TRANSFORMING AN ABANDONED BRIEFCASE. $8 THRIFT SHOP RESTORATION

[@maronin5215]

I'd like to see another leather bag restoration , as a rematch.

[@makialpryor4584]

I loved the bag, simply because I know nobody else would have one like it. It's my style anyways. I love having things nobody else would either want, or can find.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks for watching!

[@InstrumentalWhiteNoise]

I didn’t know watching someone restoring an old leather bag was this relaxing...

[@elfedorausado]

Restoring one yourself can be relaxing as well, take my word for it

[@KAM128]

Relaxing? That was anxiety for me at the halfway point

[@elfedorausado]

@@KAM128 well, I meant restoring when inking is not included

[@KAM128]

Fedora Usado I was actually responding to the original comment by instrumental white noise. But I’m sure restoring one yourself is relaxing. Gots to take pride with ones accomplishments

[@elfedorausado]

@@KAM128 oops, my bad!

[@kathrynstewart1883]

Your voiceovers are really good. No stuttering, or umms. You speak very clearly and have a nice, calming tone of voice. Probably my favorite part of your videos. 😊

[@ansonathan]

Bro, where do you thrift---- my local thrift shop consists of used underwear rather than an Allen Edmonds shoe or the briefcase you bought.

[@randymoran67]

Well at least You're stocked with undies

[@erics8757]

I used to think I would never be caught dead in a thrift store, then , one day tagging along with a friend who wanted to stop at the local thrift store, I found a lambskin leather jacket with shearling collar in my size. It looks brand new. I googled the jacket and it sells in several stores and websites for $1,300.00 I paid $20.00 keep looking!!!

[@azeael8429]

Well, in my thrift shop scoreboard. I have: Got an aquasqutum coat (~1200$) for 35. A vintage usa marine 1945-1950 peacoat for 25. A bunch of suits from half canvas to bespoke for 10-30$. Some Canadian made shoes. My most prized is a vintage Dack ( the AE of Canada) that is ~30 years old but look kinda good after i restore them.

[@ErnestoBrausewind]

Small town chartity sales are goldmines, but you can also hunt well in big thriftstores. It IS a hunt, you can't expect finding something every time, but if you just imagine how much stuff people buy that they actually never use, chances are quite good that you find basically new, high quality products quite frequently. Of course in big cities chances are a little better when you can make a tour through several thrifts. It also is, at least for me, a really nice day off afternoon occupation. Go for a walk, browse here and there - it's a bit like a urban version of a walk in the woods looking for mushrooms :) - and with all this tips you find on channels like this one, you can really score amazing stuff

[@AZrakoon]

Selling used underwear is illegal.

[@Leneufcinqcergy]

Not loving it. But appreciate the not giving up on the project

[@HosCreates]

same!

[@nellateea3238]

yeah wasnt really a good job

[@daniskicker]

Feel the same way. Not my style but I appreciate the craftsmenship

[@charleywaynehinkle6358]

$7 dollars for bag and $58 worth of leather products used. you have the same problem i do

[@ReApEr789456]

Haha totally worth it.

[@VinceGoodrum]

He can get many multiple uses out of that product and make it back in one sales. I use kiwi for my leather goods and vintage but the cost really isnt much more for safir

[@charleywaynehinkle6358]

@@VinceGoodrum i know i ran through my saphir polish on 5 pair of boots/dress shoes and they are $38 dollars a piece thats just the polish. i wasnt exaggerating about how much money it cost him in products. kiwi is like 5x cheaper than saphir i wouldnt use it on my lawn mowing shoes.

[@VinceGoodrum]

@@charleywaynehinkle6358 you can buy it wholesale for a lot less but he only needs to use it once for an item as he's going to sell it. I usually restore clothing and just started with shoes....have a pair of Johnson and Murphy black oxfords in the back. Should be an easy job

[@ErnestoBrausewind]

Result: a unique eyecatcher leatherbag that'll set you back five times or more than that if you buy it new (given that you find it)

[@Napalm_Candy]

"We don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents." Bob Ross

[@Scarecrooo]

lol Never imagined a Bob Ross comment here haha

[@fouziashahid3118]

One day a carpenter will restore his coffee table.

[@marcuspullan1142]

Workbench...

[@Stevieray77]

It’s a cheeseboard

[@fouziashahid3118]

Steve Taylor cheeseboard stands for?

[@andrewjakakas2502]

A shoemaker walks around bare foot.

[@heru-deshet359]

I already did, lol.

[@boodro2122]

The bag looks like something Indiana Jones would use.

[@EngineerandEducator]

I posted before I read yours. Amen to that thought!

[@markdoherty1436]

Was thinking that while watching

[@sararamonajohansson]

"It's a SATCHEL, Indiana Jones wears one!"

[@PlaneGeek007]

I think it’s amazing how you bring new life to discarded items. I think the bag looks cool!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you!

[@curryrice7510]

It's so relaxing to watch this. I love how he doesn't put music. I can enjoy brushing noise and click sounds metal parts make.

[@safaa9654]

I wish you hadnt tried to dye in the first place, it looked really good with that nice light tan color

[@r.specht6790]

Although the colour really fits to his style in shoes

[@matthoffman6962]

I agree it looked better undyed but it’s not bad

[@haykis69j.k5]

You're right . I wished to leave it in the original color

[@ohraider]

No, I like the rustic look

[@para-yw9dn]

nah.. it looks sooo much better now

[@AlphaG33k]

You had me until you started dyeing the leather. Im not a fan of the streaking, it just looks like it got wet and the colors ran. The video was great and well produced though.

[@ecurb10]

Yea but that wasn't supposed to happen. That's the whole point of this video! The dying should've turned out smooth and blended, like it does with his shoes, but for some reason the leather was weird or something.

[@alexclark3648]

I love the ‘I don’t care’ look you achieved! This would make a wonderful travel bag

[@whatadollslife]

you need a little branding iron made with your logo on it for restore projects :)

[@wilfdarr]

Everyone needs a branding iron if for nothing more than steaks, but he'd get real use of of it! ("half diamond over RJ" was my grandfather's brand

[@Michelle-bd1pl]

Loved the hell out of this project. I snapped up a great Betsey Johnson leather purse for $1 because it has sun fading. I was gonna throw gold paint of some sort all over it, but after watching your videos maybe I will try to add some dark purple dye so it has a depth of color from black to plum. Keep up the great work!

[@minastar8602]

Michelle what a great idea !

[@bpeterson1995]

You should have started by lightly sanding and then dyeing before applying any conditioners or polish to achieve more uniform dye results.

[@onyxnova]

That's what I thought too.

[@wjerame]

Its supposed to look worn, that was the point lol

[@ecurb10]

@@wjerame No it wasn't supposed to look this streaked though. He wanted the dye blended smoothly through - he clearly says that.

[@ntotheever]

"Making fun of you" "Not liking it" What? Its a good example how to create great art! In many projects you need to adapt on the fly, and that's exactly what you did. In the end it turned out even better (at least in my imagination) then a "boring" uniform look. I really appreciate that you show and explain how this project happened. All in all a nice example how not to give up and pull though to a satisfying result.

[@salomonarreguin3748]

Still way better than watching the little guys making their swimming pool with mud and straws at 2AM

[@maddiecab26mah27]

Lol.. been there

[@lex4665]

😂😂😂

[@jimiola2781]

@Salomon Arreguin HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@joemar9234]

Lmfao, that was funny. 🤣🤣

[@BChienPanda]

Hey, those dudes are legit too. 😂

[@ank337]

Good work! Wanna save the world, using things as long as you can or as long as they can last.

[@natsjournal3828]

Never watched something like this before, randomly ended up here but honestly love how much effort you put into making it so unique and different. Love the outcome and process even though it was unexpected 🥰

[@KyleOfCanada]

If you appreciated the irony of your project, you'll appreciate the irony in Beau Brummel, the (in)famous male fashion icon of the Regency period, spending 3 or so hours daily preparing his cravat in an effort to make it look like he tied the thing without caring for how it would come out. There were accounts of his servant coming down from Beau's chamber with armfuls of "failures", that is, armfuls of heavily starched cravats that Beau couldn't arrange in a manner that looked natural and romantic to him. Your bag looked great for what you decided to do with it, but that style isn't my cup of tea. Great channel by the way. I'm glad you've grown so quickly. All the best!

[@conorneupert5381]

Sprezzatura

[@chrisjones367]

sorry about you're feelings.......but.......fuck off mate.......

[@HeavyProfessor]

World's most cared for Kenneth Cole Reaction product

[@krisjohn6977]

😂😂😂😂

[@VinceGoodrum]

I dont see any reason to kick yourself...you spent 8.75. It's a functional bag and that's all that matters. With that being said, you should have spot tested it first before diving right in. I would have just polished it up and not worry about the oil spots which actually gives character

[@gabbyraja]

"Distressed" leather goods are always very expensive, and I *always* want them, but cannot afford. I 😍 this!

[@gabbyraja]

Well, I did get a pair of distressed Frye boots, but I got them used on Poshmark for an amazing deal. They're my favorite boots.

[@bottlecap3211]

I think it looked great in the end, personally I don’t like the original light tan color

[@johnyisfunny1]

You just made that a unique bag some people may even wonder where you purchased it. I love the hard work you put into that. So relaxing

[@tootall5559]

To me, the finished product still looks intentional. I have taken oil stained leather items and did something y'all will think is weird. I used a light oil (WD40 is my go to) to stain the entire item. works well on darker leathers, but will take lighter leathers dark like the stains. it also nourishes, protrects and waterproofs. Yeah it's crazy, but a warrior uses what weapons are at hand, there is no shame in this.

[@tootall5559]

@Howard Pearcey a guy I used to know was a bartender at a club. Earlier that day, he armor all-ed his bike concentrating on the seat. He forgot about it, then come time to leave, goosed the bike to get out of the parking lot. He wound up sitting on the ground and the bike wound up in the ditch on the other side of the road. He wasn't hurt, the bike wasn't much hurt, a few scratches, so he got on it and rode it to the local coffee shop... very carefully. We had seen it, and razzed him about it like you wouldn't believe

[@ashleighjaimaosborne3966]

Berluti 😊🇨🇦

[@tootall5559]

@Howard Pearcey WD didn't it was armor all if that's what you're referring to.

[@tootall5559]

@Howard Pearcey spray nine? never heard of it.

[@tootall5559]

@Howard Pearcey It's available online here, but I live in the sticks, we don't have a whole lot available locally. I found a good cleaner at the DG store of all places, and they abruptly quit carrying it.

[@VelvetJournals]

This is what “Never give up” looks like! Love it😍😍😍

[@michaelrhodes8581]

It’s not how big our mistakes are it’s how creative we get when correcting them 👍 Great job

[@luxurreview]

I bought a set of Samsonite for 7 dollars!! Leather, vintage, elegant.

[@brianrussell7691]

Yep, it’s the same deal with high fashion distressed jeans. Take a perfectly decent pair of denim pants and them thru acid washes, a stone grinding process, wire brushes and all sorts of methods to distress the crap out of it. Then charge $250-$350 and call it cool! :) Besides, you made lemonade out of the lemons and have the huevos to own it. Power to you brother!

[@valek7700]

I know someone, that brought his brand new very expensive distressed jeans with lots of fashionable holes and rips in it to a befriended grandma, who always made an excellent job at shortening his trousers or repairing some clothes, so that nobody would even notice there was something wrong with it. But this time he didn't count her accuracy in. Instead of just shortening his jeans she also made a huge effort to get all those ripped and destroyed parts repaired. She literally "destroyed" that expensive look he paid so much money for, thinking she was helping out. She ended up rolling back, getting it close to it's original store bought look and putting new ideas in on how to look destroyed. He was very satisfied with its new outcome. A real original!

[@ilvinnova2122]

I wish my local thrift stores would have stuff like this😭 all I be finding is pure garbage. Great restore

[@DJ_Dutchess]

You have to really go frequently. I'll go sometimes and not find anything. Then one day I found a Coach purse for $3. I had to dig thru a shopping cart full of junky purses though

[@maryam.m]

Your "botched" dye job reminds me of a painting I was working on last week that was giving me hell. I probably re-did the clouds ten times over, and the mountains at least six times, but all the layering paid off in the end and now it's one of my favorite pieces. It's all part of the artistic process 😁

[@Azav312]

I was skeptical at first but I really like it.

[@Quiapecavinimiscogitatione]

Man, it's an art! Your accident produced a work of art!

[@robr7200]

That bag ended up looking really sharp. Do you think in the future when using dye it would be better to start somewhere like under the flap or the bottom of the bag in the event it doesn't work out so you can just hide the spot?

[@svitlana1500]

It turned beautiful. But “this experiment cannot be repeat at home” 😬

[@hattiecolley54]

Yes, u did that. U r so creative. The Varnished Antique look is just Incredible. I would definitely rock both the Shoes and.thee Bag together. The Hues of Rustic is the Truth. Keep them coming, great find. This is an Art, and u r definitely that. Thanks for sharing!

[@ricgomez1]

Wonderful, looks like you added some real character to the bag.

[@chaohsiming4532]

This bag is really beautiful ，After your wonderful processing and finishing ， it is even more beautiful and generous，which makes me fall in love with it even more!

[@zinmomo7192]

You made the bag more unique and very pretty! Really love the dynamic vintage design :) very cool!

[@haiku1973]

It's great! Very good look, I like the briefcase very much

[@SaintJohn.]

Even though I preferred the tan color, I can see how the ending product can make it look more fancy and expensive.... great video!

[@randomvintagefilm273]

We would never make fun of such a nice person as you. I think you saved it and it looks great!

[@rajjie100]

Is it a coincidence that yesterday I too purchased a leather Kenneth Cole bag 1/2 price $12.99 at Goodwill to clean up as a project? I am no expert and wished I had seen this before I cleaned up my bag. I used baby wipes ( as advised by another KZbinr) to clean it up and then mink oil, it looks good!

[@TruthFLA]

I love the way the bag turned out. Truly one of a kind.

[@rileywest6802]

That bag looks super chic! I think you made it go from 'Ned Flanders' to 'Rock Star'. Love this transformation. Hope to see more, don't doubt your outside of the box artistic edge 😎

[@TheGingerNinjaKnitsandJournals]

Holy Moley!! For an accident bag, you nailed it. LOVE how it turned out. Weathered, distressed leather is my favorite.

[@dontatmeev3r]

The second you said you understood the irony of the situation I subbed 😂😂

[@DianeH2038]

wow! I know your patina/acetone game has really improved since this video but even back then, you made some bold choices that I think made this bag look truly cool. if I'm right, you added in some oxblood or burgundy dye to the edges & that depth of color makes the leather a much more interesting color with more depth. great work rescuing and adding a lot of artisanal value to what had been an under-$10 bag!

[@boyENZOH]

The bag looks great and it looks even better with the shoes

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks!

[@capt.redbeard8361]

Personally I'm not a fan of the patina look, but credit where it's due: you were fixing a problem that you couldn't know existed, so well done man!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks for watching

[@UsernamesForDummies]

It’s basically like me and makeup. Takes me 3 hours to look naturally and effortlessly beautiful. Lol.

[@saripaalangadi5311]

I prefer this than the original color. The uneven distribution of the dye gives character to the bag. It looks expensive Love it. Good work.

[@DG-qq6gz]

Excellent attaché restoration. Great improvisation in making the bag appear as an antique attaché. Now you have a stylish vintage bag of the old wild west.

[@nomebear]

It's a spiel bag. The game's on. Whereas before it was like everyone's vanilla leather bag, and now has a personality all it's own. I did the same thing to my favorite Fossil leather bag. Happy accidents.

[@xzing7]

Imagine seeing your old bag that you've discarded, now been giving all the love and attention that it needed.

[@rayballestero2373]

Persistence through the whole event,,, adjust, adjust, modify then readjust that is life it looked good not what you intended that is LIFE.. I liked it,, thanks

[@kathleenr.3508]

Gorgeous! That bag looks like it could tell some pretty amazing stories!

[@NeoB-Lac]

You need to restore some ford king ranch seats man!!! A lot of people have tried and failed

[@NeoB-Lac]

It’s straight up saddle leather

[@joshuaandrosebartley896]

Average guys channel I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what this reminded me of but you figured it out for me lol!!!

[@alextrujillo1613]

You got that right

[@HerderMarket]

I love this, great job. I know someone who restores bags from the early 1900’s. My favorite thing about leather is how much longer my bags will last than me, haha.

[@antoniofaustino1340]

Great job man. It looks great. Congratulations.

[@alchemistoxford]

Terrific artistic outcome for the briefcase and the matching Strands. Well done!

[@simonpayne5408]

Did you consider acetone at the start before re-dye, conditioning etc? I'm no expert but think it would have got rid of oil spots and allowed uptake of pigment....?

[@eachlovediva]

Nice punt! I really like the burnished look; plus it is so unique that no one can accidentally confuse it with their own bag. Nice!

[@TheElegantOxford]

My dad uses it every Sunday

[@ReApEr789456]

Can't believe you found a bag like that for 8 dollars.

[@ReApEr789456]

@Howard Pearcey for 8 dollars I would buy it inmediately. I guess it was luck.

[@jainvarunn]

thats a Kenneth Cole bag which RRP 335$

[@DWilliam1]

varun jain Had the same bag. Bought a few years back at Staples for like $70. Complete garbage. Buckle kept coming loose at the snap in both sides. Poorly designed. I have some nice expensive bags that are much more durable but if you want a bargain bag that looks great and doesn’t fall apart buy a Ted Baker. You get can a nice one for about $150 and they not only look great but are very durable.

[@GadGetHackss]

In my country you can find an even better one for 2 dollars only, Used of course

[@ReApEr789456]

@@GadGetHackss where? Maybe the call send them to my country

[@jimiola2781]

Gonna look even better once the polish settles in and blends more. I like it.

[@erickpro]

Will the dye stain your clothes if it wets damp?

[@SoulWatcher72]

Wow. What can I say but amazing! I love that you have that bag a second life! It looks great and works well with those shoes. Great find, great project, great outcome! Cheers!

[@rachaeldiviney712]

lesson learned that when we have the chance to test the dye on a hidden part of an object we should absolutly take it

[@bragajunior1972]

Just wonderful! I would love to receive such an amazing gift! Fantastic job!

[@jenniferk4336]

I like the overall results, especially with your shoes and jeans. That combo looks sharp!

[@kimberlygreen-tate9485]

I love watching your videos. So well done. Calming! Didn’t know you can restore things to this degree. Never throwing anything out again without trying to restore it.

[@ilgambino0784]

Let me tell you you just accidentally became a patina artist no kidding dude...the bag turned out just awesome

[@jainvarunn]

that not how a rustic bag looks , but the patina matches ur shoes

[@gadphatha]

Dear The elegant Oxford , you have completely change my perception of all things leather

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks, Bryan!

[@blazebutt505]

I recently found your channel, and Holy shit I wish you could transform my life like this sheesh. Awesome work

[@bartdavidson655]

I absolutely love your channel! Outstanding work, and very calming and peaceful to watch. I'm an amateur leather craftsman, and refinished a bag very much like this that had weathered to the point of being a suede. But it came out great with a similar treatment as yours. I was thinking early on in your video why not go with a dark brown stain. But your antiquing effect was a perfect match with those shoes - thanks for a great video!

[@taos55]

It was perfectly fine up to the point of buffing with the brush. The dye part of it ruined a beautiful brief case. Bad mistake and pardon my frankness.

[@matthewl8997]

I love the “I tried the rustic patina slash I don’t care look.” Hahaha! Great job!

[@tomyslaf9521]

Admit, You did that on purpose. Its perfect match to shoe's and watch. Very nice.

[@TS1r731]

Man big respect for expressing your creativeness. Not a huge fan of the look of the bag but so impressed with your work, your passion and the content you’re putting out. Keep up the good work man. You’ve got a fan in me for sure

[@TheSteamedBird]

Love this! People pay thousands for the same look from Berluti, I’m gonna do this!

[@twelthmanfan]

To heck with the haters in the peanut gallery... you did the best you could under the circumstances and I think that the bag turned out awesome I would totally rock it on a daily basis keep up the good work

[@Ashtraygal]

I had a mini heart attack when you poured the acetone straight down the bag, not gonna lie.

[@dwightms7365]

I used to be a leather craftsman. You can get more even coverage with Feibings if you dilute it with alchohol, about four parts to one part dye, and apply it with a rag or a piece of sheepskin. If you decide you don't like it's present look, you can go black.

[@YouTube_is_trash_365]

Looks awesome man! I like how you made it your own.

[@maedae759]

For an 8 dollar bag,i love the outcome even if it wasn't what you wanted or planned. It looks like something they would sell at top price at some indie stores

[@harkaranbhullar3863]

Make a video on Car seat leather maintenance. Clean shine condition.

[@pohateos9394]

Literally same steps on a larger scale I guess

[@truly1676]

Ok... I was worried. But... YOU DID ROCK IT HARD!!! I loved it at the end. So Keanu Reeves. And it takes him years to get his bags 💼 to look like that. Sweet.

[@TheElegantOxford]

I’m glad you liked it!

[@Cberk03]

Happy accidents are ok in my book. Just be glad it wasn't for a customer.

[@JohnnyCatFitz]

I've just found your channel and though I don't do any of this; I have a huge appreciation for the work and LoVe to watch these restorations! When you paused and said rustic, I thought, oh! Maybe he means distressed? I'm only half way through but am excited to see the result! When I was younger and dressed for work at the time; I made sure to buy good shoes. Although I wasn't the pro, I did love keeping my shoes up with cleaning and polishing. Something truly satisfying in taking the time to give the goods the respect and attention they deserve. It makes the initial monies well spent because you aren't constantly buying fast fashion items to toss every year. Quality leather products are their own reward. Thanks for sharing your passion and skills.

[@kirrus4781]

Yeah, I didn't like it... But I like all your other vids 👍

[@mimithibodeaux9957]

Wow, the bag came out lovely. Great job! Thanks for taking your time and sharing with us.

[@muchasgracias6976]

Bro, you could probably sell that on Etsy for like $300

[@leomarchiori1]

You must be either joking, man, or unable to judge the value of an object.

[@muchasgracias6976]

@@leomarchiori1 My comment was a tongue in cheek reflection of the prices some vendors charge for their products on Etsy.

[@arnoldduran4953]

@@muchasgracias6976 Its okay - i think a good majority of us understood the joke😂

[@leomarchiori1]

Sorry. I missed the meaning of the joke. I do not buy on Etsy. No offense intended. Bye

[@jimmyhybrid]

The way you dyed it turned out to be amazing! Much more interesting look than before ! Damn!

[@TheDeluche]

that bag is straight out of indiana jones man!

[@matthewwiles7067]

TheDeluche , I seriously thought I was going to be the only one to think this.

[@Tomara1372]

I can't even begin to express how much I love this "mistake", and the shoes along side of the bag, nice!

[@mongreleater]

Time to get an airbrush!

[@yevettie]

Beautiful! So unique. Very creative! Art