Travel - Vintage Suitcase

Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just like me is my mum (or I am just like her), always on the hunt for beautiful little treasures. Wheather it is a brand new product or a second-hand (or third or fourth) if it is beautiful we will take it with us (just like the Kingsley machine and the Rivet press). Especially when it is free! I still can’t believe it… someone put this beauty on the street for the garbage truck to take it. An old, dusty, partly broken but certainly beautiful leather vintage suitcase is now hers! All it needed was a little bit of T L C (tender, love, and care).

The history of this vintage suitcase

I am always curious whos it was, where it has been and what adventures it has experienced. What I absolutely love about these old suitcases are the broken and vague traces of stickers, scratches, and stains. It will certainly have hurt the first time once there is a stain you can’t remove. But just look at it… It makes this suitcase have so much more character.

First, we were not sure if the suitcase could be opened. It had locks on it that could be either broken or even worse, locked. Also a little bit frightening…. what will be in there? But it took us by surprise… just shove the locks to the side, *click* *click* and a beautiful, fully canvas lined interior, without any scary bugs or items in it. Even the little straps to keep everything together were intact. The suitcase can be divided into two parts when you lift the upper part with the leather pulls and an even older looking luggage tag was found!

When I look at this suitcase, I imagine it has seen so many places. One thing we know for sure is, that it is an old one. There is a little paper sticker on the side with a boarding date, in 1880!! A suitcase of almost 140 years old. After all this time, it can use a little leather care!

Clean and apply leather balm

First I cleaned the leather suitcase with a damp cloth. Be careful though not to make it too wet. Afterward, I gave all the sides a big smoosh of leather balm which sunk in immediately. after I’ve coved the whole bag, I took an old cloth to remove all the excess balm and to make it shine brightly.

Fun little details

When you want to cover every little corner of the bag with your leather balm, all the little details will catch your eye. In the first picture below you can see that even a leather suitcase can’t carry it all. What I imagine is a lady, with a little too much clothes, who gave her suitcase to a carrier. And of course, at moment suprème, the handle broke. All the colourfull dresses flew through the air. The carrier blushes shamefully while he is trying to catch whatever he can. Once everything is collected, she would go to her hotel where she asks for the most skillful leather crafter in town. “Who can quickly fix my suitcase before I leave…?”

Monogramming you products was already hot and trending in the old days! When I put on the leather balm these initials became more clearly! G.C. who are you?