refurbishing vintage Coach leather

Vintage Coach leather is awesome. Coach has described it as “a completely natural, unaltered, rugged leather that has been especially tanned to render it soft and supple to the touch”, “never seems to wear out and actually improves with age.”

While Coach also said the aging process “cannot be reversed so there is no way to restore a Coach bag to its original appearance after it has been worn”, a bit of care can breathe new life back into much-loved bags.

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Coach literature from 1982 found here on Vintage Vixen Blog.

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With a good portion of my handbag collection secondhand vintage, I do a fair amount of leather care & refurbishing aka rehabbing. After much research and some trial & error, I have a rehab process that has been working well for me.

Note that I am not a professional. Please proceed at your own risk. 

my rehab kit includes:

Dawn dish soap
Lexol leather cleaner
Leather CPR cleaner & conditioner
Obenauf’s leather oil
Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP (leather protectant)
Blackrock Leather ‘N’ Rich cleaner conditioner
Fiebing’s Leathercraft Cement
Kiwi horsehair shine brush

my rehab process:

Each rehab will vary depending on a bag & its condition. I assess & devise a plan while being sure to look for issues such as ink blobs or shoe polish. Because such things require special care, are time-consuming & usually not completely removable, I try to avoid bags with them.

To begin, bags should be shaken &/or vacuumed out. A dry nail brush may be used to brush the interior suede.

If a bag is misshapen or dirty, I will wash it in a sink of tepid water & Dawn dish soap. The foam version of Dawn helps use a minimal amount making rinsing easier. I’ve recently used Lexol cleaner again. I add white vinegar to the wash if the bag has any odors. A nail brush may be used on the interior suede to help gently clean during the wash. After rinsing well, towels are placed inside to dry & get the bag back to its original shape. While the bag is still damp & begins to hold its shape, towels are removed & I begin the conditioning steps.

If a bag is merely dry, I skip the wash & typically begin conditioning with Leather CPR. If it is in need of deeper conditioning, I follow with Obenauf’s Oil. I apply conditioners with paper towels & allow time between coats. I finish with Blackrock Leather ‘N’ Rich or Obenauf’s LP. For either of these, I apply by hand. Excess Blackrock must be wiped away. Please note that some conditioners may darken leather. After all conditioners are given time to settle, I buff by hand or with a horsehair brush.

To clean brass hardware, I wipe down with white vinegar. I’ve also used Bar Keepers Friend cleanser on several that have needed more help.

For any small leather splits or tears, I use leather cement to repair. A toothpick comes in handy for finely applying the cement/glue.

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my recent rehab: 

For Valentine’s Day, I had planned to use my red NYC Saddlery Bag, Style #9535. However, after loading it up to carry, I wasn’t happy with its stretched leather & lackluster color so I decided it was time to do a full rehab. I had originally done a condensed version on it (quick clean out & conditioning) & that alone had been a dramatic improvement as the bag had been dry & splotchy.

This time around, I washed (with Dawn), reshaped, dried, conditioned (with multiple coats of Leather CPR, Obenauf’s Oil, Obenauf’s LP) & buffed.

The leather bounced back both in shape & color. I’m very happy with the results. I didn’t get to wear it for Valentine’s Day this year but any day is a great day for a lovely red bag!

[Note: The before & after do not reflect the complete turnaround as I don’t have photos to post of the bag prior to that first rehab.]

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I’m constantly amazed at what a bit of work & a lot of love can do for classic Coach beauties. I’m also especially excited to carry bags that I’ve had a hand in reviving.

Whether this post finds you looking to freshen up an old favorite, searching for bags to save or already knee-deep in a vintage pile... Happy Rehabbing!

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If you’d like to connect with other rehabbers with a wealth of information & incredible transformations, visit the PurseForum’s Coach Rehab & Rescue Club.

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Before you go, check out this beautiful, inspiring video Coach released showcasing leather rehabber, Debi Nemetz; coinciding with the release of a line of refurbished vintage bags embellished & sold to commemorate Coach’s 75th Anniversary in 2016.