Vache Natural vs Barenia

bagpunk

bagpunk

Member
Oct 31, 2006
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#1
Hi there all. I am a newbie. So pardon me if this question has been asked before. I have done a search and read some really informative threads, but did not manage to find a discussion on this.

I have posted this same question in a thread about natural leathers. But I thought I might start a new thread as well, in case others might find this specific question useful.

Which would be more durable and produces patina and the kind of feel-with-wear which most resembles those old-fashioned leather bags? What I mean is the sort which has those oily dark almost "cooked" look... I am not sure if I am making sense here... You can often see this in well worn saddles as well.

I understand that VN is vegetable tanned and Barenia is oil tanned. But I am not too sure what this means for each kind of leather...

Can someone help with some info?

Thanks so much beforehand!
 
#2
bagpunk said:
Which would be more durable and produces patina and the kind of feel-with-wear which most resembles those old-fashioned leather bags? What I mean is the sort which has those oily dark almost "cooked" look... I am not sure if I am making sense here... You can often see this in well worn saddles as well.
Click to expand...

Barenia.
 
#7
Remember that the two skins are very different. Vache Natural is a cowhide and is very stiff and thick and will be very pale when brand new. It will age to a honey patina in much the same was as LV Vachetta trim on their monogram bags, which can take many years. This skin will be more structured and will retain a rigid shape virtually forever.

Barenia is a calfskin and is very soft and flexible and starts out much darker, even when new. Barenia gains its patina much sooner than Vache Naturel and has a much more luxurious hand. Barenia is a classic saddle calfskin, so if that is what you are looking for, then Barenia is probably the answer.
 
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#8
castorny said:
Remember that the two skins are very different. Vache Natural is a cowhide and is very stiff and thick and will be very pale when brand new. It will age to a honey patina in much the same was as LV Vachetta trim on their monogram bags, which can take many years. This skin will be more structured and will retain a rigid shape virtually forever.

Barenia is a calfskin and is very soft and flexible and starts out much darker, even when new. Barenia gains its patina much sooner than Vache Naturel and has a much more luxurious hand. Barenia is a classic saddle calfskin, so if that is what you are looking for, then Barenia is probably the answer.
Click to expand...

beautiful description castorny.... and exactly why i love my barenia toile and my little barenia accessories.
 
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#9
castorny said:
Remember that the two skins are very different. Vache Natural is a cowhide and is very stiff and thick and will be very pale when brand new. It will age to a honey patina in much the same was as LV Vachetta trim on their monogram bags, which can take many years. This skin will be more structured and will retain a rigid shape virtually forever.

Barenia is a calfskin and is very soft and flexible and starts out much darker, even when new. Barenia gains its patina much sooner than Vache Naturel and has a much more luxurious hand. Barenia is a classic saddle calfskin, so if that is what you are looking for, then Barenia is probably the answer.
Click to expand...

Allthough I'm no expert, I would think that vache natural and LV natural cowhide trims should have more or less the exact same response to wear and develop patina in the same way? after all, it's called "cuir vache vegetal natural" in the french section of the LV page.

If you have any LV bags, maybe this would be of help. =)
 
#10
^^I think you might have misread castorny's post. He did say that LV vachetta and Hermes VN wear in the same way, but that barenia wears differently from vachetta/vn.
 
#11
Bagpunk, I also saw your post in Natural leathers. Have you thought of vintage porc? (I like that dark cooked look too lol) I posted pics of my 1950s porc sellier kelly in Natural leather thread, but here is a close up of the leather
DSC00895.jpg

DSC00893.jpg
 
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#15
880 said:
Bagpunk, I also saw your post in Natural leathers. Have you thought of vintage porc? (I like that dark cooked look too lol) I posted pics of my 1950s porc sellier kelly in Natural leather thread, but here is a close up of the leather
View attachment 826555

View attachment 826554
Click to expand...

Oh 880, thank you so much for sharing your photos! I've never seen a porc leather so beautiful! I didn't know it developed such a lovely patine!
 
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