Re-cover Old Conn Case?

[bobroden]

I inherited a 1930s Conn 44H Vocabell from a close friend. It is in the original case, but the black covering on the case will now make one's fingers (or anything else that touches it) black.

Otherwise, though, the case is pretty cool -- very narrow and sleek. So I'm wondering if it might be possible to remove the black Tolex (or whatever it is) material off the outside and re-cover the case with something else.

Is this a known thing? Are there obvious best options? Any thoughts about anything on this one?

Thanks,
Bob

[CalgaryTbone]

I would check with a luggage repair shop. It might not be cheap, with all of the unusual angles on a case, but cutting around those angles might not be user-friendly for a do-it-yourself project.

Jim Scott

[stewbones43]

I did an old Holton Bass case some years ago and used car vinyl roof material. It worked well and a great choice of colours and textures.

Try to remove the old stuff as carefully as possible and you may be able to use the pieces as patterns for the new bits.

Good luck

Cheers

Stewbones43

[Doubler]

If the covering doesn't have chips, scratches, or tears, you might consider masking off the hardware and spraying the case with primer, finishing it with the color/texture/lustre of your choice. Otherwise, you can use vinyl upholstery repair and spray the case afterwards. There is the possibility that the chemicals in the primer may lift the covering off in places, depending upon your spray technique, requiring recovering anyway.

[Mamaposaune]

I have re-skinned and re-lined cases, but honestly, with the one you're describing, I would leave it as-is (unless it is badly worn, torn, or has an odor.
1, it's a bigger undertaking than it would seem at first, and for it to really look good you'd need to remove then replace with new all the hardware. You'd need to re-line it too; I've re-lined w/o doing the outer covering, but never the other way around.
2, getting the old covering off is difficult, and the case may not be able to withstand it structurally. Then you end up needing to repair the wood before recovering.
I would try cleaning the covering with a mild spray cleaner and remove as much of the black dye as possible. Then, use Kiwi's shoe polish to restore the color - brush on a fairly thick coat, let dry, buff with a shoe-shine brush then a soft flannel cloth. It sounds counterintuitive, but I have done this and not had a problem with the black coming off on my hands.