Refurbishing old leather/restain?

[JoeEvans]

Hey folks,

 I’ve got an old briefcase sur of things from my grandfather that I’d like to recondition and add a shoulder strap to. I’ve got quandary about the stain though. Should I simply try to match the strain of the new strap that I’ll put on? If I try to match, what color should I try? Or should I try to deglaze and restain it altogether?

Also, if I wanted to restain it, is acetone followed by lemon juice and cream of tartar a good method? I’ve read it online for stripping protective layers(acetone) then removing stains(juice and cream of tartar). 

I’ll attach pictures  

All the best,

Joe

[JoeEvans]

[ScottWolf]

I think there are several ways you can approach this, all depend on what you want to do. 

The black ink stain is going to be the crux of it though. Unless you plan on dyeing the entire bag black, that stain may be your main issue. You can start with ISO alcohol to try and get it to liquify and blot it off. It's a time consuming and slow process. If the ink proves to be hard to remove, you can always go to harsher chemicals to get it off, such as "goof off" and similar product with acetone in them. It might get it all off, it might just lighten it up some and it very well may remove some of the brown color as well and require touch up. If you go this route, you always need to condition and feed the leather afterwards so it doesn't dry out and you put natural oils back in to the leather.

 

What I would suggest is that you clean the bag good and then give it a good conditioning over several days to see what the leather does and how well it comes back to life and the color it takes on. This is of course ignoring the black ink stain altogether and chalking it up to a life scar. My guess is that this bag will take on a nice color and look once conditioned. From there, I'd say start with a saddle tan for the strap you want to add. It's always better to start lighter, as you can go darker but not vice versa when it comes to matching the bags color as close as possible. You may be able to do this by applying more saddle tan dye to the strap or moving to a darker color dye if the bag proves to be significantly darker after conditioning. Use a few pieces of scrap from the same leather you're making the strap with to do multiple color strips and dye colors to see what best resembles your bag before doing the strap. If you use Neatsfoot oil/Lexol, it will darken up a decent amount color wise. If you use EVOO or other all natural conditioners, it may not darken up as much after one application. In either case, allow it to sit for a day or two after conditioning as it will lighten up slightly and be a better indicator of its color.

[Rahere]

Leave the ink stain, the bag's lived and you won't get rid of all the scuffs so it's going to be lived-in from the start. The most you'll likely manage is make it larger.

[JoeEvans]

Thanks folks. I’m not too concerned about the bag’s scars and stains. I just want to preserve it, add a strap, and use the heck out of it. So I’ll start by conditioning and then try to match the stain. 
 

What would you suggest to clean it? Just water? Soap and water?

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, JoeEvans said:

What would you suggest to clean it? Just water? Soap and water?

How about using a little saddle soap? I prefer using this foam...

[ScottWolf]

2 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

Thanks folks. I’m not too concerned about the bag’s scars and stains. I just want to preserve it, add a strap, and use the heck out of it. So I’ll start by conditioning and then try to match the stain. 
 

What would you suggest to clean it? Just water? Soap and water?

Yes, you can use simple water and a mild soap and a rag to wipe it down. If you plan to dye it I'd follow up with ISO alcohol wipe down prior to dyeing and then conditioning and applying a finish.