My Wine Nikki arrived- !? it's *ROCK* hard and stiff! r/o
- Thread starter runa
- Start date
[FONT=calibri,Century Gothic]So many helpful responses!
I haven't carried it yet, I'm 5'4'' ish, about 110 pounds and the Wine Nikki, when not broken in, is monstrously huge on me & I look like a Bag Lady (though I must emphasize I love the shape of my soft Nikki's).
However, I filled it with weights and heavy objects and hung it over night on my doorknob (so as not to fold/crease/distort the handle) and the bag has softened up considerably. Still waxy and stiff like cardboard, but MUCH better.
Excuse my impatience, ladies, apologies- and I will continue hanging it in said manner for a few days/weeks longer!
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I haven't carried it yet, I'm 5'4'' ish, about 110 pounds and the Wine Nikki, when not broken in, is monstrously huge on me & I look like a Bag Lady (though I must emphasize I love the shape of my soft Nikki's).
However, I filled it with weights and heavy objects and hung it over night on my doorknob (so as not to fold/crease/distort the handle) and the bag has softened up considerably. Still waxy and stiff like cardboard, but MUCH better.
Excuse my impatience, ladies, apologies- and I will continue hanging it in said manner for a few days/weeks longer!
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[FONT=calibri,century gothic]Update to this thread...
I've hung it for several days and nights with weights inside (not 5 lb weights, more like a few bottles of perfume and a can of dog food LOL!!!!) and the bag is still extremely stiff.
I hung up the bag on its handle on my doorknob (so as not to distort the handle and keep its round shape), and the bag still looks twice as large as my regular Cognac Nikki (which has EXTREMELY soft, smooshy leather), and is very bulky, hard, and stiff.
I know my bag is no defect, and this is just the nature of the bag.
It has softened up about 2x, but is still rather stiff.
I write this post not to complain, as I am still in love with the deep rouge color, but to anyone who was on the fence with this six-hundred-dollar bag, you are not going to get a soft bag right off the bat, unless the bag's been used heavily for a few weeks.
If I could have things the way I wanted, I would want this bag to be as soft as 90% of all her other leather bags (by the way, I've never seen her Glazed Espresso color in person, and I've heard it is very stiff- it's probably like the Wine, then), but I think I am going to keep this bag for now (or at least for the next 12 months) because I'll just patiently keep waiting.
After having waiting a few months for the bag, I so wish I can use it now, but I have some gorgeous Bbags that will carry me over for the time being!
Sigh, if only they released this @ a similar time in the Mini Nikki shape- that combo would be heaven!! (though I wanted it in the Mini, at the time I ordered it, the vibe that the RM company gave was 'order now or never!!!' and had to pull the trigger then)
I saw that thread about a possible wine mini nikki, but if that does materialize, i'm stuck with a $600 bag (if i sell it on ebay, i will lose $100 from seller fees and resale values).
I look forward to when I can carry this Wine Nikki; and I also look forward to her upcoming colors, like the SUNSHINE mini nikki, and that gorgeous heavily-distressed-rose-pink color we've all been waiting for.
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I've hung it for several days and nights with weights inside (not 5 lb weights, more like a few bottles of perfume and a can of dog food LOL!!!!) and the bag is still extremely stiff.
I hung up the bag on its handle on my doorknob (so as not to distort the handle and keep its round shape), and the bag still looks twice as large as my regular Cognac Nikki (which has EXTREMELY soft, smooshy leather), and is very bulky, hard, and stiff.
I know my bag is no defect, and this is just the nature of the bag.
It has softened up about 2x, but is still rather stiff.
I write this post not to complain, as I am still in love with the deep rouge color, but to anyone who was on the fence with this six-hundred-dollar bag, you are not going to get a soft bag right off the bat, unless the bag's been used heavily for a few weeks.
If I could have things the way I wanted, I would want this bag to be as soft as 90% of all her other leather bags (by the way, I've never seen her Glazed Espresso color in person, and I've heard it is very stiff- it's probably like the Wine, then), but I think I am going to keep this bag for now (or at least for the next 12 months) because I'll just patiently keep waiting.
After having waiting a few months for the bag, I so wish I can use it now, but I have some gorgeous Bbags that will carry me over for the time being!
Sigh, if only they released this @ a similar time in the Mini Nikki shape- that combo would be heaven!! (though I wanted it in the Mini, at the time I ordered it, the vibe that the RM company gave was 'order now or never!!!' and had to pull the trigger then)
I saw that thread about a possible wine mini nikki, but if that does materialize, i'm stuck with a $600 bag (if i sell it on ebay, i will lose $100 from seller fees and resale values).
I look forward to when I can carry this Wine Nikki; and I also look forward to her upcoming colors, like the SUNSHINE mini nikki, and that gorgeous heavily-distressed-rose-pink color we've all been waiting for.
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runa, i am sorry, this stinks!! but if you want to sell your full size nikki, i wuld try ecrater.com...you can sell for free (it might take a bit longer, but it will probably be worth it as more people are starting to look there for RMs, and once ebay fees for selling bags, etc. go up in a few weeks i expect to see more posted on ecrater).
i just got a wine nikki last week and while i do agree that it is a bit stiffer than some of the other leathers at first (though certainly not as stiff as a color/leather combo like hazelnut or persimmon, for ex.), i noticed after two days of carrying it that it has already softened up quite a bit...can you talk to the place where you bought it from and let them know about this issue, and maybe they could at least discount you the price a bit or let you do an exchange?
i just got a wine nikki last week and while i do agree that it is a bit stiffer than some of the other leathers at first (though certainly not as stiff as a color/leather combo like hazelnut or persimmon, for ex.), i noticed after two days of carrying it that it has already softened up quite a bit...can you talk to the place where you bought it from and let them know about this issue, and maybe they could at least discount you the price a bit or let you do an exchange?
I have both sunshine and wine. If you think the wine leather is hard and stiff, you ain't seen nothing. Sunshine is extremely hard, doesn't bend at all. It truly is like cardboard.
I hate to be the one to break it to you but if you are happy that you have a scarlet on order b/c you think it will be smooshier than the wine I think your in for some disappointment. Maybe I misunderstood your above post but I just didn't want you to get your hopes up thinking the scarlet will be easier to work in than the wine but it will be a lot stiffer. The scarlet leather is just like the sunshine leather and while it will be absolutely beautiful and to die for it isn't a flowy- puddly - smooshy leather kind of bag. It will come stiff at first and might break in a little over time.
Just wanted to warn you! I don't mind this kind of leather and actually prefer it, but some people only go for the smooshy leather..
Runa- The wine leather does break in and it gets pretty smooshy over time. Unfortunately though you need to actually use the bag to get it this way. Having it hang on a door (regardless of what's inside) will not soften the leather. Softening of the leather only comes from use.. being picked up, put down, rubbed against your clothes, movement from walking... and of course using conditioning cream will help.
I'm sorry that your wine nikki isn't working out so well for you.. I hope you can make it passed the new stage and get her perfectly broken it!! Good luck!
This, in a nutshell, is what is so difficult for us newbies to the RM Nikki. There are so many different leather textures and you have to do so much research before you buy a particular color that it can be overwhelming. I too HATE stiff bags....especially in a hobo style. 
My first RM Nikki was the Ocean....super smooshy...loved it!
My next Nikki was the Iris. I've read countless posts about how smooshy it is, but compared to Ocean....yeah, not so much. I do LOVE my Iris! The color, the leather...tdf! I'm sure it will break in perfectly....but it's certainly not Ocean right out of the box. 
The wine does look really stiff and that is so not for me, maybe it's the glaze? 
On the other hand, I actually prefer the thicker leather of the Iris to the Ocean, so I'm willing to wait a bit for my Iris Nikki to break in the way I know that it will!
Perhaps you should break in your Wine Nikki for a few days/weeks and it could indeed be love at second sight!
My first RM Nikki was the Ocean....super smooshy...loved it!
My next Nikki was the Iris. I've read countless posts about how smooshy it is, but compared to Ocean....yeah, not so much. I do LOVE my Iris! The color, the leather...tdf! I'm sure it will break in perfectly....but it's certainly not Ocean right out of the box. The wine does look really stiff and that is so not for me, maybe it's the glaze? On the other hand, I actually prefer the thicker leather of the Iris to the Ocean, so I'm willing to wait a bit for my Iris Nikki to break in the way I know that it will!
Perhaps you should break in your Wine Nikki for a few days/weeks and it could indeed be love at second sight!
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LR: Thanks for the info. about the Scarlett! I was assuming that since it is distressed (or at least very much looks to be so from the pics) that it would be softer leather, like the concord. I also agree with you that nothing will make a slightly stiff leather smooshy like time and regular usage. (Kinda like a great pair of jeans).
I've had my Nikki in wine for about 2 months now and the good news is that the leather does get softer with use. Actually, when I received mine, it was made of different textures of leather. On one side, the leather was hard and smooth and on the other side the leather was soft and wrinkly. Has this happened to anyone else?
I wish!!! No I haven't but I've been told by several people that the Scarlet leather is the same as the Sunshine leather which is stiffer.. I think someone else commented about the Sunshine leather in this thread. It is not supposed to be like the concord or nite blue leather..
I think Desi has commented about the Sunshine leather softening a bit over time but Im not sure.
DESI??
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Here are some pics for comparison. See how it a distressed leather but it's almost like it has a layer of glaze on the surface which make it stiffer. I think they used the same type of leather as the concord & night blue but they hardened the surface a bit.. somehow. Here are some pictures:
scarlet: Sunhine:
Also- this is jut what I'm told!! Anyone could be wrong here but I just thought you deserved a fair warning in case this wasn't the leather you thought it was.. that's all. You should definitely get a 2nd & 3rd opinion from someone who knows what they're talking about before you make any decisions regarding your order. Who knows.. maybe the scarlet will be somewhere in between the concord & sunshine leather?? but it looks to me like it has the same glazing effect which makes it stiff.
Edit to add: This is Desi's beautiful Sunshine nikki by the way.. hope it's ok I used your pic momma!!
scarlet: Sunhine:
Also- this is jut what I'm told!! Anyone could be wrong here but I just thought you deserved a fair warning in case this wasn't the leather you thought it was.. that's all. You should definitely get a 2nd & 3rd opinion from someone who knows what they're talking about before you make any decisions regarding your order. Who knows.. maybe the scarlet will be somewhere in between the concord & sunshine leather?? but it looks to me like it has the same glazing effect which makes it stiff.
Edit to add: This is Desi's beautiful Sunshine nikki by the way.. hope it's ok I used your pic momma!!
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