Reference: Hermes(groupie)'s Leather Book

[hermesgroupie]

CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS
Also known as Nile crocodile and farmed in Zimbabwe. Designated by .. Recognized by its larger scale pattern than porosus. It does not come glazed, rather the shine comes from repeated buffing of the skin with a stone until it reaches a sheen. Because it is not treated, it does not do well in rain. Glazing should not be done more than twice. The reason being that the uneven texture of the skin will leave the glaze uneven on its surface, which may eventually peel and flake with time. Being an exotic, it should come with a CITES certificate that should be carried while traveling.

[style101]

Courtesy of Hermesgroupie:

(1st 2 pics) -
FJORD:

A vache, or adult cow hide. It has a wider, flatter grain than togo or clemence. Somewhat heavier as well. It has the advantage of repelling water off its surface. I have seen this bag in rain and the droplets have slid off.

(3rd pic) -
VACHE LIEGEE:

An adult cowhide, this is a natural grained leather. It has been stated on this forum that the leather is stretched in 8 different directions. Apparently this process gives the leather its rigidity, which is why its touted as being as durable as box. The two-tone effect is a result of a 2 dye process. The grain makes this leather scratch resistant, but care must be taken in avoiding deep scratches. The 2 tone effect will be difficult to regain with deep scratches.

(4th pic) -
CHEVRE DE COROMANDEL:

Goathide that is characterized by its pronounced spine pattern down the middle of the skin. Like most goathides, it is lightweight, scratch resistant, and has a sheen to the surface that gives the skin an iridescence. It absorbs color well.

(5th pic) -
CHEVRE MYSORE

Another goathide but with a less pronounced spine pattern than coromandel. Lightweight, scratch resistant, and iridescent, it is known for making colors "pop".

[hermesgroupie]

CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS MATTE (picture courtesy of pinkish love)
Known as Nile crocodile, farmed in Zimbabwe, and denoted by .. The following picture is matte skin. Matte skins are finished simply by rubbing with felt, thereby necessitating that the skins be the best available as every blemish will be evident. The same care for matte croc skins as shiny skins must be observed under wet conditions. If wet or stained the defect can remain permanently. Again CITES certificates are provided with the bag and should be carried during travel.

[hermesgroupie]

EVERCALF
Similar in grain to box, but much softer in feel.

Per the store- once there are scratches on evercalf, the bag can not be refurbished in the same manner as box leather, even though these two skins look similar.

[hermesgroupie]

ETOILE
Linen, usually used in conjunction with a leather on the bags.

[hermesgroupie]

CANVAS
Another cloth that is usually combined with a leather in creating bags.

[hermesgroupie]

CARBON FIBER
To date, I've only seen this on briefcases.

[hermesgroupie]

VEAU GRAIN LONG
This is a discontinued baby cowhide, probably embossed. It is being listed for the benefit of the vintage collectors for easier identification.

[star3777]

Quoted from Hermesgroupie!

VARANUS NILOTICUS
The hide of a water monitor. Denoted by a -. Owing to the size of the hide, its use is limited to the 25cm Birkin and smaller bags. The smaller scales give this leather a shine or iridescence, but care must be taken with this leather and annual cleanings at Hermes are recommended for this skin. If allowed to dry out, the scales have a tendency to fall out and this type of damage is difficult to repair. It comes matte and lisse and takes some of the brighter colors very well.

[hermesgroupie]

CUIR A BRIDE
An untreated leather, this leather is characterized by a somewhat rough feel to its surface and an almost unfinished look. Being untreated, it will develop a patina with time. It is a strong, durable leather that ages extremely well despite its unpolished initial appearance.

[hermesgroupie]

BUFFLE GALA
Fine grained with a smooth texture. Slightly scratchproof. Seen mostly in small accessories.

[hermesgroupie]

BUFFALO
Water buffalo hide. This leather has the interesting characteristic of absorbing the dye darkest in the center of the grain. I find this leather to be good in the rain, no marks or blemishes remained. Bags made wholely of this leather can be found, but currently, buffalo is being used in conjunction with a fabric.

[hermesgroupie]

ALLIGATOR (photo courtesy of Baggaholic)
Species Alligator mississippiensis. Farmed in Florida and denoted by a square. Alligator can be differentiated from crocodile by the lack of the "pore" found in crocodile. This pore would have held the ciliary sense organ in the live croc. Also, alligator would have an umbilication in the center of the belly. The swatch below shows the skin in the shiny form. Like crocodile, it too is buffed with a stone to get its sheen. The same rules for glazing and rain apply to this skin as well.

[hermesgroupie]

EVERGRAIN (photo courtesy of SoCal)
This leather leaves me baffled. I was informed it is embossed evercalf. However, it does not have the stiffness of the embossed leathers. Instead it is soft and silky to the touch. It has a very fine grain to it. Because the grains are not so coarse, this leather can show scratches, but I find that scratches can be rubbed away with a finger.

[hermesgroupie]

VEAU GRAIN LISSE (photo courtesy of callmelulu and claravi)
This leather reminds me of epsom and courchevel. They are both embossed or altered leathers. The difference is that veau grain lisse has less angular, rounder grains. The dyeing process may be similar to courchevel because the top of the grain dyes slightly darker than the crevices. It is probably laminated as well, making this leather easy to clean. Being an embossed leather it is rigid and holds its shape well. It is no longer available.