Box leather for everyday

[gem]

Thanks for bumping this thread up.

I love BOX, one birkin & one kelly. They are relatively young, so i try to use them as often as i could.
I wear them according to colour of the clothes i am wearing.

Use that baby big time!

I used my Kelly for 10 years pretty much daily and it looks primo! It has been on vacation for nearly 5 years while I have been making babies, but just recently I pulled it out again. If you could see it after 10 years of use...you would say, "Oh my...I am using my box bag." It looks prefect.

That box Kelly will be around long after I am gone!!!

wow - would love to see this patina-ed kelly. pleeeassse...

I also don't find Swift to be as shiny as Box--at least, not box with patina, which is the only kind I personally own.

uhm...swift is new leather, not sure about patina, Cyn, does barenia age well too, no?!

I own three 35cm box calf birkins...and I've been carrying one just about daily for the last 14 years. I'm very careful with them...and never allow the rain to touch them. In my opinion, box calf should be used and enjoyed to the fullest !!!

 

[docride]

Box Calf leather can be treated so it is water resistant and will NOT blister in the rain... Checkout the reference section on Vintage bags & Leather care info

 

[Virevolte]

Yes to all of the above except I don't think swift is too susceptible to scratches. My GPT and Berlingot are swift and I haven't scratched them yet (and I don't baby my bags at all). Is my experience the norm? Does anyone else find that swift scratches easily?

I agree! Despite its smooth & elegant finish I don’t find that Swift scratches at all! My Swift Birkin is much, much hardier than my Box Kelly…

 

[Muffin_Top]

Lol it's funny to see this old thread.
I wonder why this debates about box leather bags and water ?
I have a pair of Jumping boots made of box leather and wear them with glory all the winter.
By definition winter means rain and there's not a spot nor a blister and hardly no scratch (that's even weird for a shoe)
Are there different kinds of box leathers ?

 

[diane278]

I don’t have a box leather birkin but I do have a box leather Verrou. I got it during the pandemic and have only used it a few times. I’d definitely use it more if I could wear it crossbody, but the strap is not long enough to do so. In addition, my lifestyle has changed, and I’m using my TPM’s daily (on the days when I need a bag at all). As it is, it looks like it’s never been used….

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

Lol it's funny to see this old thread.
I wonder why this debates about box leather bags and water ?
I have a pair of Jumping boots made of box leather and wear them with glory all the winter.
By definition winter means rain and there's not a spot nor a blister and hardly no scratch (that's even weird for a shoe)
Are there different kinds of box leathers ?

I think there must be..I have box leather boots and shoes that I've worn in the rain with no problem (in fact they dont even seem to scratch although I have scuffed them).
My box leather bags however seem to be prone to blisters if I don't wipe raindrops off immediately and of course also prone to scratches

 

[880]

I have all of my box leather (three kelly bags and one kelly longue wallet) whether treated by @docride. No change in texture except perhaps improved patina. If I get caught in a bit of rain, it’s fine. I simply wipe it down. No blisters. I haven’t been caught in a total downpour with a box bag, but I was caught in one with my black barenia Birkin 30. Also treated. No issues once dry. Swift also seems similarly hardy to me, (I have a gold swift B30), but I favor neutrals like gold, etoupe, black, gray, blue, not light colors. I have sent treated bags to Hermes spa without issue, but that does not seem to be the case with members these days, so of course I cannot guarantee that your experience will be similar to mine. But I find the weather protection to be worth the risk of H spa refusal. (I currently use both Hermes and docride spa, the latter being quicker turn around and more comprehensive with respect to the leather). I use Hermes spa if I have an issue with hardware, part replacement, stitching, or if the bag is very new.

ETA: I have had a bag commissioned with Duret in Paris, and while there he showed me his trove of leathers, including fifty year old black box leather hides. It was amazing, and looked extremely lustrous and Hardy. Not sure about box today.