alicetime Report post Posted April 7, 2013 (edited) I picked up a leather school bag rather inexpensively, it's good size, and in decent condition. The seam on on side needs restitched, but my real concern is conditioning the leather. It's hardened, and of course I'm sure it should be hard given the nature of the bag, but the color and feel of the leather is--off. I want to clean it, but I've never cleaned any leather of this age before. I'm guessing the bag is within twenty years of age by it's hardware. I've read a few things suggesting saddle soap, but I've also heard some suggestions for Pecard and some for vinegar and water. There are no troubling odors, just an odd feel to the leather and the color is--well the color is not ideal. So I'm also wondering if I can overdye it, but I've never overdyed leather before. I've posted a couple pictures. I'm just a bit at a loss with all of the varying information I've found thus far. Edited April 7, 2013 by alicetime Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted April 7, 2013 Pictures always help, it all depends on what type of leather and what finish etc. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 7, 2013 Can do. The finish though, at first touch I honestly thought it had been painted so I thought it was artificial, but then I saw the interior which shows the grain clearly and got a look at the cross section on the broken seam, and confirmed it was leather. I'll get some photos up in the first post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted April 8, 2013 I think I would try a good saddle soap on a hidden part of the bag or the inside and see how that works. If that does not mess with the finish I would do the rest of the bag that way and then try a good leather conditioner again trying it first on a hidden part. Look at the front strap and check it out really well. Straps usually get the most abuse and will show it the most especially around the holes or where the buckle rides look for cracks there. Looking at the picture I did not really see any cracks in the strap. Hope this helps David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 8, 2013 There's a bit of wear on the back and the top flap, but I haven't seen any cracks. The finish is in good condition, I'm just not keen on the color. Is it possible to change it without ruining the bag? I was thinking I could go over it in black. It has no label, so I'm not overly concerned with value. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted April 8, 2013 I would do the saddle soap and clean the leather don't condition it if you are going to try to dye it darker. I am not really sure on stripping the finish off so I will let some one else take a shot at that. It is doable I am just not sure on how to do it. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 8, 2013 All right, thank you so much for your help! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jazznow Report post Posted April 8, 2013 You could try acetone for getting the finish and maybe even the old dye off. If your lucky, enough dye comes of so Thant you can redye with another color than black. We use acetone for getting finish of shoes before dyeing them black. But I can't guarantee, that this will work. Maybe it could even ruin the bag. It all depends on the leather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 9, 2013 Thanks for the tip, Jazz. I'll do a test spot on something you can't see. So far, the saddle soap has helped tremendously. The bag is much less stiff and I've gotten it to return to it's proper shape somewhat. Found a few more spots that need restitched, so once it's dried I'll be doing that and then a test to see if the finish will come off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raysouth Report post Posted April 9, 2013 Hello Alicetime, All of the advice given works, some better than others, and big factor is leather used originally and products used during the finishing phase. I have used saddle soap, glycerin when I thought it would assist, acetone as well and even a combination of various cleaning products while experimenting. I have refinished, mostly in black, some with blue undercoat, and other dye products, such as Angelus Chocolate, which appears to be almost black, on some leathers. Nothing to lose and much to gain. Hope it works out and you end up with a fantastic bag. Neat things to do. God Bless. Ray Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 9, 2013 Thanks for the tips Raysouth. I'm certainly hoping for good results. So far though, so good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alicetime Report post Posted April 11, 2013 (edited) The acetone worked really well, I was able to take off the top layer of finish and as I took off the bulk of the dye, I ended up with a much nicer color. Once the acetone evaporated completely I refinished it and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Edited April 11, 2013 by alicetime Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted April 11, 2013 Looks good, glad it worked. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jazznow Report post Posted April 11, 2013 Great job. It's looking fine now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
