all handmade?

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#136
As a general question to those that keep pointing out the various things that are done by machine at Hermes, do you really care? Are you going to stop buying H because a sewing machine needle touched the bag?

I guess I just think something is either worth it or it's not. I do not buy anything H because I think it's stitched completely by hand. I bought my Kelly because I thought it was incredibly beautiful, special and seemed destined for me. It's very functional, holds the right amount of stuff, the leather is luscious and sturdy and it makes me look super chic even in jeans and a tee shirt. I believe it will last me a lifetime. It was expensive but I considered it worth the money. Others may not see it that way, many on the rest of this forum would consider it obscene to spend that much.

I handled several Chanel bags this year and they did not feel the same way to me so whether they are hand sewn, machine sewn or not, I don't care. They don't feel like bags worth 6K to me.

I also do something for a living that cannot be done by machine. I wish my clients saw the same value in my handiwork that H consumers do!! :D I could buy a whole lot more H :graucho:
 
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#137
HoneyLocks said:
I completely agree. I just thought that these pics were interesting. There are articles on Hermes scarves (in German) that state the price comes from how every single one is hand printed.
Mrs Owen, thanks for the insights. Last night I washed three of my scarves, no color run or bleeding thanks to modern technology :cool:
Click to expand...

Exactly, I personally find it commendable that a heritage brand is willing to evolve in a way that works with their ethos, for the most part.

I believe Hermes will continue to use technology in a way that's different then other brands, not to degrade the quality, crank out massive amounts of product while jacking up the prices. I don't think they're perfect, they're still using a "heritage" programer on H.com :p but I think they're doing pretty well in a world of fast fashion and branded hype.
 
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#138
MrsOwen3 said:
Exactly, I personally find it commendable that a heritage brand is willing to evolve in a way that works with their ethos, for the most part.

I believe Hermes will continue to use technology in a way that's different then other brands, not to degrade the quality, crank out massive amounts of product while jacking up the prices. I don't think they're perfect, they're still using a "heritage" programer on H.com :p but I think they're doing pretty well in a world of fast fashion and branded hype.
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"heritage" programer :roflmfao:
but the drawings are cute (at the maison das carres as well as at hermes.com)
 
#139
periogirl28 said:
I know for sure she pointed at the slots where the straps run, the inside attachment of the straps, the back where the D rings attach. These areas need to be very strong. The ends of the leather/ canvas strap too I believe. I am sure she would be able to answer these question in even more detail as I only enquired in passing. HTH!
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thank you periogirl28. good to hear from someone who knows what they are talking about. explains the berline prices. i think the ends of the evie strap and the inside attachment for the straps are also handstitched because they are double stitches in places where the weight strains the most.
 
#140
chincac said:
thank you periogirl28. good to hear from someone who knows what they are talking about. explains the berline prices. i think the ends of the evie strap and the inside attachment for the straps are also handstitched because they are double stitches in places where the weight strains the most.
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The Evie strap isn't handstitched...I saw mine being shortened with a machine (hand guided for sure)- and the side that was re-attached after cutting looks identical to the other.
 
#141
MrsOwen3 said:
As a general question to those that keep pointing out the various things that are done by machine at Hermes, do you really care? Are you going to stop buying H because a sewing machine needle touched the bag?

I guess I just think something is either worth it or it's not. I do not buy anything H because I think it's stitched completely by hand. I bought my Kelly because I thought it was incredibly beautiful, special and seemed destined for me. It's very functional, holds the right amount of stuff, the leather is luscious and sturdy and it makes me look super chic even in jeans and a tee shirt. I believe it will last me a lifetime. It was expensive but I considered it worth the money. Others may not see it that way, many on the rest of this forum would consider it obscene to spend that much.

I handled several Chanel bags this year and they did not feel the same way to me so whether they are hand sewn, machine sewn or not, I don't care. They don't feel like bags worth 6K to me.

I also do something for a living that cannot be done by machine. I wish my clients saw the same value in my handiwork that H consumers do!! :D I could buy a whole lot more H :graucho:
Click to expand...

Well said, MrsOwens3 :yes:
 
#142
Well screen printing has always involved a machine of some description, it's the nature of it. I read that they are essentially printed the same way they always were, in a special place in Lyon. Just because a computerised machine now helps in moving the fabric or something like that, doesn't make a difference. They are incredibly difficult to make. If you compare a Hermès scarf to some other cheaper scarf, you can see the difference in print quality, detail, subtle colour variations not to mention intricately designed pictures etc. Nothing compares. Does it justify the price tag ? Not really I am afraid. But it's as close to old fashioned craftsmanship as we are going to get, so that's the charm for me.
 
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#143
Hermès does need to "keep" up with the times too. Otherwise it will become obsolete. The company was in real trouble in the 70's, nearing bankruptcy but somehow survived. It's one of the few companies NOT owned by some sort of conglomerate but still mostly family owned. That makes me happy ! LV had nothing but a decline in Quality since they were taken over. It is nothing like the LV of old. Sure there is much more products, designs and profits BUT the quality and craftsmanship that made the company famous is disappearing more and more sadly .
 
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#144
HoneyLocks said:
I completely agree. I just thought that these pics were interesting. There are articles on Hermes scarves (in German) that state the price comes from how every single one is hand printed.
Mrs Owen, thanks for the insights. Last night I washed three of my scarves, no color run or bleeding thanks to modern technology :cool:
Click to expand...

Would you mind sharing the articles/links? TIA!
 
#145
Blueboxes said:
Well screen printing has always involved a machine of some description, it's the nature of it. I read that they are essentially printed the same way they always were, in a special place in Lyon. Just because a computerised machine now helps in moving the fabric or something like that, doesn't make a difference. They are incredibly difficult to make. If you compare a Hermès scarf to some other cheaper scarf, you can see the difference in print quality, detail, subtle colour variations not to mention intricately designed pictures etc. Nothing compares. Does it justify the price tag ? Not really I am afraid. But it's as close to old fashioned craftsmanship as we are going to get, so that's the charm for me.
Click to expand...

This!
 
#146
cavalla said:
Would you mind sharing the articles/links? TIA!
Click to expand...


"each handmade": http://www.bunte.de/meldungen/hermes-tuch-so-erkennt-man-ein-original-63492.html (OK, the hem IS handmade)

"painted by hand": http://www.welt.de/lifestyle/article9432125/Ein-Hermes-Carre-ist-mehr-als-nur-ein-Seidentuch.html

"hand prinded": http://www.stylebook.de/fashion/Hermes-Tuch-Begehrtestes-Accessoire-der-Welt-83465.html

there were some more, but this is all I could find at the moment.
Don't get me wrong, as long as they are as beautiful as they are I do not care. (Well, I would care if children in 3rd world countries would "hand paint" them.) I even think big machines are way cooler than screen printing by hand (hey, I already did that myself).
A bit off topic: my favourite machines are the Havatec Mushroom machine and "Bagger 288" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagger_288
 
#147
HoneyLocks said:
"each handmade": http://www.bunte.de/meldungen/hermes-tuch-so-erkennt-man-ein-original-63492.html (OK, the hem IS handmade)

"painted by hand": http://www.welt.de/lifestyle/article9432125/Ein-Hermes-Carre-ist-mehr-als-nur-ein-Seidentuch.html

"hand prinded": http://www.stylebook.de/fashion/Hermes-Tuch-Begehrtestes-Accessoire-der-Welt-83465.html

there were some more, but this is all I could find at the moment.
Don't get me wrong, as long as they are as beautiful as they are I do not care. (Well, I would care if children in 3rd world countries would "hand paint" them.) I even think big machines are way cooler than screen printing by hand (hey, I already did that myself).
A bit off topic: my favourite machines are the Havatec Mushroom machine and "Bagger 288" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagger_288
Click to expand...

These articles were just general stories about Hermes Scarfs. They don't say anything in detail on how the Scarfs are made ? Plus they are not articles Hermes has published but just some German magazine anyway, so when they say "hand painted" , they (whoever wrote it) clearly are mis-informed on the production process. The originals are hand painted artwork though, so in a way it's not totally false.
Anybody interested in the Scarfs, the book is great and has beautiful pictures plus some information on how they are created. I wish there was more info on the making in the book, but I guess it's good to keep some mystery too.
❤️❤️❤️
 
#148
HoneyLocks said:
"each handmade": http://www.bunte.de/meldungen/hermes-tuch-so-erkennt-man-ein-original-63492.html (OK, the hem IS handmade)

"painted by hand": http://www.welt.de/lifestyle/article9432125/Ein-Hermes-Carre-ist-mehr-als-nur-ein-Seidentuch.html

"hand prinded": http://www.stylebook.de/fashion/Hermes-Tuch-Begehrtestes-Accessoire-der-Welt-83465.html

there were some more, but this is all I could find at the moment.
Don't get me wrong, as long as they are as beautiful as they are I do not care. (Well, I would care if children in 3rd world countries would "hand paint" them.) I even think big machines are way cooler than screen printing by hand (hey, I already did that myself).
A bit off topic: my favourite machines are the Havatec Mushroom machine and "Bagger 288" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagger_288
Click to expand...

Thank you! I appreciate it.
 
#150
Monceau said:
The printing industry is one I know well, I have family in it and spent a number of years working in it. While technology has dramatically changed the industry, from a quality perspective, screen printing is far superior to digital/ ink jet.

There is only one reason industries move to digital, and that is cost reduction: the equipment is much cheaper and requires fewer workers with less skill. This type of printing is close to fully automated. From a human perspective, this means fewer skilled craftspeople in the workforce. The technology has improved by leaps and bounds and will continue to do so, but it's still an inferior product in terms of quality. Hermes and everyone else is trading superior quality for acceptable quality. It's all about increasing the profit margin at an acceptable quality level.
Click to expand...

Hi Monceau!
I also have a lot of experience with textile printing and my impression is that yes, it's more automated/fewer technicians but the new very high quality printers are much more accurate and detailed than 47 screens. While I agree that there is risk of inferior quality product depending on the machine or technology, I'm not sure I've seen a decline in the product H has been producing from year to year. I'm a big fan of technology when it improves things and I do something that is a handicraft so I appreciate that there are some things a machine can never do. I just think the whole conversation is very interesting.

Do you feel that print quality has declined over the seasons? I haven't been collecting long enough to notice.
 
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