Louis Vuitton - Alma - Vachetta leather... Help!

This is atleast an 8 year old Alma from my grandmother. The bag's inside is in great condition! I'm looking to rejuvenate the Vachetta leather on this beautiful bag. I hope it won't be extremely expensive... Looking forward to what you think before I send it to a repair shop - which I'm very apprehensive about. What are your thoughts? Would love to hear it.


Pic 1
Attachment 4587

Pic 2
Attachment 4588

Pic 3
Attachment 4589

Pic 4
Attachment 4590

Pic 5
Attachment 4591

Pic 6
Attachment 4592

Pic 7
Attachment 4593

>>> I'm looking to rejuvenate the Vachetta leather on this beautiful bag.

Picture #7
These greasy handles are clean by Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 system.

Pictures #1 to #6
Most likely cause of the browning may be from alkaline cleaners wet test with fingers if it is tacky?
Extra attention with Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) helps pH balance it to the neutral pH, isoelectric point or pI (pH less than 4) of the leather.
Browning stains are lightened and even out by Vachetta-2.8.

Picture #1
The bottom shows white line cracking indicating that the leather is dried of its original fatliquor of up to 14%.
Using a leather moisture meter or an equivalent moisture meter may read present remaining percentage of fatliquor.
If the percentage is below 7%, it is recommended to rejuvenate the leather topping up the percentage of fatliquor prior to degreasing and browning treatment. An option to reduce a drying cycle is to combine the degreasing process with the leather rejuvenating process and waiting dry for inspection and treating the browning discoloration thereafter.

Thus the simplified procedure would be:

1 – Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 > Dry.

2 – Vachetta-2.8 treatment > Inspection when Dry.

3 – Protector-D.

We will go into the details when you are ready.

Roger Koh
[email protected]


Product Information:

Attachment 4598
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/leather...g-removal-kit/
Leather Doctor® Kit V4 specialty problem solving kit include Vachetta-2.8 for browning removal and Degreaser-2.2 for body contact decontamination systems in a holistic approach. Kit V4 is a combination kit from Kit V3 and Kit V5.dr without duplicating of products for these common related problems.
Darkening appearance from body contact and browning from liquid stain are two main inevitable common problems associated with naked unfinished vachetta leathers. Leather being absorbent absorb and accumulates body moisture from contact and when neglected resulted in a darkening appearance. Besides appearance the sweat with traces of urea may cause the protein fiber from shifting ionic negative (-ve) manifesting as tackiness and reverting to rawhide.
Degreaser-2.2 solves the darkening effect by penetrating, lubricating and suspending the soiling particulates and simultaneously protonate the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve). The amphoteric protein fiber is further rinse and ionic positive (+ve) charge with Acidifier-2.0 to strengthen the ionic attraction between its other non-amphoteric ionic negative (-ve) leather constituents like the tanning agent and the fatliquor. This dual duty removes the unwanted soiling particulates and pH balance the pH chemistry integrity of the leather at the same time.
Browning of vachetta leathers is associated with alkaline over-exposure, vachetta being a lower pH value than most other tanned leathers averages pH 4 is more sensitive to alkaline cleaning or stains and even water at pH 7 will cause discoloration and browning.
Vachetta-2.8 with its low pH works by oxidation-reduction reaction to reduce the discoloration or browning effect to a more even appearance when the leather is left to dry naturally.
Leather rejuvenating is mandatory and comes next when appearance become satisfactorily. This is accomplished with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system. Hydrator-3.3 plays a significant role in absorbent leathers like vachetta where stains are usually penetrated. The hydrator’s surfactancy helps internal leather structure colloidal movement by moving suspended soiling particulates to the surface at each wicking process until exhausted and is often used as part of the rinsing process. Besides hydrator is used to check for surface tension and relax the leather fiber prior to ionic negative (-ve) charged Fatliquor-5.0 replenishing. Natural slow drying in between application until saturation produces a softer leather.
Protecting the leather with Protector-D impart a natural draggy-feel and reduces wear to the grain of the leather, conceal scuff with its healing properties that also allows transpiration to take place or breaths naturally. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing the common problems associated with vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roger Koh

Thus the simplified procedure would be:

1 – Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 > Dry.

2 – Vachetta-2.8 treatment > Inspection when Dry.

3 – Protector-D.

We will go into the details when you are ready.

Roger Koh

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I appreciate you getting back at me. The areas on pics 1-6 do feel tacky.
Am I treating the handles the same way as the rest of the Vachetta leather on the bag?

Once I get the kit, may I email you for further instructions?

>>> The areas on pics 1-6 do feel tacky.

This condition will need careful attention as stiffness leads to cracking becomes very real when dry if the tackiness persists during the wet treatment.


>>> Am I treating the handles the same way as the rest of the Vachetta leather on the bag?

All will go through the same sequence of treatment to achieve an even appearance.


>>> Once I get the kit, may I email you for further instructions?

Post your question here for follow-up details.