Leather Bag Repairs & Restoration

Leather Handbag Repairs

I work on all makes of leather handbags –
repairing Radleys and mending Mulberry’s!

Ladies leather handbags become favourites over the years and need care to maintain their looks and value.

Here’s just a few of the leather handbag brands I have successfully restored.

  • Michael Kors
  • Mulberry
  • Radley
  • Ted Baker
  • Vivien Westwood.

Leather Case Repairs

Leather cases are often beautifully made and designed to last.  However over the years the leather can become faded and scuffed or torn.

Cases are often full of sentimental value and they may have been handed down for generations.

Devon Leather Care can restore tired and weathered leather cases, taking great care of your precious leather items.

Green leather briefcase restore before and after by Devon Leather Care

Green Leather Attaché Case Restoration

Please browse through my leather bag restoration gallery below to see just how beautifully leather can be restored to it’s former glory.

Damaged Leather Repair & Renovation – Briefcase

A Royal Repair!

I was delighted when I was asked to do some renovation to a well-travelled leather briefcase.  It turned out to be a gentleman customer from Kensington Palace!

After returning the item suitably refreshed, the customer’s P.A. phoned me to say that after unwrapping and presenting the briefcase to him, he was speechless! He said that it looked “brand new”, and as it was an anniversary present from his wife 40 years ago, it was very special.

The damage had been caused by numerous travel trips in airplane overhead lockers.  On the briefcase’s return, his P.A. was asked to source a protective cover for it.  The P.A. said that “I made an old man very happy!”

HRH briefcase before renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – Before Renovation

HRH briefcase before renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – Before Renovation

HRH briefcase before renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – Before Renovation

HRH briefcase after renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – After Renovation

HRH briefcase after renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – After Renovation

HRH briefcase after renovation

HRH Leather Briefcase – After Renovation

Damaged Leather Repair & Recolour – Handbags

Radley leather handbag in need of restoration by Devon Leather Care

Radley Lether Handbag – Before Renovation

Radley leather handbag restored by Devon Leather Care

Radley Lether Handbag – After Renovation

Black Mulberry Leather Handbag before being restored by Devon Leather Care

Mulberry Lether Handbag – Before Renovation

Black Mulberry Leather Handbag restored by Devon Leather Care

Mulberry Lether Handbag – After Renovation

1950’s Leather Writing Case Refurbishment

1950's leather briefcase in need of restoration by Devon Leather Care

Leather Briefcase – Before Renovation

1950's cream coloured leather briefcase restored by Devon Leather Care

Leather Briefcase – After Renovation

Louis Vuitton Bag – Leather Strap Stitching Repair

Louis Vuitton bag in need of restoration by Devon Leather Care

Louis Vuitton Bag – Before Renovation

Louis Vuitton bag restored by Devon Leather Care

Louis Vuitton Bag – After Renovation

Leather Briefcase Handle Repair & Renovation

Leather briefcase in need of restoration by Devon Leather Care

Leather 1930’s Suitcase – Before Renovation

Leather briefcase restored by Devon Leather Care

Leather 1930’s Suitcase – After Renovation

How Do You Repair Leather Bags?

In short, very carefully and by using a variety of leather restoration-craft skills!

There are a number of good reasons to repair leather bags.  For a start, good leather bags are made to last and bag repairs are better for the environment than disposal.  Another good reason is that designer leather handbags are particularly expensive, and so repair is often much cheaper than buying a brand new bag.

Here is a list of the most common things we do to repair leather bags, with some great visual examples.

Leather strap repair, before and after, by Devon Leather Care

Replacement Leather Straps and Handles

More often than not, it’s possible to recondition and recolour the leather on your bag to bring it back into great shape.

However, if the leather strap handle is beyond repair, I can remove it and replace it with a new custom tailor-made strap.

To do this, the old stitching is removed and a note made of the size, shape and thickness of the old strap or handle. The details are used to make a template for the new strap or handle design.

The new leather is carefully colour matched with the old strap or the bag as appropriate, and then it is hand stitched back into place with matching thread.

It’s amazing how well this renovation can improve the overall look of the bag!  Have a look at some of the repair examples on this page.

Other common leather bag repairs include:

  • Scuffed Leather Repairs 
  • Dry and Cracked Leather Reconditioning
  • Replacement Leather Stitching and Piping Repairs
  • Leather Re-colouring, Re-touching and Cleaning