I have before me a Mac Harg bag which has a large (6" dia.), dark spot on the nether side, just where the previous user’s elbow would have rested. This spot has gone quite hard, while the rest of the bag has remained supple. I’ve searched around in previous topics about seasoning bags, but couldn’t seem to find info on what to do if one’s suede has gone all hard - any suggestions? All the best,
Rob
This problem is usually due to the collection of oils in the suede. You need to use some talcum powder to soak up the oil. Rub a good amount into the leather and let sit for a day or two. Then use a suede brush to clean up and restore.
I’ve done this to a couple of such bags (McHarg’s at that!) and it worked better than I expected.
Paul
Thanks for the suggestion, magroibin. I intend to try the talcum technique, soon as I get some that doesn’t smell like perfume.
Meanwhile, I had a stroke of either genius or folly. I happened to be cleaning the footbeds of my Birkenstocks (a must-do for the married man; never used to bother before) when I made the connection bethween what happens to a well-worn pair of sandals and the spot on my Mac Harg. Wondering if the official Birkenstock product for dealing with crusty footbeds would do the trick there as well, I threw caution to the wind and applied it to the hard spot, following the directions on the package. It may be too soon to make a final evaluation, but the result so far is a spot that, while still very dark, has become dramatically more supple.
The whole thing may yet dissolve before my eyes, but with any luck I’ve solved the hardness problem. I’ll still follow through with the talcum powder, since the Birkenstock treament doesn’t involve any rinsing or other means to remove excess oil/product. Update to follow. Cheers,
Rob
Here’s an update:
I’ve got a struggle on my hands. Having restored the hard spot to some semblance of suppleness, it’s become apparent that the formerly hard area is, in addition to being an ugly black spot, porous and leaking air like a sieve. Before I get 20 recipes sent in, I’ve already settled on thew Murphy’s/Crisco mix, which hasn’t done the trick yet. I may redo it with a higher percentage of Crisco to see if that improves things.
Bless my semi-Scottish soul, I can’t look at this otherwise-new-looking Mac Harg bag and blithely consign it to the landfill. I’m contemplating a large patch on the outside, applied while the bag is inflated and held on with large quantities of contact cement. I’d do one on the inside - there’s a plugged aperture for a former set of drones where I might get the hand in - but I know from experience that oil, and presumable Crisco and oil soap, eats contact cement. I’d like to get a bit more use out of this peur aul’ thing, at least until my drones come. Wish me luck! Cheers,
Rob
Rob,
Get another bag. It is not just the oil that has hardened the bag, it is bacteria, salt and rot. The whole thing could have been avoided by the simple use of a bag cover.
By the way when did you take up the pipes, or do you just have a bag?
You could always blow it up and use it for a football.
Pat Sky
Ditto Pat ..that is why covers were put on in the first place the fashion in the 90’s for coverless bags (coz it looked cool so they thought 
)has its obvious disadvantages.Of course ye can make yersel a vinyl bag which would be maintenance free and wouldnae need a cover,use the existing dead animal as a template. 
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
Rob,
I must second Pat Sky’s diagnosis. Get rid of the bag, and get another one. Trying to resurrect a porous bag will break your heart and is basically impossible. No potion, concoction, salve, poultice, spackle, aioli, or tack will patch that leak. The bag is dead: long live the bag!
Kieran O’Hare
You could try clear duct tape…I’ve seen that treatment before… 
Can’t say it was completely effective, but will work in a pinch.
Ah, a challenge! I love it…the inevitable futility of ignoring good advice to chase a dream.
Desperate measures are already being enacted as we speak. I don’t disagree that it’s, at best, delaying the unavoidable, but I’ll be switched if I don’t give it the old college try first. Thanks, lads, for sharpening my resolve. Cheers,
Rob
p.s. Pat, you saw my chanter once last year, before it went back to Hunter pipes to be “poshed up.” Johnny Mac turned me loose on these leaky old bits of his as a favor - we’ll see if I can defy the odds or, more likely, if I have to shove my short arms down deep into my long pockets!
…as for the clear duct tape, I will admit that it can work in a pinch. But it takes a LOT of duct tape, and it has to be a real pinch! A mere stopgap until a new bag can be obtained!
Kieran O’Hare
My camera is slowly going insane, but the pic is clear enough to see my so-far SUCCESSFUL bag repair. It now holds air quite well; we’ll see how long it lasts. Note the lovely tucked edge of the tasteful green patch. Cheers,
Rob
Kelly (seisflutes) made an entire bag out of duct tape. That might be your frugal solution.
But if you buy a new bag, L&M or MacHarg, you shouldn’t need to season it and you should get long life out of it.
I’ve got to say this is making me consider getting bag cover.
UPDATE: so far, the bag repair is holding. I’m not exactly dishing out world-tour punishment, but it’s holding up well enough for what I need it to do. My dream is to get it to last until I get my drones, whenever the hell that is. Cheers,
Rob
How about a picture of that duct-tape bag?