Erin spotted a very cute Gladstone handbag on Facebook marketplace last week. When I made contact with the seller, the bag was already pending collection. Fortunately for me, that sale fell through - so Nick and I collected the bag yesterday.
Given it came home on 13 February, the bag was deemed to be a Valentines gift - and a love-ly one at that!
We were aware the bag was missing one of the buckle prongs and had thought we would replace that small part.
When I was examining the bag on the way home though, we decided removing the second buckle prong would be easier - and the strap seemed to sit nicely without it.
As you can see from the top pic, the bag was otherwise in very good condition. A few small marks were evident, along with light tarnish to the clasp. It had a key and really just needed some TLC.
I enjoyed meeting and chatting with the seller at the arranged pick-up time. She had bought the bag from a vintage shop and didn't know anything else about it.
There is no maker information but it appears to be quality, hand-crafted leather.
I used saddle-soap to clean the bag today and used a damp magic sponge to gently rub at some of the marks. I then applied a number of leather conditioning coats. The leather was very dry and drank in the treatments.
There really wasn't much other work necessary. I went over the tarnished clasp very lightly with superfine steel wool and think it looks better for that minor polish.
Nick asked if I was going to put an initial keyring on it, like the larger bags. I admitted I was thinking along those lines! After pondering, I remembered my baby bracelet, engraved with my full initials.
There was a long period after my first marriage when I used a different surname. Since Nick and I married (15 years ago!), my childhood initials are again appropriate to use.
Nick removed the chain from the initial plate of the bracelet and punched small holes in the clasp strap.
Initially the plaque was pinned to the leather, while we pondered the best method for it's permanent attachment.
At some point Nick remembered a hobby store in Ipswich, so we took the bag and plaque there to discuss options with a lovely gentleman. Once we showed him our plan, he brought out boxed of tiny bolts and nuts. He had so many!
Nick fixed the plaque to the bag clasp while I was napping in the afternoon. As with the larger bolts on the hatbox handle, he made sure the slots lined up perfectly - cos I'm fussy about those details!
So now the latest baby Gladstone bag has formally joined the ranks of our monogrammed luggage! Don't they look wonderful all lined up together?!
I'm really not sure how this bag will be used. It might still serve as a handbag. In any case (hah!) it was well worth the $20.00 asking price - and I'm sure I'll have a love-ly time using it!
Nick and I called into an op-shop after buying the bolts. The volunteer behind the counter was very taken with my little bag and praised it most highly. We spent quite a long time chatting and laughing - so completely overlooked browsing the shop for bargains!
