トラブルシューティング3It's used up and the color is peeling!
From "Leather in Japan No. 4" published in 2011
Match the natural texture
Dyeing without worrying about unevenness
This women's bag has been well used, and the leather on the handles and bottom are peeling. Since the bag was originally dyed with a natural uneven texture, the deterioration is not so noticeable even after repeated use, but such peeling and scratches are still noticeable.
Therefore, we decided to re-dye the bag using dyes. Dyeing is not a serious process like soaking the bag in dye, but a simple process of applying the dye to the cloth and painting it on. Since the bag has a natural texture to begin with, there is no need to worry if the dye is a little uneven.
After the dye has dried, a binder is used to fix the dye, and emulsifying cream is applied to make up for the oil that has been lost over the years of use to add luster and finish the bag.
This women's bag is a combination of leather and canvas that has been used quite a bit. The color around the handles, which are always in contact with the handles, and the bottom of the bag, which is rubbed when the bag is placed on the floor, have peeled off and are covered with numerous scratches.
Step 1.
First, remove dust from the surface of the bag. Basically, wipe the bag dry with a soft cloth. At the beginning of the dyeing process, place the bag in an inconspicuous place to see if the color of the dye matches.
Step 2.
Apply the dye starting from the seam where the color is uneven. Apply the dye to the dyeing cloth little by little as you press the dye into the cloth. Be especially careful in light-colored areas.
Step 3.
The bottom corner of the leather is damaged by rubbing. The dye will soak into the fabric as soon as it is applied, so apply the dye generously. The color will look darker than the finished product before the dye has dried.
Step 4.
Apply the dyeing cloth firmly to the fine parts, such as seams and edges of the leather, and pour the dye into the cloth. Apply a generous amount of dye to the cloth and dab it on, so that the dye can be applied firmly even in these areas.
Step 5.
When dyeing a large area, apply the dye gently using the tips of your fingers. In this case, the original unevenness of the dye is preserved, so dye evenly while keeping an eye on the overall color tone.
Step 6.
After the entire surface is dyed, wait for the dye to dry, and stabilize the dye with binder. After that, emulsifying cream is used to give nutrients to the leather, and the surface is polished with a clean cloth to bring out the luster.
Step 7.
The shoulder belt of this bag is also made of leather. As expected, the belt is also worn and damaged, so the color should be supplemented with dye. The belt is very damaged, so a lot of dye was applied to the belt.
Step 8: Finished!
The color was bright and noticeable in the areas where the color had been peeled off or scratched by rubbing, but now that the dye has been applied to the inside of the belt, it blends in with the slightly dyed surroundings, and the peeling and scratches are no longer noticeable.
Care products for color fading
1. Liquid water-based dye for leather to replenish faded colors. In this case, I chose a slightly darker brown to match the color of the bag. Seiwa Ropas Batic Marron (315 yen).
The Shoe of life Moisture Cream (1,260 yen) is an emulsifying stain remover that removes dirt and oil soaked into leather.
3. A finishing primer to fix the dye.
Finishing primer for fixing dyes. Seiwa Binder (¥262).
4. Cloth for applying dye. Soft towels, flannel, etc. are better.
Middle and ring fingers are good for less effort.
Katsugawa-san holds the towel for applying dye by wrapping it around his middle and ring fingers. Many people use the index finger, but in that case, he says, too much force is applied. With the ring finger, it is difficult to exert too much force, so delicate work can be done. He also uses these two fingers when polishing.
