We haven't done any camping this year but I haven't given up hope of going in the near future! I have a lovely pair of purple paisley cases that I use for more civilised travel but they aren't really the thing for camper trailer trips. (I tried them for our Nambucca holiday).Drifta has released a premium range of leather-trimmed canvas weekender bags. They are nearly $400 each (where similar from the standard range is $149.00). A lot more than I intend to spend!
Nick and I were poking about in an antique shop today when I spotted this Gladstone bag. It was priced at $48 and seemed in great condition. Nick wasn't keen but I was - and after some quick online price checking, I took the bag to the counter.
I'd thought that if I was prepared to haggle, I'd offer $40 but as it happened the seller gave the discount without my asking. How good is that?!
Once home I set about cleaning my "new" purchase. I vacuumed some small leaves from inside (praps herbs, not sure).
I then sprayed the outside lightly with Koh, before reading that mild soapy water was best for cleaning old leather. Whoops - call me too gung-ho! There was wool detergent downstairs and I used that in a bucket of just warm water to gently wash the leather. The inside of the bag had a musty smell, so I cleaned that also and propped the bag open to dry in the fresh air.
I couldn't find my magic sponge, so used a tiny sprinkle of Ajax and a damp cloth to remove a couple of small scuff marks. Next step was a generous application of Leather Dressing (purchased at the Ipswich Show a couple of years ago and regularly used for cleaning my Blundstone boots). The leather drank that in!
The musty smell had lessened after cleaning but was still evident. I've put a liberal dose of carb soda in the bag and shut it up. I'll leave for a day or so before vacuuming out. Fingers crossed that does the trick!
There is some light tarnish to the clasps and metal trim. I might use some extra-fine steel wool on those but don't have any on-hand at the moment.
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