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Thread: Chanel - How to revive this vintage Chanel Bag?

  1. #1
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    Default Chanel - How to revive this vintage Chanel Bag?

    I have a vintage Chanel bag that is lacking luster, dull, and appears to be dry. Can you please give me some recommendations for reviving it?
    I have tried/used Cadillac Boot & Shoe Care, and Meltonian Boot Shoe Care polish with no results.
    I would appreciate your recommendations.

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  2. #2
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    Lacking Luster and Dull:
    This is aniline dyed leather, the glossy luster is derived from the transparent clear topcoat that may have worn off or it could be from the aging incompatible products which are causing the dullness that need stripping off. Boots and shoe polishes need to be buffed to produce the sheen, otherwise the heavy waxes just make the appearance duller. With the quilting it is quite impossible to have an effective polishing, having in mind the groove along the threading and not to frail it too. Another consideration is the possibility of rubbing-off if color wax is used. It is first recommended to strip off the aging and non comparable dressing to get down to the condition of the original topcoat. Thereafter, inspection will decide if topcoating is necessary to bring back the desired gloss, using Aniline Topcoat-79G.

    Appears to be Dry and not have Puffy Quilting:
    From picture #4, it appears that the leather loses its fullness in-between the quilting, sags and looks empty. This may be due to diminishing fatliquor through evaporation as VOC (volatile organic compound). This is structural rejuvenating to replenish diminishing fatliquor. Fatliquor is basically ionic negative charged fat and oil in a water emulsion that looks like fresh milk. The fat gives fullness to the leather; the oil lubricates the individual fibers that acts like inter-connecting hinges to impart suppleness to the leather; and the water evaporates leaving behind breathing pores in-between the inter-fibrillary spaces. Healthy leather needs transpiration or to breathe, commonly known as airing of the leather through these breathing pores enhanced by fatliquoring. Rejuvenating of the leather structure as originally done in the modern tannery is first by hydrating prior to fatliquoring in a two steps process, after restorative cleaning.

    Reviving:
    Leather structure rejuvenating is to revive dryness and restore quilting puffiness.
    Surface stripping of soiling and ageing dressing or conditioners is to restore dullness and lack luster.

    The general sequence of restoration processes is as follows:

    1] Restorative Cleaning:
    Prep-4.4 > Cleaner-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 (with Eraser-4 + horsehair detailing Brush-1)

    2] Leather Structure Rejuvenating:
    Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0

    3] Re-Dyeing for Color Freshness:
    Aniline Dye-21 + (optional Adhesor-73)

    4] Topcoat Natural Glossy Luster:
    Aniline Topcoat-79G

    5] Non-stick, Rub-resistant, Buttery-feel, Leather-scent protection:
    Protection-B+

  3. #3
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    Leather Doctor® Kit A3 : Aniline Leather Standard Care Kit

    Contents:

    Leather Doctor® Prep-4.4 in 60ml
    This is the leather-safe milder version of Prep-7.7 with a Ph value of 4.4. It’s high viscosity; designed to be painted on neatly; with a foam brush onto the leather. It works by allowing sufficient dwell-time; to penetrate, lubricate and suspense foreign soil contamination; prior to extraction with towel. It’s is used to strip foreign soil contamination prior to refinishing. Also as stains remover for: Grease based ink stains like ballpoint ink.
    Water based ink stains like stamp pad ink. Dye transfer stains like blue jeans, ink prints and newsprints.

    Leather Doctor® Cleaner-3.8 in 250ml.
    This is a Ph 3.8 all purpose leather-safe anionic cleaner that is particularly effective in emulsifying oily soils and in suspending its particulates. It works by penetrating, lubricating and suspending soiling safely and effectively through gentle chemical reaction; working in perfect harmony with all leather constituents that include the tanning agent, preservative, dyestuff and especially the fatliquor. It’s safe for all leather trims including; aniline, vachetta, nubuck and suede. This product is always followed through with Rinse-3.0 as a system to a healthy squeaky feel.

    Leather Doctor® Rinse-3.0 in 250ml.
    This is a pH 3.0 aqueous anionic leather-safe rinse to neutralize harmful alkaline and perspiration residues; for stabilizing and strengthening leather to its neutral pH value of 3 to 5 chemistry integrity. It’s safe for all leather trims including; aniline, vachetta, nubuck and suede.

    Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 in 250ml
    This is a pH 3.3 aqueous leather-safe hydrator with active surfactantcy for lowering the interfacial tension between the protein leather fibers and its constituents. It’s for relaxing creases and wrinkle and eliminating them while damp prior to fatliquoring it. It’s for hydrating dried, stiffed or shrunk leathers to separates the crushed, stick together fibrils and relaxes them in the inter-fibrillary leather structure for effective distribution of the Fatliquor-5.0. It’s for charging the leather protein fibers below its iso-electric point positive to hydrogen-bond with the ionic negative charged Fatliquor-5.0. It’s for facilitating colloidal water movement within the leather structure during the wicking process to move soiling particulates to the surface. It’s for reactivating the dormant dyestuff to resurface thus reducing the contrast between the color coat and the leather crust. It’s for reducing or eliminate blotchiness when dry especially absorbent leathers. It’s for facilitating better finish penetration during refinishing thus providing good surface properties, especially the uniformity of surface dyeing during aniline refinishing. It’s safe for other leather trims that may include aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin.

    Leather Doctor® Fatliquor-5.0 in 250ml
    This is a pH 5.0 anionic charged micro emulsion fatliquor leather rejuvenator. It’s for replenishing original fatliquor that has diminished thru sun-bleaching, ageing, heat and alkaline exposure or cleaning. It penetrates and lubricates the leather fibers so that after drying, they are capable of sliding over one another smoothly. Besides softening the leather with stretchability, compressibility and flexibility; fatliquor enhances its rip tensile strength greatly thus reduces split or tear to the stitching and perforated holes. It relaxes coarse breaks, creases and wrinkles to provide drapes, suppleness and prevents cracking. It helps to keep leather at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing. It’s safe for all other leather trims including; aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin. It is available with infused leather scent as Fatliquor LS-5.5.

    Leather Doctor® Protection-B+ (Leather Scent-B) in 120ml.
    This is a non-film forming, non-stick rub resistant protector that enhances a soft natural buttery-feel with an unforgettable classic leather scent. It’s for imparting a non-stick breathable barrier essentially to shield the detrimental effects of sticky soiling including the nasty ballpoint ink. It is effective to release those tenacious dye-transfers stains especially on light colored leathers easily, without resorting to unnecessary color refinishing. Its natural buttery-feel protection increases the leather resistance to wet and dry rubs, thus reduces stretch, scuff and abrasion. And it reduces friction squeaks that wear the finishes when leather is rubbed against during used.

    Horsehair Detailing Leather Brush-1
    This horsehair detailing brush is ergonomically designed to be an extension of our hand with sturdy grooved grip, designed to produce an effective result easily and efficiently for many years to come. It’s recommended for all smooth leather, to deliver a scratch-free agitation cleaning. The length is 7 inches with a three row 1½ inches bristles cleaning head.

    PolyBrush®
    This is the 3” made in USA washable foam brush that last. It’s used for spreading the Prep-7.7, rinse clean and thereafter used for the leather Scent-B and Scent-D application to prevent overspray.

    Washable Rags
    This rag works like cloth, lint free and highly absorbent for extracting suspended soiling or for wiping the leather Scent-B and Scent-D during routine easy cleaning-protection application.

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    The add-on products to the above are are as follows:

    Leather Doctor® Leather Eraser-4
    This is a 2½ x 2¼ x ¾ inch foam rubber sponge block with a crepe side for effective dry/wet soil removal.

    Leather Doctor® Adhesor-73
    It’s an auxiliary for Pigmented and Aniline leathers refinishing. This is an aqueous compact resin adhesion promoter to ensure proper adhesion prior to color coating. It's also added to Aniline Dye-21 for dye coating absorption resistant areas to reduce color blotchiness.

    Leather Doctor® Aniline Dye-21
    Leather Doctor® Aniline Dye-21 is a transparent dyestuff that’s for staining absorbent naked aniline leather that includes the nappy nubuck and suede. Dyestuff is for staining the leather protein fibers and not the topcoat unless it can be easily penetrates through like pure aniline leathers, otherwise to coat over existing standard gloss aniline leathers an auxiliary adhesion promoter using Adhesor-73 is recommended. This is a new generation aqueous transparent staining aniline dyestuff that is more lively and brilliant than most liquid dyes.
    It’s to provide a more superior light fastness and fades resistance than most standard liquid dyes. For coating aniline leathers that has existing topcoating; add up to 30% Adhesor-73 to even out appearance. Standard colors available in Black-115, Orange-157, Red-180, Red-Brown-159, Yellow-128, Dark-Brown-124, Rubine-113 and Blue-119.

    Leather Doctor® Aniline Topcoat-79G
    It’s a gloss finish for upholstery Aniline leathers. This is an aqueous fine particular size urethane resin emulsion topcoat. It’s to protect aniline dyestuff with excellent toughness and flexibility.


    Any questions on the relevance of these products before we go into how to use them...

  5. #5
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    Is it really possible to restore the puffiness of quilted leather?

    If so, I'd like to know exactly how to do so

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Koh View Post
    The add-on products to the above are are as follows:

    Leather Doctor® Leather Eraser-4
    This is a 2½ x 2¼ x ¾ inch foam rubber sponge block with a crepe side for effective dry/wet soil removal.

    Leather Doctor® Adhesor-73
    It’s an auxiliary for Pigmented and Aniline leathers refinishing. This is an aqueous compact resin adhesion promoter to ensure proper adhesion prior to color coating. It's also added to Aniline Dye-21 for dye coating absorption resistant areas to reduce color blotchiness.

    Leather Doctor® Aniline Dye-21
    Leather Doctor® Aniline Dye-21 is a transparent dyestuff that’s for staining absorbent naked aniline leather that includes the nappy nubuck and suede. Dyestuff is for staining the leather protein fibers and not the topcoat unless it can be easily penetrates through like pure aniline leathers, otherwise to coat over existing standard gloss aniline leathers an auxiliary adhesion promoter using Adhesor-73 is recommended. This is a new generation aqueous transparent staining aniline dyestuff that is more lively and brilliant than most liquid dyes.
    It’s to provide a more superior light fastness and fades resistance than most standard liquid dyes. For coating aniline leathers that has existing topcoating; add up to 30% Adhesor-73 to even out appearance. Standard colors available in Black-115, Orange-157, Red-180, Red-Brown-159, Yellow-128, Dark-Brown-124, Rubine-113 and Blue-119.

    Leather Doctor® Aniline Topcoat-79G
    It’s a gloss finish for upholstery Aniline leathers. This is an aqueous fine particular size urethane resin emulsion topcoat. It’s to protect aniline dyestuff with excellent toughness and flexibility.


    Any questions on the relevance of these products before we go into how to use them...

  6. #6
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    To restore puffiness back to its original pre sagging condition is possible.

    To correct the puffiness which was not originally there is not possible.

    If the cause is due to diminishing of the original fatliquor and over stretching; it is done by Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0

    Show us some pictures to evaluate the possibility and we can go into details how best to achieve the desired result.


    Roger Koh
    [email protected]

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Koh View Post
    To restore puffiness back to its original pre sagging condition is possible.

    To correct the puffiness which was not originally there is not possible.

    If the cause is due to diminishing of the original fatliquor and over stretching; it is done by Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0

    Show us some pictures to evaluate the possibility and we can go into details how best to achieve the desired result.


    Roger Koh
    [email protected]
    Hi Roger,

    I have a Chanel bag in a similar state as this one. I used regular shoe polish to make it shinier.

    Do I need any extra steps to remove the shoe polish, before I try to restore the pufiness?

    Can I restore the pufiness and wrinkles without restoring the aniline finish?

    I've never done this before and I'm afraid to ruin my bag by doing what seems to be advanced things like refinishing it, etc.

    Thanks in advance,

    Isabella

  8. #8
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    Is to restore the original pufiness. The leather around the CC clasp, the leather straps and the sides of the bag have no shoe polish. I only cleaned the leather straps with my Michael Kors Cleaner and conditioner liquid.

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  9. #9
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    Here's the original leather. Hasn't been cleaned or polished with wax.
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    I just realized I did polish around the clasp, because the leather feels different than the leather on the other side of the clasp (inside). This is where the untouched leather is.

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  10. #10
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    Leather is an amphoteric material, especially the aniline absorbent type like this pH sensitive lambskin leather. Note that leather like our skin has a pH value of 3 to 5, while most of our skin has a pH value of 5.5. Any pH value applied to the leather above the pH value of 5 will cause the leather structure weakness as the ionic positive (+ve) leather fiber shift (-ve) thus like magnet, ‘like poles’ repels and the leather constituents like the tanning agents, dyestuff and fatliquor breaks the hydrogen bonds and migrates, tackiness is one sign of leather denaturing especially the strips with more body sweat contacts. Dyestuff bleeding is another sign that affects the dyestuff and stiffness, creases and wrinkles is fatliquor (ionic negative –ve charged fat and oil) related.

    Restoring the puffiness is fatliquor related. The collapse quitting is due to shrinkage and the lack of ‘fat’ to plumps up the leather structure. Suppleness is lack of oil, thus both fat and oil are essential and found in the Fatliquor-5.0.
    Before we apply the fatliquor, the leather soiling and accumulated unwanted wax and unknown conditioner solids need to be removes including the heavy wax polish with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 system. The shrunk quilting will need to be relax and plumps up with Hydrator-3.3 to satisfaction prior to Fatliquor-5.0 application. Fat and oil contents when dry should read about 14% back to the tannery standard to return the leather with fullness, suppleness with softness and tear strength. Protector-B reduces friction rubs and imparts a soft buttery-feel.

    >>> I just realized I did polish around the clasp, because the leather feels different than the leather on the other side of the clasp (inside). This is where the untouched leather is.


    Use Prep-4.4 and concentrate on those areas that have wax polishes. You may apply and leave to the next day to clean off with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0. Any foreign deposit should be removed to free up the leather breathing pores for natural transpiration to take place for a healthier and more natural looking leather grains.

  11. #11
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    Products mentioned are found in this Kit-A3 from this link: http://www.leatherdoctor.com/kit-a3-...ther-care-kit/

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    See standard instruction for Restorative Care

    Restorative Care:
    This is the ultimate restorative or salvage care system that removes accumulated soiling including aged conditioners. Accumulated soiling that fills creases is often mistaken for cracks. Using Prep-4.4 performs restorative cleaning. It works by chemical reaction to emulsify soiling through its penetrating, lubricating and suspending power. Horsehair detailing Brush-1 is recommended to worked into heavily soiled areas sufficiently to avoid excessive agitation that might damage already weaken finishes especially on heavily used areas.

    1st phase - Restorative Cleaning:
    1. Apply Prep-4.4 and agitate with horsehair Brush-1, ensuring a uniform application over the entire surfaces a section at a time.
    2. Allow a dwell time of 10 to 30 minutes or before it dries prior to towel extraction until it shows clean.
    3. Sticky residue is removed by Cleaner-3.8 with gentle brush agitation and towel extracts until it shows clean.
    4. Remaining residues are spray rinse with Rinse-3.0 and towel extracts to a squeaky-clean.
    5. Let dry and inspect for satisfaction, otherwise repeat cleaning process as necessary or proceed to hydrating.

    2nd phase – Hydrating:
    Hydrating is essential to relax and separate the stick together collapsing fibrous structure. Its surfactantcy helps check for surface tension of blotchiness prior to fat and oil replenishing.
    1. Spray Hydrator-3.3 to saturate with an even appearance to soften up the leather.
    2. Let dwell 10 to 30 minutes and towel extract wick up soiling until it shows clean.

    3rd phase – Fatliquoring:
    Fat and oil replenishing maintains the leather’s structure integrity and pliability thus strengthen these exposed leather from cracking.
    1. Spray Fatliquor-5.0 in like manner as Hydrator-3.3 and let dry naturally.
    2. Repeat application in between drying until saturated.
    3. The leather is left for slow natural drying for extra softness.
    4. Surface strays are wiped with Hydrator-3.3 to free of sticky residue.

    4th phase – Preventive Care:
    1. Mist sprays Protector-B spread with lint free towel and is ready for use when dry.

    To restore puffiness, pay attention to these 2 products and the rest are found from the link above.

    Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 (250ml) - Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 is a water-based pH 3.3 leather-safe hydrator that relaxes the leather structure and acts as a fatliquor preconditioner with multi functional abilities. When leather structure becomes hydrated, relaxed and plumped, it can be fatliquored thereafter to as soft as you wish! Surface application is primary to check for even surface tension free of blotchiness prior to fatliquor replenishing it. Structural or below surface application will require saturating to an optimum level with moisture oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers. Sufficient dwelling time up to 72hrs does the preconditioning. This universal Hydrator-3.3 is for all leather types including pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin. The multi functional abilities include: A) Dent Repair:Application from the reverse suede side is recommended for non-absorbent leathers to relax dents. When dry thereafter heat treatment rectifies overstretching problems. B) Structural (below surface) Stain Removal: B1). Acts to facilitates colloidal water movement within the inter-fibrillary spaces for wicking foreign soiling particulates to resurface. B2). Acts to rectify alkaline overexposure areas by facilitating colloidal water movement to redistribute the leather constituents from surrounding areas. Advance technique utilizes stretchable paper towel for “reverse transferring” the soiling particulates instead of remaining on the leather surface. C) Activate Dormant Dyestuff: C1). Acts to activate dormant or excess dyestuff within the leather structure to resurface. D) Working out Creases and Wrinkles: D1). Acts to plumps relaxes and separates crushed, shrunk and stick together fibrils for manipulating-away unwanted creases and wrinkles. E) Acts as preconditioner prior to fatliquor replenishing process: E1). Acts to check for surface tension for an even appearance free from blotchiness, prior to fatliquor replenishing. E2). Acts to stabilize, pH balance and charge the protein fiber below its iso-electric point (pI) ionic positive to hydrogen bond with the ionic negative fatliquor more effectively.

    Leather Doctor® Fatliquor-5.0 (250ml) - Fatliquor-5.0, is a micro emulsion formulation of fat, oil and water. Design with an anionic charged pH value of 5.0 for rejuvenating or replenishing by hydrogen bonding to the cationic leather protein fiber for all leather types including pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin. Dried, stiff, hard and shrunk leathers are first preconditioned with Hydrator-3.3 to relax, plump, opens up the inter-fibrillary spaces prior to Fatliquor-5.0 application. The water-encased fat and oil molecule breaks free when hydrogen bond attraction takes place between the anionic fat and oil with the cationic protein fiber. The excess free water content wicks out leaving a breathing space behind for leather natural transpiration. The fat plumps the leather with fullness from easily collapsing into creases and wrinkles during stress or flex, while the oil lubricates the fibers so that they slide over one another smoothly like millions of inter-connecting hinges. It softens the leather with stretchability, compressibility and flexibility, while enhancing its rip tensile strength greatly. It is for replenishing the original fat and oil that diminishes thru sun bleaching, ageing, heat and alkaline overexposure or cleaning. Thus helps to keep leather at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing. The quantities of fatliquor (fat and oil) contents retained in the leather after an universal tannery fatliquoring process may varies up to 14% depending on the leather type, usage and appearance. This percentage drops as the fat and oil content diminishes or leaches through ageing, water, heat or chemical overexposure. Leather rejuvenating or fatliquor replenishing is base on weight of the leather in relation to the percentage of remaining fatliquor. A simple calculation of percentage of fatliquor topping up requirement would be as follows: If the weight of the leather in question is 100gm and fatliquor (fat and oil) content meter reading is less than 1%. By applying 80gm of Fatliquor-5.0 to it will deliver an end result incremental of 13.3% fatliquor when dry as the 66.6% water contents evaporates. In the leather rejuvenating Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system, Hydrator-3.3 plays an important role by relaxing, opening up the inter-fibrillary spaces, facilitating and redistributing colloidal water movement, protonating and doing all the pre-conditioning work prior to fatliquoring including cleaning up any excess surface remnants thereafter to a sticky-free surface. In practice the ratio for Hydrator-3.3 is 2 to 1 of Fatliquor-5.0.It works out to be approximately 160gm of Hydrator-3.3 plus 80gm of Fatliquor-5.0 to replenish a 100gm dry leather from less than 1% back to the original tannery up to 14% fatliquor content.

  12. #12
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    >>> I introduced my mom to saddle soap (Kiwi brand) and she went a little crazy with it.

    I have my story to tell too with saddle soap, fooled by the word “saddle” and think it is the logical product to use for leather, from my own experiment proofs to be very costly for leathers. That is why I formulate the Leather Doctor products based on pH value. The products suffix numbers denotes its pH value and any pH value higher or lower than the pH neutral of leather 3 to 5 need to be balanced back in a holistic approach to leather care.


    >>> Do I have to worry about any of these leathers being damaged in the long run because of this 1 saddle soap cleaning?

    Yes you wory! The leather chemistry integrity is compromised due to the high alkaline pH value of the saddle soap, I am certain it will read above pH 10 with a pH meter or simply with a litmus paper. Because leather has a pH of it own about pH 3 to pH 5 and vegetable-tanned leathers like the vachetta is about half a pH point lower. When you do a test on vachetta leathers you will see it turn brown when dry and stiff out and when flex will crack it.
    As already mentioned leather is an ‘amphoteric’ material and any alkalinity will shift the protein fiber negative.
    However, its other leather constituents remain unchanged and the tanning agents leaches out and the leather become sticky, slimmy and reverts to rawhide, the coloring turns brown and the fatliquor leaches out and dry stiff. Besides the soap leaves a sticky scrum like what we see on our basin and bath and attracts soiling like magnets often result in mold growth.


    >>> Anything I can do to undo this?

    To pH balance the high alkalinity of above 10, a low pH value with CleanPro-1.5 with a pH value of 1.5 is recommended for all chrome tanned leathers. Vachetta leathers will need VachettaPro-1.2 with a pH value of 1.2 to rectify the browning. Thereafter, the original fatliquor need replenished with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 Hydrator-3.3 system.


    >>> She cleaned them only 2 weeks ago.

    The sooner you undo the saddle soap the better. Need to look into the needle holes and all solids need be removes as it will rots the thread as well. With a magnifying glass take a look at the stitching holes and if they are round you will know the leather tear-strength is good. Weak leather will have a slanted holes that easily leads to cracks.


    >>> Which leathers can be cleaned with saddle soap?

    No leathers are to be clean with saddle soap because of its very high pH value of above 10.
    It was originally made to emulsify tanning oils for fatliquoring processing the leather in the tannery. It produces very poor quality fatliquor and had been abandoned by the tannery decades ago. That was the time of the horse and baggy era. Those same era tanning oils are still sold today but most have lost the technique to “combined” using them. It cannot be use as a standalone but in combination with tanning oil or commonly sold as Neatsfoot oils, an out-of-date technique of softening leathers. Apply neatsfoot oil first to the leather and cleaning off with the saddle soap to create an oil emulsion fatliquor – very inefficient and risky as the saddle soap may not reach where the oil have penetrated to emulsify it.


    >>> Other than the vache, I wouldn't have touched the other bags with it!

    Never touch a vachetta with saddle soap, vachetta has the lowest pH tolerance, any alkalinity browns it easily, darkens it as the pH value increases, dry stiff and cracks when flexed or stressed.

  13. #13
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    Thanks for your thorough response as always, Roger. What are some examples of chrome tanned leather? Are Hermes' box calf or swift or Chanel's lambskin or caviar it?

    Thanks again!

    Isabella

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    Chanel lambskin is an example of chrome-tanned; the other brands may have varieties of leather tanning types including combinations. Will only know if you show some pictures. Chrome-tanned is recognized by its bluish-grey leather crust, if they are not aniline dyed through may reveal the tanning color from abraded corners (Protector-B will reduce friction wear). Prada is tanning without chrome or chrome-free so it has a pale white color. All these minerals tanned leather produces a softer texture than the vegetable-tanned if we compare with the same thickness.

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    Thanks a lot, Roger. That's was a good tip.

    Does Chanel's lambskin "finish" crack over time? Picture 12 looks fine, but in other pictures you can see very exaggerated "cracking", due to the high light reflection against the leather. My bag is in much better shape than that, although you do see tiny surface cracks when you look up close. At reading distance, my bag has the usual lambskin sheen.

    How does mine look to you? If it needs restoration, at what point of the clean/fatliquoring process do you imcorporate the finish restauration? I saw you mentioned some of the products used to do this already. Which "cleaner" strips the old surface finish?

    Also, the Herbag vache did not brown the leather, but it does look wrinkly where the leather flexes. Do I still need the Vachetta 1.2?

    My box leather Hermes Constance is also wrinkly where it flexes. Is it chrome tanned? If not, how do I clean it before hydrating > fat liquoring?

    Thanks again!

    I'll try to remember to post a daytime picture of my Chanel bag.
    Last edited by IFK; 02-05-2016 at 09:37 PM.

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    >>> Does Chanel's lambskin "finish" crack over time?

    Because suppleness of leather highly depends on ‘fatliquor’ – anionic negative (-ve) charged fat and oil, and all fat and oil evaporates to a degree as VOC (volatile organic compound). Sooner or later as the leather becomes stiffer cracking follows naturally, especially to high stress or flex areas.


    >>> How does mine look to you? If it needs restoration, at what point of the clean/fatliquoring process do you imcorporate the finish restauration? I saw you mentioned some of the products used to do this already. Which "cleaner" strips the old surface finish?

    There are two levels to restoration, besides repairs; these are the below surface restoration and above surface restoration, below surface by Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system and above surface by Adhesor-73 > Aniline76 > AnilineTop-76 > Protector-B system. Stripping deteriorating finishes by Stripper-2.3


    >>> Also, the Herbag vache did not brown the leather, but it does look wrinkly where the leather flexes. Do I still need the Vachetta 1.2?

    Please show some pictures. Vachetta-2.8 removes water stain browning, sun tanning browning with general soil removing by redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction (that is you see the lightening effect when it dries). “Wrinkly” will need Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system.


    >>> My box leather Hermes Constance is also wrinkly where it flexes. Is it chrome tanned? If not, how do I clean it before hydrating > fatliquoring?


    Please show pictures to identify leather type and finishes.
    Last edited by Roger Koh; 02-06-2016 at 12:19 PM.

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