RESTORATION OF THE OLD GOYARD LEATHER HANDLES

When we received this small suitcase with 6 pairs of ladies' shoes from the 1920s we were pleasantly surprised by its general condition. This model is patented by Goyard , and no less than 3 "registered" stamps remind us of this.

Good points :

• Perfect wood structure
• Interior fabrics not stained, odorless
• Perfect outer canvas and lozine, not clogged by dust and surrounding pollution

Negative points : 

• The brasses have been varnished
• Both handles are broken 
• The elastics of the shoe pockets are loose 

This is what we can call a good basis for a restoration that we will share with you step by step.

As always, naivety is to believe that varnish, wax or other miracle oil will protect brass from oxidation . Only a regular maintenance of the brasses ensures a perfect shine of your brasses. So don't waste time varnishing them, it's a mistake.

Certainly the varnish protects and reduces the oxidation of the brass for a few months. But very quickly it will lose its shine , tarnish, then instead of taking a beautiful caramel patina, will turn green. You can see the brush marks of the different thicknesses of the varnish during application.

Result : It makes cleaning more complicated because it will remove the varnish without damaging the canvas and the lozine, a delicate and complex stain.

After removing the varnish from the brass, we proceed to cleaning the surfaces . Made perfectly smooth, we were able to use our professional care Cream product . The brasses have thus regained their original shine and luster to our greatest satisfaction.

The leather work is one of the specialties of Malle2luxe workshops. Gainerie , leather goods, saddlery it is always an emotion to work this noble material, of character. The original handles unfortunately were dry, the grain of the leather, sanded by the years, was torn in several places.

Each luxury house has its own handle designs and despite the minimalist shape making these two handles identically was a real challenge. The structure of the handles is made of natural hemp rope. The ends will be frayed to reduce the thickness of the rope and ensure a perfect finish, consistent with the original design .  Split leather , trimmed then sheathed in shape and sewn with saddle stitch . To make the handle, you have to remove the brass bridges. And to remove the jumpers you have to dismantle part of the inside of the shoe case. It is a cascade job.

We take this opportunity to identically replace the elastic tape on shoe pockets which has been stretched over the years. It will take us about 18 hours to disassemble, make, sew, skate and reassemble the leather handles.

It is a long work, demanding but it is the only solution to guarantee a quality result which does not depreciate the object after restoration and which ensures to these handles a functionality of use as on the first day, without losing the patina. years. It is a real pleasure to participate in this quest, to find the original state of this exceptional suitcase by giving it a second wind without distorting it.

The suitcase will be sold in a few hours on our shop , to a German collector who is concerned about respecting the rules of the art .