Tandy Leather

Is there anyone in Leather Crafting who knows how to strip and re-dye a smooth leather, tooled purse ?

My purse is a light colored, or natural colored, tooled, Tandy craft smooth leather purse I received as a gift. Has been used and shows some wear now, is dry and has a few small cracks at the top of the shoulder strap. I would like to remove the clear lacquer finish and re- dye a cognac or med. cherry-brown color and top coat it. What do I use to take off the top clear finish, when do I moisturize the leather...before or after dying, and can a lay person do a decent job at re-finishing it ? I have done some painting and other crafts. Any other tips or recommendations ? Thanks

You might try sending this fella an e-mail as he is states he is gifted in Leather Tooling:

http://answers.yahoo.com/my/profile;_ylt=AgZU4DqC2_q5.AB7vQ8bZdfsy6IX;_ylv=3?show=Foyr97k2aa

Also, this website has a wealth of information on all aspects of leather:

http://www.leathercraftsecrets.com/leathercraft.html

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