I'm going to try to collect as much information regarding identifying real Chloes so we can have at least some staple tips. It seems like a lot of mis-information is provided on the authentification thread. So far we have:
1) Leather: Paddington leather is smooshy and the texture is not uniform. THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE WAY TO TELL A FAKE! Fakes often times have very smooth leather. Stiff. Some super fakes might have pebbled leather but it is uniformed pebbling. The pebbling on an authentic piece is not uniformed. It may be uniformed on the front side but you'll notice it won't be on the back or sides. If you notice that there is no break in the uniformity of the leather than the bag is likely a fake. Once you touch a real paddington vs. a fake paddington you will instantly be able to tell the difference!
2) Hardware: Not all paddy zippers have the YKK engravement. Some '05 models came without. Some 2006 paddingtons have YKK on some parts but not on some other parts. It is not consistent. When should you worry? When the zippers come marked "Lampo" or some other zipper brand.
3) Hardware: *most* 2005 paddingtons have plastic teeth while 2006 paddingtons have metal teeth. Some 2006 have plastic and some 2005 have metal. It's not consistent and therefore should not be used for authentification purposes. One thing for sure, the leather tab attached to the interior zipper is unmarked. Your bag should also zip easily with no catch.
4) Serial #s/Date Stamps: Some Chloes have date stamps (02.53.06), some have serial #'s (01-06-51-5267). Some serial numbers are separated by dots, some hyphens. The tag can be on the left interior pocket or the right interior pocket. There isn't a good consistency with serial numbers...at least not good enough to use for authentification purposes. Some authentic bags don't even come with serial numbers! We can either guess that the quality control over at Chloe is terrible or they are, on purpose, not providing a "staple" characteristic in which fakes can copy. Click here to see some photos of serial numbers:
http://forum.purseblog.com/chloe/i-n...serial+numbers
5) Interior Lining: Some 2005 interior lining is a different color than 2006. For example, the chocolate 2005 has beige interior lining while some chocolate 2006's have brown lining. One consistency however, is that the lining is corduroy and has lines running through it. Even then there is a debate on how big or thick the lines should be. 2005 interior lining is thinner than 2006 lining. The thicker lining is partially the reason why 2006 paddingtons are more "erect" or "stiff" than 2005 bags.
6) Heat Stamps: Chloe heat stamps on the padlock and interior bag are not deep and bolded. This is an easy give away too. Note how deep the heat stamping is on the padlock and interior of the bag. Chloe does not do deep imprints.
7)Padlock: If you hold the padlock with the Chloe stamp facing right side up the round side of the key insert is on top. It resembles how a child would draw a tree, with the big rounded leaves on top. Ones with an upside down tree are fake. Fakes produce locks that are super shiny. Real locks are deep matted brass.
8) Padlock: Padlocks from different seasons are different. 2006 padlocks are smaller than 2005 padlocks. The font is different. The weight is different ('06 lighter than '05). They are even made of different material. 2005 padlocks are made of 100% brass while 2006 padlocks are made of 50% brass and 50% zamac.
9) Padlocks: Stitching on padlocks can vary. Most 2005 padlock stitching is straight. Some 2006 padlock stitching can be a slight angle. Some even come at an extreme angle. But even these can vary season to season!
10) Rivets(circular tabs that attach your handles to the bag) should be 1 peg under 2.5 inches at the widest point. All of my paddingtons including the paddingtons in the store that I have measured have been right on with this measurement.
11) External Tags: Chloe purchase tags (the rounded tags you get with the bag) should tell you the serial number, what the brass & leather is made of and the color of the bag. The description comes in English and then French.
***Also, maybe we can clarify some other de bunkers. Add the ones you are 100% confident in
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Paddington Authentification Tips - Add to the List!
Re: Paddington Authentification Tips - Add to the List!
