Can You Fix a Cracked Leather Purse Edge Yourself? My Lucky Purse Rescue

Crystal Wubbels

7 days ago

4 min read

Can you fix the cracked edging on a leather purse yourself? Yes. Mostly. Mine is not perfect, but it is 100% better than it was, and I got there by starting over a couple of times.

Here's where it started. The handle of my favorite purse came unglued, and the edging cracked and came off. It looked like it had been abused and unloved. I could not part with it. It was sitting lonely on my shelves of purses, never to be used again but too special to be gotten rid of.

UNTIL I decided, once again, that trying is good and not trying is bad.

Why Didn't I Just Get Rid of It?

Because it's my Lucky Purse. Like, literally Lucky brand. Just the right amount of pockets, soft leather, and a warm vibe. I've had it for 10 years.

What Did I Use to Fix the Leather Edge?

I watched some YouTube videos, bought way too many colors of Edge Kote, some leather cement, and a leather edging tool, and decided: how hard could this be?

Here's what ended up on my desk:

Fiebing's Edge Kote, Dark Brown. I bought three colors from Fiebing's: neutral, brown, and dark brown. Dark brown was the winner. Edge Kote , dark brown (Link)
Fiebing's Leathercraft Cement. For gluing the handle back together. Leather cement (Link)
A wooden edge burnisher. This came in a kit. Leather edging tool kit (Link)
A small brush for putting the Edge Kote on.
Brass polish for the hardware (more on that below). Brass polish (Link)

What Is Edge Kote, Anyway?

In plain terms, it's color for the cut edge of leather. Fiebing's describes Edge Kote as "a cross between paint and dye" that both sits on the surface of the edge and soaks into it, and says it dries water resistant with a flexible, semi-gloss finish (Fiebing's, Edge Kote product page).

A burnisher is the other half of the job. It's a tool you rub along the edge, and the friction slicks the edge down smooth. Fiebing's own directions have you slick and burnish the edge first, then apply Edge Kote, then buff once it's dry (Fiebing's, Edge Kote product page).

I did it as a sandwich: burnish, then paint, then burnish again. That second pass gave the edge an aged look and blended the color into the leather.

What Went Wrong the First Time?

I tried to go over the edging that was already there.

Fail. It was not smooth. It was a mess.

So I pulled off all the loose stuff and sanded the edge down before starting again.

And the Second Time?

My handle is two pieces of leather glued together. I didn't do a great job of gluing them back together, got impatient, and put way too much on the edge. Mess.

Close-up of a repaired leather purse handle edge with thick, glossy spots of dark brown Edge Kote and tarnished brass rivets

That's the honest close-up. See those glossy, thick spots? That's what impatience looks like in Edge Kote.

Again, I claim no perfection here. The leather is stretched out, the glue job was not great, but it is usable and doesn't look horrible.

Why Did I Panic Over the Color?

Dark brown was the best of the three (neutral and brown didn't make the cut), but I also panicked because it did not match. Not until I burnished it again with the edging tool.

So if you're staring at a freshly painted edge thinking you picked the wrong color, wait. Mine changed once the burnisher went over it the second time.

What About the Brass Hardware?

While I had the purse on the table, I polished the brass hardware too with brass polish. I'm going to polish all of it, but I'd only done ONE side when I took these photos, which turned out to be handy, because it makes a before and after in a single photo.

What Does It Look Like Now?

Finished leather purse handle with a smooth, burnished dark brown edge after a DIY Edge Kote repair

It is not perfect. It is 100% better than it was. And it's off the shelf.

Of course, I didn't take any before pictures, because I truly thought I was going to fail. So you'll have to trust me that "abused and unloved" was accurate.

What Would I Tell Someone Trying This for the First Time?

Patience is the key. That's the whole lesson, really. Here's what that looked like for me:

Don't paint over old, cracked edging. I tried. It was a mess. Pull off the loose stuff and sand it first.
Take your time on the glue. If the handle is layered like mine, a rushed glue job shows.
Go light on the Edge Kote. Too much leaves thick, glossy blobs. Ask me how I know.
Burnish, paint, burnish again. The second burnish is what blended my color in.
Don't judge the color until you burnish. My dark brown looked wrong right up until it didn't.
Take a before picture, even if you think you'll fail. Especially then. Failing is half the story.

Quick Answers

Can you just paint over cracked leather edge coating?

In my experience, no. When I went over the old edging, it wasn't smooth. It was a mess. Pulling off the loose bits and sanding first is what worked.

Do you need a bunch of Edge Kote colors?

I bought three from Fiebing's: neutral, brown, and dark brown. Dark brown was the one that worked.

Why doesn't my Edge Kote match the leather?

Mine didn't match until I burnished it again after painting. Give it the burnisher before you panic.

What glue holds a leather purse handle back together?

I used Fiebing's Leathercraft Cement. The glue was fine. My patience was the weak spot.

Is a DIY leather edge repair worth it?

For a purse you love? Yes. It's not perfect, but it's usable again, and that's the point.

Trying is good. Not trying is bad.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to things I actually used on this project.

References