around that time for a very dark,  almost black brown) in other collections.
Chestnut is lighter and has more red undertones.  Chocolate seems to be a more recent name.

Could the color be a very deep purple eggplant like color?  Dooney had a color called
aubergine which was a dark purple with black undertones.  They have also had dark purples
called plum and plum wine.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

*Steph:*  Over the years,  Dooney has done a range of shades they call Bordeaux..... sometimes a very
deep wine,  sometimes more mid tone but it has brown undertones.   It seems to vary,
based on the leather and in the case of some leathers (like Florentine) on the dye lot.

Depending upon the lighting,  different colors can look very similar.   In natural light you can
see the difference in the undertones and the colors,  but in interior of florescent lighting,
colors can look the same.  

 What I don't know is,  if over time,  depending upon wear,
exposure to light or sunlight,  and maybe even cleaning/treatment,  if some colors change/soften/fade.
It's never happened to me,  but everyone cares for their bags differently,  and stores them
differently.


----------



## Steph_86

I see what you're saying about the Bordeaux. Unless it's the resolution of the photos it seems to vary widely. Some seems more wine colored and others brown. I need to do more research on the purple tones DB has used.

I have noticed that the edging on the straps and zipper pulls are red toned and I'm not seeing this so far in my searches. Then again, I'm not as familiar with DB as I am Coach, so it could be that color of edging was mainly used during this bags heyday.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Steph_86 said:


> I see what you're saying about the Bordeaux. Unless it's the resolution of the photos it seems to vary widely. Some seems more wine colored and others brown. I need to do more research on the purple tones DB has used.
> 
> I have noticed that the edging on the straps and zipper pulls are red toned and I'm not seeing this so far in my searches. Then again, I'm not as familiar with DB as I am Coach, so it could be that color of edging was mainly used during this bags heyday.


Dooney often uses a red or bordeaux colored edging on straps, zip pulls, etc.... no matter
what color the bag itself.   So,  don't let the edging color factor too much in trying to figure out
the bag color.


----------



## Steph_86

That makes sense! I do really like the color of the edging on this bag although it's starting to crack. Hopefully it'll hold up. 

While digging through the internet I stumbled upon the bag below on Ebay. I'm pretty sure it's the same color as mine, but everything in the description just says brown. Did Dooney have a color just called brown?









						Dooney & Bourke double pocket dillen brown  leather satchel purse bag Free Ship  | eBay
					

Dooney & Bourke double pocket dillen brown  leather satchel purse bag. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.



					www.ebay.com


----------



## Steph_86

Also, what's the best way to clean the lining? Mine is the worst around the top close to the zipper. I'm used to cleaning the interior of Coach bags but the fabric is so much different in this Dooney.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Steph_86 said:


> That makes sense! I do really like the color of the edging on this bag although it's starting to crack. Hopefully it'll hold up.
> 
> While digging through the internet I stumbled upon the bag below on Ebay. I'm pretty sure it's the same color as mine, but everything in the description just says brown. Did Dooney have a color just called brown?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dooney & Bourke double pocket dillen brown  leather satchel purse bag Free Ship  | eBay
> 
> 
> Dooney & Bourke double pocket dillen brown  leather satchel purse bag. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.com


The picture makes the color look very different from the one you posted.   

Dooney has probably used 'brown' as a color name,  possibly when a bag was made
for a major retail customer (department store, etc.) and they consulted on the naming.
For the bags that Dooney sold at their boutique stores,  they often used 'fancier' names
for the different shades of a color.   The downside was that unless you were a collector,
or saw the color in person,  no one had a clue what Tmoro brown was!   (It's a very, very 
dark brown,  think espresso beans)    Also,   Dooney probably made unique colors for
their large retail customers, possibly so the bags would be unique.

I am not a collector of brown/tan handbags,   so my knowledge in this area is more limited.
It was only recently that I started to enjoy neutrals.


----------



## whateve

Steph_86 said:


> Also, what's the best way to clean the lining? Mine is the worst around the top close to the zipper. I'm used to cleaning the interior of Coach bags but the fabric is so much different in this Dooney.


I imagine you could clean it like you would any fabric lining. For mild staining, I use a spray cleaner. For worse cases, I use soapy water, but then you have to rinse, which is a problem if the lining doesn't pull out. 

Have you considered just taking the bag to a craft store and picking acrylic paint that matches?


----------



## Steph_86

lavenderjunkie said:


> The picture makes the color look very different from the one you posted.
> 
> Dooney has probably used 'brown' as a color name,  possibly when a bag was made
> for a major retail customer (department store, etc.) and they consulted on the naming.
> For the bags that Dooney sold at their boutique stores,  they often used 'fancier' names
> for the different shades of a color.   The downside was that unless you were a collector,
> or saw the color in person,  no one had a clue what Tmoro brown was!   (It's a very, very
> dark brown,  think espresso beans)    Also,   Dooney probably made unique colors for
> their large retail customers, possibly so the bags would be unique.
> 
> I am not a collector of brown/tan handbags,   so my knowledge in this area is more limited.
> It was only recently that I started to enjoy neutrals.





whateve said:


> I imagine you could clean it like you would any fabric lining. For mild staining, I use a spray cleaner. For worse cases, I use soapy water, but then you have to rinse, which is a problem if the lining doesn't pull out.
> 
> Have you considered just taking the bag to a craft store and picking acrylic paint that matches?


That definitely makes it a lot harder to figure out the color. You're right, lavenderjunkie, after checking it closer to the Ebay listing and a couple others I've found it looks like those are lighter brown. Also, more of a primary brown. Mine seems to have the purple/red undertone. I think the best/easiest thing for me to do at this point is to do as, whateve, suggested and take it with me to a craft store. I did, however, find a different momentary solution. I found someone selling a new black bag exactly like it so I bought it! For $39 shipped it felt like a steal. LOL!

Whateve, what type of spray cleaner do you use? I'm used to cleaning the satin lining in Coach bags which are pretty easy to clean using just alcohol, baby, or makeup wipes.


----------



## whateve

Steph_86 said:


> That definitely makes it a lot harder to figure out the color. You're right, lavenderjunkie, after checking it closer to the Ebay listing and a couple others I've found it looks like those are lighter brown. Also, more of a primary brown. Mine seems to have the purple/red undertone. I think the best/easiest thing for me to do at this point is to do as, whateve, suggested and take it with me to a craft store. I did, however, find a different momentary solution. I found someone selling a new black bag exactly like it so I bought it! For $39 shipped it felt like a steal. LOL!
> 
> Whateve, what type of spray cleaner do you use? I'm used to cleaning the satin lining in Coach bags which are pretty easy to clean using just alcohol, baby, or makeup wipes.


I use a cleaner that I get at the dollar store and dilute with water. It's called Perfect Floral All Purpose Cleaner. I love the smell. Any mild spray cleaner that doesn't contain bleach should be fine. Sometimes there is staining around the zipper that won't clean off.


----------



## RebaD

DooneyBear said:


> I finished with Leather CPR and Blackrock. It didn’t seem to me that the Leather CPR really did much, but the Blackrock made is so shiny. I do like that the Blackrock seems to have made the worn parts on the front less noticeable... but is it too shiny? I rubbed it down thoroughly.


Love these bags  !


----------



## seekingvintage

samfalstaff said:


> So it sounds like the consensus among people here is not to dunk an AWL bag. I just picked up an AWL equestrian, but it smells like mothballs or some kind of horrible cleaner. (I don't want to even think about what it smelled like before they used the cleaner.) People here have said that dunking ruined the shape. I was wondering if there were other side effects to dunking AWL. Thanks for any info!


I'm late to this conversation about rehabbing vintage D&B AWL, but I've dunked perhaps 25 vintage AWL bags and generally, they come out fine. I use the same process that I use to dunk Coach bags, and there's an active Coach Rehab thread here, which you may also be aware of.  Of the 25 D&B bags, 3 had issues with thin binding leather cracking - they were tote style vintage bags, both in leather and fabric.

I was happy to be able to clean and reshape the bags, keeping them stuffed with towels as they dry. And in fact this weekend, have 2 equestrians drying as we speak. Chiming in late, for what it's worth.


----------



## RadhaDB

Any specific advice on cleaning suede bags? I got lucky on an auction for this (I think) feed bag. It's in pretty good shape except for a sticky area on the suede. I'd love to hear about specific techniques or soaps before I clean it- its a very cute bag. Perfect for fall!


----------



## whateve

RadhaDB said:


> Any specific advice on cleaning suede bags? I got lucky on an auction for this (I think) feed bag. It's in pretty good shape except for a sticky area on the suede. I'd love to here about specific techniques or soaps before I clean it- its a very cute bag. Perfect for fall!
> View attachment 5155994


Don't use kiwi suede cleaner. It leaves a ring and doesn't clean. You could try vinegar. Or you could just use a stiff suede brush and see if it comes off that way. I've used nail brushes, like you use to clean your fingernails, on suede. I've also used a sanding block.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

I don't have any experience in cleaning suede,  but what ever you do.... test it first on a spot that isn't
too visible.   See if it leaves a ring or removes/changes the color or texture,  and if it even cleans.

Also,  start with the gentlest product/process  (soap before chemicals,  dry before wet).   Sometimes
even corn starch or baby powder will lift some stains and can be brushed off with a dry tooth brush.
After you have tried anything,  if the bag still needs more
help,  then after the bag is completely dry,  you can move onto to the next thing to try.


It's hard not to be impatient when trying to clean up a bag.  I've made mistakes by not
testing and by not waiting for the bag to completely dry before trying something else.

Good luck.


----------



## Portcitygal

I have a vintage Florentine tote in what they call tan that my sister passed on to me (I'm the poor relative LoL) but the corners at the bottom are a bit brown and the dye has worn off from use.  Any suggestions as to how I would clean them and then restore the color?  It's just the very tips of the corners but enough to spot them when I use it.  Many thanks!


----------



## Raech

Hi I am new to D&B but was in the Coach rehab several years ago.
I just purchased two used D&B. One Dooney & Bourke Toscana Florentine Hobo in Bordeaux (the bag I have questions on) and a Large Satchel in Bordeaux which should be in fine shape and not needing TLC. I will include a pic of it next to the Toscana Florentine Hobo to show how widely Bordeaux varies (I picked one that is not practically brown, nor that looks flat died as some colors can).
1) The tab strap is dented. Is there a safe way to fix this? (I picked it anyway cos it is in very good shape for the price and the interior cream leather is clean) If the answer is not really it will just be character, I can live with that. 

2) The edging in one spot is missing? Just use a stain pen and move on?

She is a very pretty bag. I am actually kinda glad the satchel is smoother than the Toscana Florentine Hobo and lighter. I would hate for them to be the exact same color. The Toscana Florentine Hobo is more of a deep purple red, the Satchel is a brighter red/purple/brown.

Any help appreciated. I have only rehabbed Coach by dunking, and conditioning their older smooth leathers. This Florentine Vachetta is different. I am looking forward to a bag I can rub out minor scratches on.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

I'm not a rehab expert.... but I do own several Dooney Toscana leather handbags.
They are very different than Florentine leather,  even tho they are supposed to be from the
same family.  I think the Toscana leather is treated in some way.  Scratches 
 cannot be buffed out and water stains do not dry and then disappear. 

So my advice would be to test what ever you do in an area that isn't very visible.
Then you can decide if it will improve or bag or not.
Both your new handbags are beautiful.   Enjoy them.

I think the Toscana leather is beautiful and elegant... but I have found it to be delicate.


----------



## Raech

lavenderjunkie said:


> I'm not a rehab expert.... but I do own several Dooney Toscana leather handbags.
> They are very different than Florentine leather,  even tho they are supposed to be from the
> same family.  I think the Toscana leather is treated in some way.  Scratches
> cannot be buffed out and water stains do not dry and then disappear.
> 
> So my advice would be to test what ever you do in an area that isn't very visible.
> Then you can decide if it will improve or bag or not.
> Both your new handbags are beautiful.   Enjoy them.
> 
> I think the Toscana leather is beautiful and elegant... but I have found it to be delicate.


Glad I paid the least for it by far then. That is a bummer, it rains a lot in my town vs when I lived in Southern California across the country where it rarely did. 
       I'm careful with my bags, but I hate that I'll have to baby it and can't remove it's current tiny scratches. Sigh. Ok so not even Apple conditioner on Toscana then. Hmmm.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Raech said:


> Glad I paid the least for it by far then. That is a bummer, it rains a lot in my town vs when I lived in Southern California across the country where it rarely did.
> I'm careful with my bags, but I hate that I'll have to baby it and can't remove it's current tiny scratches. Sigh. Ok so not even Apple conditioner on Toscana then. Hmmm.


One of the other ladies here on the Dooney board had a red Toscana satchel that she wore and wore
for months.... in all weather.   She had one of the Toscana handbags when they first came out.
She had no issues at all.  Maybe she will chime in and comment.
I was amazed that she had no scratching and no staining.
But my experience was different.


----------



## Raech

lavenderjunkie said:


> One of the other ladies here on the Dooney board had a red Toscana satchel that she wore and wore
> for months.... in all weather.   She had one of the Toscana handbags when they first came out.
> She had no issues at all.  Maybe she will chime in and comment.
> I was amazed that she had no scratching and no staining.
> But my experience was different.


Hoping to hear several people's experiences for sure. I know each batch of leather can be unique.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

*Raech*:  the more I learn about leather,  the more confusing it becomes.  The quality of the leather
is affected by the quality of the raw material,  the thickness of the raw material, and all the processing
it goes thru.   Manufacturers can start with similar leathers,  but is the end material the same?
Have they cut a thick piece of leather into 2 thinner pieces?   Has the top surface been buffed or sanded or 
embossed or has some form of treatment been applied? 
 How is the leather tanned and dyed? 
Changing anyone of these factors can make the end product different.   And deciding which is
better is sometimes just personal preference   

On top of that,  as consumers,  we have very little
visibility into any of these things.   Most of the information we are given is really just marketing
terminology.   And very few customers even focus on the details.    Brands count on the credibility
of their name and the power of the marketing lingo.   If a customer has gotten high quality/or low
quality from that brand before,  they believe that the rest of the items under that
brand are just as good/bad.   And this is true for all products.... handbags, watches, shoes,
electronics, etc.   Each item can have unique specifications that affect quality and function,
but most consumers don't look "under the covers" or if they try,  they can't get much info
or it's so confusing they don't have the time/resources/desire to do indepth analysis
on each thing they buy.

And skin care/cosmetic products are even more difficult to figure out.


----------



## Raech

*lavenderjunkie: *I completely agree. My favorite bags i leather tend to be Coach Rogue and some of their glove tanned. I am hoping I get lucky on the two Dooneys I picked. I get with Dooney it seems to be luck. That is why I bought pre-loved so I could see basically what I was getting. On these bags I wanted them to not have strong pebbling. I have other bags for that look. Fingers crossed.

Anyone know if I should occasionally apply apple conditioner sparingly to either bag? I don't think the satchel should need it, but the Toscana might.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Raech said:


> *lavenderjunkie: *I completely agree. My favorite bags i leather tend to be Coach Rogue and some of their glove tanned. I am hoping I get lucky on the two Dooneys I picked. I get with Dooney it seems to be luck. That is why I bought pre-loved so I could see basically what I was getting. On these bags I wanted them to not have strong pebbling. I have other bags for that look. Fingers crossed.
> 
> Anyone know if I should occasionally apply apple conditioner sparingly to either bag? I don't think the satchel should need it, but the Toscana might.


Dooney does not advise apply conditioner to any of their handbags.  But many ladies apply
Apple conditioner to their Florentine handbags.   As for the Toscana,  I would test it first.
I don't condition my handbags, as a rule.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

lavenderjunkie said:


> Dooney does not advise apply conditioner to any of their handbags.  But many ladies apply
> Apple conditioner to their Florentine handbags.   As for the Toscana,  I would test it first.
> I don't condition my handbags, as a rule.


Although I own quite a few Coach handbags (Rogue, Dreamer, Swagger, and others),  I'm
much more familiar with the Dooney leathers.   I've been collecting Dooney for over 20 years.
Until a few years ago there was a Dooney retail boutique store near me.
The staff was great and I learned a lot about the different collections and leathers.

Alto and Florentine are Dooney's top leathers and collections.   The All Weather Leather is also a very classic and high quality pebbled leather collection.   Lots of other Dooney collections  feature
different leathers,  just like different Coach collections feature different leathers.

It's challenging to know how to compare leathers across different brands.....
as each brand has a range of leather quality and there are sometimes very
different price points.  Whether between brands or within a brand,  a $300 handbag
will not have the same leather quality as a $700 handbag.

Brands like Hermes have many different leathers, with different characteristics and grains.
I often wonder about their leathers and what the real differences are and how they are achieved.
I don't think I'll ever find out.


----------



## RuedeNesle

Raech said:


> Glad I paid the least for it by far then. That is a bummer, it rains a lot in my town vs when I lived in Southern California across the country where it rarely did.
> I'm careful with my bags, but I hate that I'll have to baby it and can't remove it's current tiny scratches. Sigh. Ok so not even Apple conditioner on Toscana then. Hmmm.


Hi Raech! 
@lavenderjunkie alerted me to your post. I have a red Toscana satchel (my Avatar picture). I carried it every day for four months straight, then 3-4 days a week for another three months. The weight of the bag is what made me stop carrying it. At the time I was carrying it I was on buses and walking, and as beautiful as she is, I had to finally admit she was too heavy for that lifestyle. I still carried her during the week when I was driving instead of busing/walking, but I carried something else on the weekends, which eventually lead to me replacing her as my week day bag.

I spilled coffee all down the front of the bag and I poured my water bottle over it and gently rubbed it with Cottonelle wipes. I was not calm at all! I panicked until it dried and I saw it was just as good as new. (I'll look for my posts in another thread and attach if I can.) Before that I got caught in the rain and it dried as good as new. I also used it for my carry-on bag once. It survived without incident, but it was too heavy to carry around an airport, and the fixed handles made it too tall to fit under the seat in front of me standing up. I had to lay it sideways.

I was living with my DD and her family until Covid hit, and I sheltered in place with my sister in her apartment. During that time my DD moved and she packed my bags since I was not able to. If you could see where my Toscana satchel is now you'd faint! I saw it the other day (I'm visiting the family for a couple of weeks), and it's stuffed underneath some of my other bags in a plastic bin!   I was too afraid of what it would look so I didn't rescue it, but I may do that just to (hopefully) show both of us this bag can take a lickin'.

Posts:
1. When the bag arrived
2. When I discovered a scratch and panicked. (But the scratch went away "somehow", and no more scratches.)
3. After I cleaned it from the spilled coffee. (No before picture because I was too busy trying to clean it to think about taking a picture.) This was two months after I received it and you can see there are no scratches on the bag.



RuedeNesle said:


> She arrived about an hour ago!  My Red Florentine Toscana Domed Satchel! She's beautiful!  And she's as big as I need her to be! Taller and roomier than the zip zip satchels.  I can get all my day to day stuff in her and a scarf and hat if needed.  The leather lining is soft and pretty but scares the heck out of me.   I honestly have 9 pens in my Olivia satchel  right now and I'm worried about what they could do to the leather lining.  They are going to be kept in a case when I carry this bag.  I wasn't sure if I'd like the strap because it's not leather but I just tried it on and it's very comfortable on my shoulder. And it makes the bag more casual for my lifestyle of buses and running around with my grandchildren.
> 
> View attachment 3511412
> View attachment 3511414
> View attachment 3511416
> View attachment 3511424





RuedeNesle said:


> I think I'm going to have to make a quick and serious decision.  I *LOVE *this bag!  But at Starbucks this morning I noticed a scratch.  It's actually more noticeable in the picture than looking at the bag IRL, but I can still see it.  I haven't come up with a name for her yet and now the only name that comes to mind when I look at her is "Scarface", and I don't want to call her that! I don't think exchanging her is going to make a difference.  Florentine leather is prone to scratching and this Florentine Toscana leather seems to be the same, except I can't seem to rub out the scratch like I've done on my red Florentine leather satchel. I'm so torn because I *LOVE* this bag, and the scratch is not "that" bad. But is this the first of many? I don't have the lifestyle that allows me to baby my bags.  And when I buy a bag I carry it exclusively for at least a couple of months or more.  If it's scratching in less than a week, what's it going to look like a month from now?  But I *LOVE* Scarface. (Okay, that can't be her name. ) Opinions welcomed!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 3515734





RuedeNesle said:


> As you can see from the picture this story has a happy ending! Yesterday afternoon I switched to "Ruby" from my Bitsy Zebra because I had to stand-in for my daughter at a Parent's meeting for my oldest granddaughter's upcoming class camping trip. I knew I'd receive forms and I knew they would fit in Ruby.  The three grandchildren were in the car before me. As I was opening my door I dropped my Peet's coffee cup on the ground. The cap was still on, but when I picked it up it was dripping coffee all over the front of Ruby! We've been caught in lots of rain so I know she can handle water, but I wasn't sure how coffee would affect the leather. I put her on my seat, took out my water bottle and started pouring water all over the bag. My oldest granddaughter, who was in the front passenger seat was yelling, "Grammy what are you doing?" I told her, "I know what I'm doing, it's fine!"  After I poured water all over the front I took a Cottonelle wipe and wiped down the front of the bag. After I did that, that's when I realized what my granddaughter was worried about. I had also poured water all in the cloth driver's seat! I had to go back inside and get a couple of thick towels to sit on when I drove to the meeting.  Anyway, all's well that ends well! In case anyone is wondering how the Toscana Florentine leather handles coffee, it turned out nice for me, but I got to it quickly.
> 
> View attachment 3586431


----------



## RuedeNesle

@Raech 
I found one more post when I used it as a carry-on bag, and gave a mini update review on the condition of the bag six months later.



RuedeNesle said:


> Greetings from Vegas!
> I'm sorry, I know this is a long post and a lot of pics! My flight arrived this morning at 12:10am. I'm at Starbucks now because there is no coffee in the apartment!  I thought I'd use this post as a mini update for how "Ruby" is holding up after six months. (I think six months today!) I carried her consistently for 4 1/2 months, then a couple of times a week, until I started using my Bitsy bags all the time about a month ago. This is her first flight and I used her as my carry-on. (I've already switched to my zebra Juliette, with me at Starbucks now.)
> 
> Carry-on Items:
> 
> The Paris pouch holds my small jewelry keeper from Lori Greiner, and my phone charger. The grey pouch is from a previous United flight and holds lens cleaners, wipes, eye drops, sleeping mask, ear plugs. I also have my notebook, Kleenex tissues, Pocket Bac, gum pens, checkbook (I only carry it when I travel just in case), Clipa purse hook. And you can see what's in the Sephora "Beauty on the Fly" pouch.  I have all three apartment keys (home, sister, and Vegas) on my two Dooney key chains and the RL key chain MaryBel gave me. They are hooked to the key leash.
> 
> I attached my Venus coin case to a chain (bought on ebay) and hooked it to the circle on the zipper pull of the outside pocket. (I can still easily zip the pocket closed.) My license and debit card were in it for easy access going through TSA, and buying things in the airport. The chain helped secure the wallet so I wouldn't accidentally drop it. (Did that in Oakland last week with my Coach card case.  A very nice man saw me drop it and gave it to me!) The Coach card case held my cash and stayed in the inside zipper pocket. My phone was also in the outside pocket.
> 
> Mini update:
> 
> I took pictures of the inside and outside so you can see what she looks like six months in. The outside still looks as good as new. (Pictures taken with and without a flash.) The inside still looks good but you can see it's been used. It holds up well to everything I throw in it. The inside of the slip pockets are getting darker (I think they always were a little darker). I still highly recommend this bag to anyone who's thinking about her. (Although I will caution you about the weight if you load her. She was heavy carrying around the airport.) And the great news is you're probably going to get a great sales price!
> 
> ETA: The web strap was very comfortable carrying her crossbody at the airport. I usually don't carry my bags crossbody but it was easier with my luggage. I'm glad she has a web strap!
> 
> I'm sorry this is so long! If you're still reading this thanks for your time!
> View attachment 3655363
> View attachment 3655364
> View attachment 3655365
> View attachment 3655366
> View attachment 3655367
> View attachment 3655368


----------



## RuedeNesle

Pulled my satchel out the bin. Not bad for how it was stored. The bottom was dented but I worked out the dents. It was dusty and I wiped it down. The top sides are a little pushed in and that'll probably stay like that since that part is empty space in the bag so nothing will push it out. The inside looks good. One small scratch on the front. And heavier than I remember. But overall still in very good condition.


----------



## Raech

RuedeNesle said:


> Pulled my satchel out the bin. Not bad for how it was stored. The bottom was dented but I worked out the dents. It was dusty and I wiped it down. The top sides are a little pushed in and that'll probably stay like that since that part is empty space in the bag so nothing will push it out. The inside looks good. One small scratch on the front. And heavier than I remember. But overall still in very good condition.
> View attachment 5256056
> View attachment 5256057
> View attachment 5256059
> View attachment 5256060
> View attachment 5256062


You are literally so awesome. Ty for all that. I wonder if the coffee, water, and rubbing removed your scratch. She's been through a lot and looks fantastic.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

I agree.... RN.... your Toscana looks amazing.  I wonder if stuffing her with some towels and letting
her spa in a warm room will help her relax and regain her figure.


----------



## Raech

lavenderjunkie said:


> I agree.... RN.... your Toscana looks amazing.  I wonder if stuffing her with some towels and letting
> her spa in a warm room will help her relax and regain her figure.


I agree that's worth a try RN


----------



## RuedeNesle

Raech said:


> You are literally so awesome. Ty for all that. I wonder if the coffee, water, and rubbing removed your scratch. She's been through a lot and looks fantastic.


You're welcome! Thank you for the compliment.  
Maybe all that rubbing did help remove the scratch.


----------



## RuedeNesle

lavenderjunkie said:


> I agree.... RN.... your Toscana looks amazing.  I wonder if stuffing her with some towels and letting
> her spa in a warm room will help her relax and regain her figure.





Raech said:


> I agree that's worth a try RN


Thanks LJ & R!  
I think I'll give it a try!


----------



## lavenderjunkie

You ladies have inspired me.    I unearthed my red Toscana large domed satchel.
That's not the one I had the water spots on.   This one is looking very nice....
It's shapely figure is returning now that it's no longer buried under a pile of
other handbags.   Hopefully I can keep its complexion free from mishaps.
I've saved it ('for good') long enough that I'm no longer afraid to use it.


----------



## RuedeNesle

lavenderjunkie said:


> You ladies have inspired me.    I unearthed my red Toscana large domed satchel.
> That's not the one I had the water spots on.   This one is looking very nice....
> It's shapely figure is returning now that it's no longer buried under a pile of
> other handbags.   Hopefully I can keep its complexion free from mishaps.
> I've saved it ('for good') long enough that I'm no longer afraid to use it.


Mornin' LJ!
I'm happy we inspired you to unearth your red Toscana satchel! It's fun pulling out bags and remembering how much they meant to you when they were new. I sometimes feel like I'm carrying a new bag. I'm also happy you're no longer afraid to use it. 

Enjoy!


----------



## kallikimberly

dgphoto said:


> Hi, all! I had forgotten about this Dooney rehab I did a while ago. You can read the full post here: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club.833400/page-809#post-30591930
> This is the final product:


Wow!  I know this is an old post, but the "after" results are really impressive given the "before" state. Thanks for giving me the courage to thoroughly clean the vintage buckle satchel I bought from Poshmark.  It's in really good shape, but smells a tiny bit musty.


----------



## kallikimberly

seekingvintage said:


> I'm late to this conversation about rehabbing vintage D&B AWL, but I've dunked perhaps 25 vintage AWL bags and generally, they come out fine. I use the same process that I use to dunk Coach bags, and there's an active Coach Rehab thread here, which you may also be aware of.  Of the 25 D&B bags, 3 had issues with thin binding leather cracking - they were tote style vintage bags, both in leather and fabric.
> 
> I was happy to be able to clean and reshape the bags, keeping them stuffed with towels as they dry. And in fact this weekend, have 2 equestrians drying as we speak. Chiming in late, for what it's worth.


Any chance you have photos of before, during, after, for any D&B AWL cleanings?  I was initially looking at vintage coach bags and realized I could save a lot of money getting one that needed cleaning and doing it myself, but instead found a vintage D&B buckle satchel in good shape that had everything I wanted in a bag. It's in good shape, just a bit of edge wear, but smells like it was probably stored in a basement. A funky, musty odor. It might dissipate over time, but a good cleaning would speed up the process. I'd really love to see photos of how a vintage AWL bag looks with the dunking process. I've seen plenty of Coach examples and it's impressive on those bags! Hoping it's the same on a D&B AWL.


----------



## SakuraSakura

Hi everybody! I'm wondering if anybody has tips for cleaning the DB Italia line leather handbags? I have a Valentina that needs some cleaning. Thank you in advance.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

SakuraSakura said:


> Hi everybody! I'm wondering if anybody has tips for cleaning the DB Italia line leather handbags? I have a Valentina that needs some cleaning. Thank you in advance.


No persoal experience,  maybe someone else will chime in.
But... check the Dooney web site for care info and start there.


----------



## spunkie

I am new to vintage D&B bags. I just purchased this satchel bag today at a second hand shop. It has mold on the outside and also the brass lock has some discoloration on it, probably from moisture also. I have dunked Coach bags to give a good cleaning but never Dooney's. I see there are several methods of removing (or attempting to) mold on leather, including lemon juice/water, vinegar/water, rubbing alcohol/water. And sunlight. Then condition. For those of you who have experience in this, I would love to pick your brain. Thank you in advance!


----------



## pammbw

spunkie said:


> I am new to vintage D&B bags. I just purchased this satchel bag today at a second hand shop. It has mold on the outside and also the brass lock has some discoloration on it, probably from moisture also. I have dunked Coach bags to give a good cleaning but never Dooney's. I see there are several methods of removing (or attempting to) mold on leather, including lemon juice/water, vinegar/water, rubbing alcohol/water. And sunlight. Then condition. For those of you who have experience in this, I would love to pick your brain. Thank you in advance!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 5351421
> View attachment 5351422
> View attachment 5351423
> View attachment 5351424



If it were my bag I would dunk it. Give it a vinegar and water rinse. There are several good step by step posts on this process on the Coach rehab thread. I have dunked 2 vintage awl Dooneys and both came out fine. If you don’t want to do a full dunk then definitely a good wipe down with vinegar and water to kill the mold, then conditioner.


----------



## spunkie

pammbw said:


> If it were my bag I would dunk it. Give it a vinegar and water rinse. There are several good step by step posts on this process on the Coach rehab thread. I have dunked 2 vintage awl Dooneys and both came out fine. If you don’t want to do a full dunk then definitely a good wipe down with vinegar and water to kill the mold, then conditioner.


Thank you for your reply; I ended up not dunking it; after removing all the removable parts I did give it a good wash-down with vinegar water then set it in the sun. I cleaned up all the leather accessories the same way, replaced the leather fob holder (made one), used brasso on the brass and it looks really good! I can tell that since I got it pretty wet that some of the black ran onto the tan leather, but after treating it all with CPR leather conditioner then Blackrock, it looks so much better. The only thing that I can't really salvage is the brittle tan leather shoulder strap; it's pretty shot, so I will just use a similar strap from another handbag for now. I'm happy with how it turned out. I still need to take photos of that and another Dooney bag that I cleaned up; then post them.


----------



## pammbw

spunkie said:


> Thank you for your reply; I ended up not dunking it; after removing all the removable parts I did give it a good wash-down with vinegar water then set it in the sun. I cleaned up all the leather accessories the same way, replaced the leather fob holder (made one), used brasso on the brass and it looks really good! I can tell that since I got it pretty wet that some of the black ran onto the tan leather, but after treating it all with CPR leather conditioner then Blackrock, it looks so much better. The only thing that I can't really salvage is the brittle tan leather shoulder strap; it's pretty shot, so I will just use a similar strap from another handbag for now. I'm happy with how it turned out. I still need to take photos of that and another Dooney bag that I cleaned up; then post them.


Glad it worked out well for you! Looking forward to the glamour shots!


----------



## Tilis

I do not know if this is the right place to ask, but I own a vintage DB bag which is stiff and hard enough to be a murder weapon. My question - are all older DB leathers this hard and stiff and second, is it possible to soften the leather. As it is, the bag is not comfortable to carry and use. Thanks for any help.


----------



## Tilis

I ask this again, because I really love one specific vintage DB bag and would love to buy one. However, if all the DB leather is as hard and stiff as it is on the bag I have, I will not purchase another. My question is all their pebbled leather that stiff and if so, is there a way to soften the leather. Thanks in advance for any insights.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Tilis said:


> I ask this again, because I really love one specific vintage DB bag and would love to buy one. However, if all the DB leather is as hard and stiff as it is on the bag I have, I will not purchase another. My question is all their pebbled leather that stiff and if so, is there a way to soften the leather. Thanks in advance for any insights.


I can't address all vintage DB,  but the few I own are not hard or stiff.
The leather is thick.  which can make it seem firmer than thinner (lower quality) leathers
or more modern leathers that have been tumbled during manufacturing to make them
softer.  The vintage DB leather pebbled texture was created by shrinking the leather.
This means there was more leather per square inch after the process.

I don't know if the one DB vintage bag you have was previously treated/mistreated by the
owner or just dried out from age and/or storage conditions.


----------



## Tilis

Thank you @lavenderjunkie for your reply. I do suspect that the leather might have dried out, so I will give another DB purse a chance . I love their vintage equestrian purses, so I will keep an eye peeled for those.


----------



## andrinsan

Hi everyone, I'm currently rehabbing a vintage AWL Dooney I've had for about 10 years and was wondering if using Angelus's water based acrylic leather paint will work on the pebbled part? Thanks!


----------



## pammbw

Tilis said:


> Thank you @lavenderjunkie for your reply. I do suspect that the leather might have dried out, so I will give another DB purse a chance . I love their vintage equestrian purses, so I will keep an eye peeled for those.


If you still have the bag, and at this point you have nothing to lose, so why not dunk it and go through the basic Coach rehab process to try and get some moisture back into that leather? You can find more info further back in this rehab thread or in the Coach rehab thread.


----------



## Tilis

Thanks @pammbw, I have thought about doing that, but I'm not sure that this pebbled awl can deal with being immersed. I would rather pass is on to someone who can deal with hard leather, than completely ruin it. I will cogitate on it .


----------



## cola410

Hi there! I just got this terribly mistreat D&B at a yard sale for $25. More than I wanted to pay, but if nothing else I can repurpose the material and hardware. It obviously needs a good condition and clean (thankfully no odors) and color touch up, but in what order? Given the condition, do I condition and then clean or clean and then condition?


----------



## lavenderjunkie

Every rehab thread/video I've seen starts with a thorough cleaning of the inside and
outside of the handbag.   And this makes sense to me.... you want to remove all the dirt, etc.
before you add conditioning products.  Not only will the conditioning products trap the
dirt/germs,  but cleaning the bag after conditioning will just mean one more layer to remove
when you clean.
Good luck.  It's an attractive handbag.


----------



## cola410

lavenderjunkie said:


> Every rehab thread/video I've seen starts with a thorough cleaning of the inside and
> outside of the handbag.   And this makes sense to me.... you want to remove all the dirt, etc.
> before you add conditioning products.  Not only will the conditioning products trap the
> dirt/germs,  but cleaning the bag after conditioning will just mean one more layer to remove
> when you clean.
> Good luck.  It's an attractive handbag.


Thank you, that definitely makes sense. I just worry about drying it out, but I think the damage is mostly just that - damage, more than dried out leather.


----------



## VtgGirl

My questions are for Vintage All Weather Leather bags* (care and maintenance for the leather piping trim and leather strap). *
1. What is your preferred conditioning product? 
2. Should I only condition the areas trim/piping that looks dry/worn or should I be conditioning the entire trim as a preventative measure? 
Thanks


----------



## whateve

VtgGirl said:


> My questions are for Vintage All Weather Leather bags* (care and maintenance for the leather piping trim and leather strap). *
> 1. What is your preferred conditioning product?
> 2. Should I only condition the areas trim/piping that looks dry/worn or should I be conditioning the entire trim as a preventative measure?
> Thanks


I condition everything. My favorites are Leather CPR and Blackrocks Leather n Rich. The Blackrocks will protect it and add a bit of shine.


----------



## VtgGirl

whateve said:


> I condition everything. My favorites are Leather CPR and Blackrocks Leather n Rich. The Blackrocks will protect it and add a bit of shine.


Very helpful, Thank you!

Another question I have deals with the brass hardware on the side of the purse that helps hold the strap.(the peg portion came out of the post). I can push it back in, but it keeps coming off. Any suggestions are welcome.


----------



## hwinnerh

I'm new to rehab-ing purses and in need of help! I purchased a second-hand All Weather Essex bag, which has an off color patch in the front-right side (see photos). I'm not sure if it's a stain of some sort (maybe oil?) or the color wore down or something else...

I've already cleaned, conditioned, and polished the purse.

I fell in love with this bag but feel at a loss since it is near perfection except for this one flaw.

What should I do to fix this patch?


----------



## whateve

hwinnerh said:


> I'm new to rehab-ing purses and in need of help! I purchased a second-hand All Weather Essex bag, which has an off color patch in the front-right side (see photos). I'm not sure if it's a stain of some sort (maybe oil?) or the color wore down or something else...
> 
> I've already cleaned, conditioned, and polished the purse.
> 
> I fell in love with this bag but feel at a loss since it is near perfection except for this one flaw.
> 
> What should I do to fix this patch?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 5582092
> View attachment 5582093


Paint or dye. I believe Meltonian works pretty good on AWL.


----------



## kaokite

I  revived a vintage Essex bag (picked up at a local thrift) and the leather was so brittle the Dooney hang tag tore after a few uses of the bag. Thankfully I noticed it was torn before it fell off in a parking lot somewhere and got lost.  a

Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a replacement leather loop?  I could use the old one as a pattern, but not quite sure where to buy a tiny scrap of thin leather. Shoe repair shop perhaps?


----------



## whateve

kaokite said:


> I  revived a vintage Essex bag (picked up at a local thrift) and the leather was so brittle the Dooney hang tag tore after a few uses of the bag. Thankfully I noticed it was torn before it fell off in a parking lot somewhere and got lost.  a
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a replacement leather loop?  I could use the old one as a pattern, but not quite sure where to buy a tiny scrap of thin leather. Shoe repair shop perhaps?


Do you have a Tandy leather shop near you? https://tandyleather.com/ Yes, a shoe repair shop might. You might be able to get something on etsy.


----------



## cola410

kaokite said:


> I  revived a vintage Essex bag (picked up at a local thrift) and the leather was so brittle the Dooney hang tag tore after a few uses of the bag. Thankfully I noticed it was torn before it fell off in a parking lot somewhere and got lost.  a
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a replacement leather loop?  I could use the old one as a pattern, but not quite sure where to buy a tiny scrap of thin leather. Shoe repair shop perhaps?


If you can find the right color, Joann sells small pieces of fairly thin leather.


----------



## kaokite

cola410 said:


> If you can find the right color, Joann sells small pieces of fairly thin leather.


Thanks all-I'll check out the Tandy Leather & Joann's in town.


----------



## gerbies

Question for rehabbing an AWL D&B:  which do you prefer, a bag that needs TLC with the leather (dry, scuffs), but has a good shape, OR one where the leather is in great shape, but the bag needs to be reshaped?  I am about to buy a vintage AWL bag where the leather is in great condition, but the bag is a bit flattened from storage (flap crossbody style).  Thoughts?  

And what is the best way to reshape?  I always dunk my vintage Coach, but have read that is not as good with AWL.


----------



## avis2011

so i’ve googled myself into oblivion - does anyone know to to reshape a vintage awl bag - I bought one sone time ago and can’t seem to make the sides stand up straight on their own - I really want to use it but can’t carry it as is .. tyi!


----------



## veronicasfoley

Not a full rehab, but I have two barely used Emerson Shannon totes. They're clean, but could use some conditioning. Google isn't turning up care directions for me. I'm thinking Apple, just wanted to check if anyone has experience or recommendations. Thanks!


----------



## lavenderjunkie

veronicasfoley said:


> Not a full rehab, but I have two barely used Emerson Shannon totes. They're clean, but could use some conditioning. Google isn't turning up care directions for me. I'm thinking Apple, just wanted to check if anyone has experience or recommendations. Thanks!


I'm not a rehab expert,  but I think the Emerson leather is a coated leather.  The Dooney site may have info on the leather,  not sure since they changed the site around (upgraded?). I mention this because conditioners and chemicals can interact with coatings on leather and cause problems:  cloudiness, discoloration, or other problems.    
So see what you can find
out about the leather itself before using even something as gentle as Apple brand.
And test in a hidden spot what ever you decide so that you don't have a nasty surprise.
Good luck.


----------



## veronicasfoley

lavenderjunkie said:


> I'm not a rehab expert,  but I think the Emerson leather is a coated leather.  The Dooney site may have info on the leather,  not sure since they changed the site around (upgraded?). I mention this because conditioners and chemicals can interact with coatings on leather and cause problems:  cloudiness, discoloration, or other problems.
> So see what you can find
> out about the leather itself before using even something as gentle as Apple brand.
> And test in a hidden spot what ever you decide so that you don't have a nasty surprise.
> Good luck.


I can't find a single mention of Emerson or caring for it on Dooney.com, but now that you say it, I remember reading somewhere that it's a type of waxed leather, so I'll start there


----------



## lavenderjunkie

veronicasfoley said:


> I can't find a single mention of Emerson or caring for it on Dooney.com, but now that you say it, I remember reading somewhere that it's a type of waxed leather, so I'll start there


I looked also,  and couldn't find anything.  I remember that Beacon leather and Emerson leather collection seemed to be very similar.   But I don't know if that was the leather/treatment itself, or just the feel/appearance.   Sometimes Dooney uses different
'names' to collection styling,  and sometimes it's related to the leather.

Dooney seems to have removed almost all the care info from the site.  And when you
do find it (as part of the listing on a specific handbag), it's important to read what's not being said.... sometimes they say
creams and polishes are not needed and sometimes they say they should not be used.
I know they never recommend conditioning,  but that's different than cautioning against
it.  Bottom line is they do not want to be responsible in case there is a problem.  And it
does make some sense,  since they can't know what product will be used and what ingredients it contains.


----------



## veronicasfoley

lavenderjunkie said:


> I looked also,  and couldn't find anything.  I remember that Beacon leather and Emerson leather collection seemed to be very similar.   But I don't know if that was the leather/treatment itself, or just the feel/appearance.   Sometimes Dooney uses different
> 'names' to collection styling,  and sometimes it's related to the leather.
> 
> Dooney seems to have removed almost all the care info from the site.  And when you
> do find it (as part of the listing on a specific handbag), it's important to read what's not being said.... sometimes they say
> creams and polishes are not needed and sometimes they say they should not be used.
> I know they never recommend conditioning,  but that's different than cautioning against
> it.  Bottom line is they do not want to be responsible in case there is a problem.  And it
> does make some sense,  since they can't know what product will be used and what ingredients it contains.


Thanks for your help. It's a bit frustrating that Dooney and Bourke seems to take the default position that their bags never benefit from a little attention, when that's pretty obviously not the case.


----------



## lavenderjunkie

veronicasfoley said:


> Thanks for your help. It's a bit frustrating that Dooney and Bourke seems to take the default position that their bags never benefit from a little attention, when that's pretty obviously not the case.


Some other brands have their own conditioning products (Coach and Brahmin) come to mind.  Then they can test the conditioner on their own leathers and be sure (?) there will be no negative surprises.    But even with those brands,  we need to do research.   I've had sales associates tell me to use their conditioner on all the bags I purchased.   When I've looked at the websites,  I've found that some of the brands own leathers should not
be conditioned, even by their own label conditioner.  Shiny embossed leathers and snake embossed leathers are just a few that I found out should not be conditioned.  

That's when I realized that the interaction
of the conditioner (even the brands own product) with various leather treatment might not
always be a good thing.   The devil is always in the details.

And care of leather handbags extends beyond conditioning/cleaning but also includes
storage issues.  Just because a handbag comes in a plastic bag does not mean it is safe
to store the bag in that bag long term.   Or to store the bag in a plastic box.  And what
about the cardboard boxes the handbags come in  (even the most high end expensive
designer bags)..... is that good for the leather long term?   What about the tissue paper?
Will a dark color dust bag cause color transfer if the bag is pressed up against another handbag or a wall?    I have lots more questions than answers.

So when I see a handbag that someone has owned that has an issue with the color
or finish,  I wonder.... was this a manufacturing defect  or was it something the owner
did (while trying to care for the handbag) that just interacted poorly with the leather/dyes/finishing?

And don't get me started on patent leather and the effect of perfume, hairspray,
and other chemicals.   Even the most random, single droplet can eat right thru
the coating and color.


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## veronicasfoley

Not sure if this is a question or just a thank you post for all the information in this thread. I just bought an AWL zip-top satchel on poshmark. Don't think I paid enough attention to the photos to realize how gross the handles were. 

I didn't pay a lot for the bag, so I took a flyer and went in with Dawn and a cloth on the leather and used a brush that came with a reusable straw to scrub the grime off the threads. Much less gross now. I mean, there's patina and there's PATINA, if you know what I mean. The finish on the leather pretry much came off with the grime, so I went in with the richest moisturizer I had on hand, which is Sapphir Renovvator.

The listing mentioned that the bag had recently been cleaned and conditioned, so I asked the seller what she used. Her reply is attached. "Cleaned" may be an overstatement. Beyond the handle, there was grime around the medallions that makes me wonder if this bag spent a lot of time in a stable. That comes off with a damp cloth. The bag was reposhed; she only had it for a month, so who knows what's been done to it over the years. Probably a lot if nothing. The AWL looks great, the trim leather is dry and stiff. 

Based on this thread, I ordered Leather CPR and Blackrock Fortunately, the seller seems to have used her products sparingly. I think I'll go over it well with a damp cloth before I introduce anything else, especially since she seems to have essentially applied polish over dirt. 

It didn't come with a strap, but I was able to buy one from another seller that works. I'm not a big handle carrier, but I wonder if I should add scarves to protect the worn leather. Not sure that's a great aesthetic choice, but it might be best for the health of the leather.


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## veronicasfoley

veronicasfoley said:


> Based on this thread, I ordered Leather CPR and Blackrock Fortunately, the seller seems to have used her products sparingly. I think I'll go over it well with a damp cloth before I introduce anything else, especially since she seems to have essentially applied polish over dirt.


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## veronicasfoley

Phew, sorry that got away from me a bit. Based on the condition of the leather, I thunk the CPR and Blackrock will go on the trim only. The AWL would probably enjoy a no-product sponge bath with a soft cloth.


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## lavenderjunkie

*Veronica:*  I'm not a rehab expert,  but for Dooney AWL they have said that no conditioning products should be used, ever.  Dooney AWL was originally created by shrinking the leather to create the water resistance (hence the duck logo) and the pebbled texture.  According to Dooney,  any conditioning product will relax the leather,  thus interfering with the water resistance and also alter the pebble surface (and the texture/look) in unpredictable ways.

I don't know if the newer AWL 2/3?  are created in the same way or if their pebbling and water resistance are created using a different process.   But for the vintage/original AWL,
I think you are smart to keep away from any chemicals/products/conditioners on the leather.

Other pebbled leathers are often created by embossing the leather.   That's an entirely
different thing and those leather will react differently to conditioners.  But AWL is unique
from a leather quality standpoint and also 'manufacturing'.

Hope your new vintage AWL bag regains most of it's former charm and glory.


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## veronicasfoley

lavenderjunkie said:


> Hope your new vintage AWL bag regains most of it's former charm and glory.


Thanks. This thread is such a treasure trove! Fortunately the AWL on this bag is in great shape. It does have a small ballpoint pen line near one of the handle medallions. It lightened up by about 50% with a few light strokes of a Magic Eraser. Had to rein in my OCD tendencies and leave it at that, since I don't want to create a visible sanded spot. It's only visible to because I know it's there and I'm not planning to sell her, so I'm going to leave the hairspray and Amodex out of it and call it part of her charm.

Now I'm going back through to look at posts about dunking, because I just got a cute black on black that's in great condition aside from having been stored flat








						Mercari: Your Marketplace
					

Mercari is your marketplace. It's the perfect place to declutter and discover items that are uniquely you. Say 'goodbye' to your old go-tos and 'hello' to one-of-a-kind treasures.




					merc.li


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## veronicasfoley

There I go, love this thread!


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## vintagelove21

lavenderjunkie said:


> *Veronica:*  I'm not a rehab expert,  but for Dooney AWL they have said that no conditioning products should be used, ever.  Dooney AWL was originally created by shrinking the leather to create the water resistance (hence the duck logo) and the pebbled texture.  According to Dooney,  any conditioning product will relax the leather,  thus interfering with the water resistance and also alter the pebble surface (and the texture/look) in unpredictable ways.
> 
> I don't know if the newer AWL 2/3?  are created in the same way or if their pebbling and water resistance are created using a different process.   But for the vintage/original AWL,
> I think you are smart to keep away from any chemicals/products/conditioners on the leather.
> 
> Other pebbled leathers are often created by embossing the leather.   That's an entirely
> different thing and those leather will react differently to conditioners.  But AWL is unique
> from a leather quality standpoint and also 'manufacturing'.
> 
> Hope your new vintage AWL bag regains most of it's former charm and glory.


But when you have a 40 year old bag that's a bit stiff and the AWL needs SOME care, an application of conditioner to perk it up won't totally undo the AWL or alter the texture. If you do it regularly, it sure will, but I've had my project bags that I just did a light wipe down of conditioner and it did wonders for the surface.

Fortunately, in my experience, it's not often that the AWL needs conditioning as it sure can take a beating. I've got a 40 year old Dooney where the leather was in amazing shape. You'd have no idea it was as old as it is- so soft and supple.


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## lavenderjunkie

*Vintage:*  that's good to know.  I don't personally buy/rehab older handbags....
but.... I like the idea that these treasures can be restored and loved and live on.
The leather used in older Dooney handbags was so thick and the craftsmanship
and construction and styles are worth saving.  And it's good for the planet too!


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## vintagelove21

lavenderjunkie said:


> *Vintage:*  that's good to know.  I don't personally buy/rehab older handbags....
> but.... I like the idea that these treasures can be restored and loved and live on.
> The leather used in older Dooney handbags was so thick and the craftsmanship
> and construction and styles are worth saving.  And it's good for the planet too!


Dooney and Coach used amazing leather in bags back then. Holds up well and can take a beating. They're my favorite vintage bags to collect!


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## veronicasfoley

vintagelove21 said:


> Dooney and Coach used amazing leather in bags back then. Holds up well and can take a beating. They're my favorite vintage bags to collect!


They really are made for the ages, aren't they? I never owned one back in the day, but that might be just as well. I'd probably have been the one storing a bag on a wire shelf under a stack of boxes.


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## lavenderjunkie

veronicasfoley said:


> They really are made for the ages, aren't they? I never owned one back in the day, but that might be just as well. I'd probably have been the one storing a bag on a wire shelf under a stack of boxes.


Verionica:  I can't remember when I started collecting Dooney.  Probably in the 1990's.
Guess that's a long time,  but I can't believe it could be 25 years!  I don't own any of the original AWL styles,  but I'm guessing some of my earlier pebbled leather handbags
are of very similar quality leather.  And while I know many of the 'rules' of proper handbag
storage,  I don't have the space to give each handbag it's breathing room.  The bags
are stuffed with paper (not plastic) and in dust bags (either color matched to the handbag,
or white for lighter color bags).  But.... my handbags reside in piles....
no plastic in sight,  but far from good handbag storage.


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## myshoes5

be careful if you washed too many times the material canvas can be unraveled


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## vintagelove21

myshoes5 said:


> be careful if you washed too many times the material canvas can be unraveled


You're not really supposed to wash canvas anything as it warps and discolors it over time- long before it becomes unraveled.


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## veronicasfoley

lavenderjunkie said:


> Verionica:  I can't remember when I started collecting Dooney.  Probably in the 1990's.
> Guess that's a long time,  but I can't believe it could be 25 years!  I don't own any of the original AWL styles,  but I'm guessing some of my earlier pebbled leather handbags
> are of very similar quality leather.  And while I know many of the 'rules' of proper handbag
> storage,  I don't have the space to give each handbag it's breathing room.  The bags
> are stuffed with paper (not plastic) and in dust bags (either color matched to the handbag,
> or white for lighter color bags).  But.... my handbags reside in piles....
> no plastic in sight,  but far from good handbag storage.


The bag I posted about would have thrived under your storage system. Fortunately, she bounced back quickly and is standing on her own now. So proud of her, lol.


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## lavenderjunkie

veronicasfoley said:


> The bag I posted about would have thrived under your storage system. Fortunately, she bounced back quickly and is standing on her own now. So proud of her, lol.


Enjoy your handbag.  I hope mine are as resilient.


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## G.Allyn

I gave my neighbor a new smooth leather zippered tote and an old AWL that looked brand new.  She is always on the go and I told her to carry the AWL because it wears like iron and the smooth leather needs to be for "good" since it needs "babied".

She is the most amazing cook/baker and has given us delicious food gifts for years.  I don't even like pot pies, but hers are stuffed with veggies and are tremendous.  I wish I had a few more bags to pass her way---her veggie pot pies are sounding good this autumn.  Oh, to know her secret.


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## lavenderjunkie

G.Allyn said:


> I gave my neighbor a new smooth leather zippered tote and an old AWL that looked brand new.  She is always on the go and I told her to carry the AWL because it wears like iron and the smooth leather needs to be for "good" since it needs "babied".
> 
> She is the most amazing cook/baker and has given us delicious food gifts for years.  I don't even like pot pies, but hers are stuffed with veggies and are tremendous.  I wish I had a few more bags to pass her way---her veggie pot pies are sounding good this autumn.  Oh, to know her secret.


Sounds like you found a good home for your handbags and may your rewards keep
coming.


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## veronicasfoley

Curious if this would be worth buying to rehab? I guess that would involve painting most of the interior









						Mercari: Your Marketplace
					

Mercari is your marketplace. It's the perfect place to declutter and discover items that are uniquely you. Say 'goodbye' to your old go-tos and 'hello' to one-of-a-kind treasures.




					merc.li


----------



## bellebellebelle19

I haven't posted on TPF in so long, but this is the only Dooney forum I know. Also, the Bolero collection is not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a very loud dresser and it suits my wardrobe  

I rescued this on Mercari for $58! It needed a lot of love. I gave it a dunk with blue dish soap and scrubbed it with a toothbrush all over, especially the lining which was gross. I carefully sanded down the ink stain on the front pocket with extremely fine sandpaper, and also scrubbed that area. I stuffed it with towels to reshape and let it hang dry, although I did one session of blow-drying and reshaping with my hands before hanging it up again. I hung it up using an air pillow and a hanger between the two handles so the handles wouldn't get misshapen. Once all dry, I gave it a good coat of Leather CPR and I think it looks much better now! I have a replacement strap on the way. It's especially well-reshaped, and I took these pictures of it standing without support or any inserts inside.


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## lavenderjunkie

*Belle*:  nice work.  I hope you love using your 'new' handbag.
I love the colors too!


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## veronicasfoley

bellebellebelle19 said:


> I haven't posted on TPF in so long, but this is the only Dooney forum I know. Also, the Bolero collection is not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a very loud dresser and it suits my wardrobe
> 
> I rescued this on Mercari for $58! It needed a lot of love.



Wow, the reshaping results are amazing! Hope you are loving your new bag.


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## klaudiSan

HELP!
I accidentally wet my bag and this happened, a pink shadow was formed! Is there anything I can do?


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## lavenderjunkie

klaudiSan said:


> HELP!
> I accidentally wet my bag and this happened, a pink shadow was formed! Is there anything I can do?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 5656296
> View attachment 5656297


Is your handbag leather or coated canvas?


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## klaudiSan

lavenderjunkie said:


> Is your handbag leather or coated canvas?


it's leather! tried some tricks but nothing works...
This is how it looked before the accident


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## lavenderjunkie

klaudiSan said:


> it's leather! tried some tricks but nothing works...
> This is how it looked before the accident
> 
> View attachment 5656651


I've never had this happen and my guess would be the lining bled onto the leather when you got the bag wet.  I've never had even color transfer from a Dooney red lining,
but with highly saturated colors like red,  it's always a possibility.  

I'm not a rehab expert,  but hopefull someone else will chime in with ideas.  Sorry this happened to your beautiful handbag.  I love the Dooney animal patterns.


----------



## klaudiSan

lavenderjunkie said:


> I've never had this happen and my guess would be the lining bled onto the leather when you got the bag wet.  I've never had even color transfer from a Dooney red lining,
> but with highly saturated colors like red,  it's always a possibility.
> 
> I'm not a rehab expert,  but hopefull someone else will chime in with ideas.  Sorry this happened to your beautiful handbag.  I love the Dooney animal patterns.


I also think it was the beautiful but dangerous red lining, although there is a strange blue stain! I tried to get it out with alcohol and it was worse... now my 10-year-old daughter is very happy to have inherited her mom's damaged "cow bag"


----------



## lavenderjunkie

klaudiSan said:


> I also think it was the beautiful but dangerous red lining, although there is a strange blue stain! I tried to get it out with alcohol and it was worse... now my 10-year-old daughter is very happy to have inherited her mom's damaged "cow bag"


Any dark or saturated color lining is a risk in a handbag that has lighter color leather or fabric exterior.  I know that darker color linings show less dirt and look good longer,  but
I can't understand why so many manufacturers use dark fabric linings in their handbags.

The Dooney red cotton lining is a sturdy, high quality fabric.... but it's red.   I much prefer
the older Dooney woven linings that were 'woven' and either tan/beige or red/beige.
These linings were also high quality and thick fabric,  but much lighter in color.... so it was
easier to see what was inside and no risk of color transfer from the lining onto the leather
or the contents of your handbag.  Of course,  with a light color lining the risk is that
dirt or coor transfers from your contents onto the lining.   I guess there is no perfect answer.  I use either pouches or an organizer in many of my handbags.... it keeps the
handbag interior clean.  But.... the pouches or organizers do add weight to the carry.

I hope you find some way to remove the stains from your handbag.  When you do try
products.... use a Qtip,  so as to minimize any damage or spread of color.  Also,  test
on the least obvious area,  just to be sure it doesn't make anything worse.  Good luck.


----------

