So, I wanted to share something I worked on recently. It involves this old Monsac purse I stumbled upon. Wasn’t even looking for it, honestly. Found it tucked away in a box of stuff from my aunt’s place when she downsized. Looked pretty beat up, you know? Leather was dull, kinda stiff, definitely seen better days. Almost tossed it, but something about the shape, the solid feel of it, made me pause.
Getting Started
First thing I did was just take a good look at it. The actual structure was fine – no major rips or tears. The stitching seemed mostly solid, which honestly surprised me. It was mainly just dirty, scuffed, especially on the corners, and the metal bits, the clasp and stuff, were tarnished and sad looking. The leather felt really dry, like it hadn’t seen any conditioner in maybe… forever?
I figured, what have I got to lose? Decided to try and clean it up myself. Not like I’m a professional leatherworker or anything, just thought I’d give it a go with stuff I already had.
The Actual Work
Okay, here’s what I did, step-by-step, more or less:
- Cleaning: I started real simple. Got a soft cloth, slightly damp, and wiped off the surface dust. Then I used a tiny bit of saddle soap I had for some old boots. Worked it in gently, trying not to soak the leather. It took a surprising amount of grime off. Had to rinse the cloth out a few times. Let it air dry completely afterwards, away from any heat.
- Conditioning: This was the main event. The leather just drank up the conditioner. I used some basic leather cream, nothing fancy. Applied a thin layer, let it sit for a bit, then buffed it with a clean, dry cloth. I actually ended up doing this twice because the leather was so thirsty. It started looking way better already, richer color, felt softer.
- Scuffs and Hardware: The scuffed corners were tricky. I couldn’t completely remove them, but rubbing a bit more conditioner in and buffing hard seemed to blend them in better. For the metal hardware, I tried a bit of metal polish I had in the garage, using a cotton swab to get into the little bits. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely shined them up a bit. Took away that dull, neglected look.
- Inside Check: Gave the inside a good vacuuming to get rid of crumbs and dust bunnies. Wiped it down with a damp cloth too. Luckily, no major stains or anything inside.
Honestly, it took longer than I thought. Mostly the waiting for things to dry and then the buffing. My arm got tired! But it was kinda satisfying, seeing it slowly come back to life. Felt good to be fixing something instead of just buying new for a change.
End Result?
So, how did it turn out? It’s definitely not brand new. You can still see it’s an older purse, it has history, you know? The scuffs didn’t vanish entirely, and the metal isn’t gleaming like factory fresh. But the difference is huge. The leather looks healthy, feels supple, and the whole thing just looks cared for now. It went from looking like junk to something quite smart and usable.
I actually started using it for running errands. It’s sturdy, holds a good amount, and feels kind of special because I put the work in myself. It’s a reminder that sometimes, old things just need a bit of attention to be useful again. Happy I didn’t toss it.
