This much-loved backpack, handmade from Amazon Zero Deforestation leather, up-cycled PET plastic lining and enamel painted, hand finished crochet work using up-cycled ring-pull detailing, was stained from years of use, with a broken zip to boot. The team at Eco-Age, who always endeavour to repair rather than replace, and to keep their clothing and accessories for as long as possible came to us to give it a much needed new lease of life for years to come.
Before restoration
Before restoration
Before restoration
As standard with any item that comes into the atelier for restoration the rucksack required a deep clean to remove any surface dust and any stains if at all possible. Our cleaning specialist cleaned both the exterior of the bag and the interior lining whilst also focusing on polishing the hardware to ensure it was prepped before going through the restoration process.
Cleaning the lining
Stitching the zip
Whilst the bag was going through the cleaning process, one of our many sourcing experts, sourced a new zipper paying close attention to match the quality and colour of the zip tape and teeth as the original. We then needed to unpick the zip stitches from the old one and line the new one into place. Our stitching specialist, then stitched the new zip with a machine but due to the construction of the bag, the zip needed to be hand stitched at both ends.
Sanding down the old edge coat
Applying new edge coat
In order to replace the heavily cracked edge coat, we needed to sand down all the edges to remove the original edge coat so a fresh layer could be applied. Then, our artisan deglazed the main body of the rucksack to remove the top layer of leather to make the surface more absorbent for paint. Then, as with any item that requires colour restoration, the colour was mixed by hand with a variety of pigments to ensure the perfect colour match. This was then applied to the whole bag in light layers to conceal any signs of staining and wear. The edge coat colour was then mixed and applied to the edges. This is an important part of the process as not only does it strengthen and supports the straps, but is also for aesthetic purposes.
Mixing the colour
Applying the paint
For the finishing touches, a satin finisher was applied to match the finish of the original bag and then it was left to dry and cure for a week before being returned.
Restored and revived
Don’t hesitate to get in touch using our preliminary quote form to get all the information you need regarding your items and get them restored and revived so you can love them for longer.
