Another Gladstone Bag Restoration Project

I recently had the privilege of restoring my customer’s Grandfather’s Gladstone bag so that it could be given to and used by her son. Here’s a few photos showing some of the stages of work I carried out.

The main issues with this bag were a big hole in the side, a torn lining, dry and cracking leather, a handle that was about to disintegrate and a broken tab used to help open the bag.

To carry out most of the work I needed to remove the metal frame and lining by undoing all the stitching around the top.

I could now remove the lining and get to the inside of the hole.

My customer wanted to celebrate the repairs, so, rather than trying to fix the hole by patching it at the back and then filling the gaps, we added a patch to the outside to cover the hole.

This patch also has the great-grandson’s initials stamped into it, along with the year it was restored.

After removing the lining it was clear that the top edge that was attached to the metal frame was perished and so I wouldn’t be able to attach it again, as it was. So I decided to fold this edge back and sew on a new piece of leather. This could then be attached to the metal frame without any worry of it tearing away.

You can see it here, in place, bridging the old lining and the metal frame, after I had sewn it all back together.

I was hoping to repair the handle but unfortunately it was too far gone, so I made a new one. This one should last another century!

And so, now with the side hole patched up, the lining fixed and new handle made I could set to sewing it all back together. This took the longest time as I was keen to use all the original stitching holes so as not to weaken any of the original leather.

Right back at the beginning I had cleaned and nourished the leather using saddle soap, neatsfoot oil and my own leather balm. Now with it all re-assembled I treated it further with oils and waxes to soften and rejuvenate the leather. You can see how much darker the leather is now, compared to the first picture.

You can see here the new tab used for pulling the bag open, with the original owner’s initials still visible underneath.

And that’s it. All done! It was such a pleasure working with this beautiful item, especially knowing it’s going to continue to be used over the coming years. Long may it last!

And finally, my customer’s reaction after receiving the bag: