"veau" is calf leather.
So is your Muse grainy with lotsa of lines? Mine from bluefly is like that.
I had another muse which was buffalo, incredibly smooth and thick.
calfskin leather muse bag: is it as good as buffalo leather?
- Thread starter fashionlover123
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"veau" is calf leather.
So is your Muse grainy with lotsa of lines? Mine from bluefly is like that.
I had another muse which was buffalo, incredibly smooth and thick.
the ysl bag is real buffalo... why wouldn't it be? the leather is not expensive or particularly rare. plus on the tag it does say the material is "bubalus," which is buffalo. if it was embossed calf it would say so. i had a muse that i bought in late 06 and sold in early 07 and some other small accessories from the tom ford era that used bubalus.
anyway, as i reported in post #21, there will be a muse coming out for the fall season that actually is calfskin
My SA (geoffrey for anyone who buys from him) was very adamant about the Muse being cow leather because I didn't believe him. The leather isn't embossed -- it's treated. he said they take the hide and treat it depending on the end texture desired. Perhaps he was referring to newer bags because I checked the tags on all my Muses and all of them say "veau." My first one is dated 2006 03.
yes, that is how my Muse looks - it's from BF too
I do love it, but I love the Buffalo leather more
so the earlier Muse bags were Buffalo? I wonder when they switched?
Just checked my YSL cards too...
* my Muse (purchased July 06 in YSL boutique) = BUBALUS (water buffalo leather)
* my Tribute (purchased Dec. 07 in YSL boutique) = VEAU (calfskin leather)
Oh well, I thought my Tribute was buffalo too.
Either way, they are both beautiful leathers, just different.
* my Muse (purchased July 06 in YSL boutique) = BUBALUS (water buffalo leather)
* my Tribute (purchased Dec. 07 in YSL boutique) = VEAU (calfskin leather)
Oh well, I thought my Tribute was buffalo too.
Either way, they are both beautiful leathers, just different.Just checked my YSL cards too...
* my Muse (purchased July 06 in YSL boutique) = BUBALUS (water buffalo leather)
* my Tribute (purchased Dec. 07 in YSL boutique) = VEAU (calfskin leather)
Oh well, I thought my Tribute was buffalo too.
Aha! the hunt is on! i'm going to find a buffalo Muse for myself so I can experience the buffalo leather difference
I saw a post on TFS from 2006 that corresponds with what Regina07 was saying in that the Muse is constructed in calf leather which undergoes a process to achieve the buffalo texture. The person stating this had just been to a YSL trunk show and she and her SA were actually reading this from the buy book where it was printed. Apparently the Muse was described as buffalo, but then this additional information followed in parentheses.
Based on what Muse owners here are saying, though, not all Muses are calf, some are actually buffalo, so this is only true for certain bags.
Based on what Muse owners here are saying, though, not all Muses are calf, some are actually buffalo, so this is only true for certain bags.
^ I seem to recall that when the Muse first came out, it was widely described in the press as buffalo, and I'm quite certain that mine from early 06 (for which the tag says BUBALUS, or water buffalo leather) is in fact water buffalo.
As brian noted, water buffalo isn't all that rare or expensive, and its used by other handbag designers. But I guess that YSL decided to switch to calf leather somewhere along the line.
I have no doubt your Muse is water buffalo, Cosmo, as are others out there. Considering it clearly states bubalus on the identification card, there's no question about that. The TFS post was about the trunk show in May 2006, so maybe they started with the calf leather for the F/W 06-07 season.My theory (and that's all it is) on the switch might be due the the weight. Calfskin is a lighter leather than water buffalo (which is comparable to cowhide), so maybe it was an attempt to make the bags a little lighter. The other main difference is that cowhide (and thus calfskin) is a little softer and more pliable than water buffalo, so they may have also been trying to give the bags more slouch and make them less structured. Water buffalo is very smooth, though, so I agree they're both beautiful leathers.
And water buffalo, as has been mentioned, is not a more rare or expensive leather and is sometimes used as a less expensive alternative to cowhide, so those with calfskin Muses should not feel like they have inferior bags in any way. I have never seen a Muse where I thought the leather didn't look gorgeous. I suspect because the Muse was well-known as being a buffalo bag and was popular as such, they wanted to keep the look consistent by processing the calfskin to replicate buffalo after they made the switch. The bag brian was pointing out is likely just straight-up calfskin with no processing to create a different texture.
^I actually wonder if durability was an issue in YSL making the switch.
My buffalo Muse became soft and broken-in very quickly after I purchased it. The leather quickly acquired a somewhat distressed, vintage-y look. Its easily prone to scratches (which rub out with leather conditioner) and the corners of the bag visibly show wear, even after only light and careful use. It is slouchier and softer than my calf leather bags.
Don't get me wrong, I love the buffalo leather. But I bet some customers might prefer something stronger and more durable. (I remember reading complaints on tPF about wear-and-tear on Muses from back in late 05 and early 06...)
p.s.--Maybe I'll try to take some pics of the buffalo later on at home, for comparison to the calf.
My buffalo Muse became soft and broken-in very quickly after I purchased it. The leather quickly acquired a somewhat distressed, vintage-y look. Its easily prone to scratches (which rub out with leather conditioner) and the corners of the bag visibly show wear, even after only light and careful use. It is slouchier and softer than my calf leather bags.
Don't get me wrong, I love the buffalo leather. But I bet some customers might prefer something stronger and more durable. (I remember reading complaints on tPF about wear-and-tear on Muses from back in late 05 and early 06...)
p.s.--Maybe I'll try to take some pics of the buffalo later on at home, for comparison to the calf.
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I prefer the buffalo leather on the muse. My early first edition Muse was buffalo (which I had to later sell). Then I purchased another Muse (XL chocolate) and it was also buffalo.
That's a very good point and I could definitely see the decision to switch leathers being based on durability. I expect you to do a full scientific study on your calf and buffalo bags to determine weight, slouch and durability differences.
