Chanel Boy ***LAMBSKIN OR CALFSKIN?***

a_avery

Member
Aug 17, 2016
15
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Hi Everyone, not sure if this is the best place to ask but I'm about to purchase my first Chanel Boy (actually my first Chanel in general) and I am not sure if my decision to get the black quilted lambskin is the right one. The look and feel of the lamb absolutely melts my heart but I've seen a few YouTube videos of the same bag where it has scuffed a lot. I look after my bags like they are my own children and I plan on using this one for evening wear as well as the odd weekend/lunch outing. I'm a big believer in using your bags/luxury items and I don't want this one sitting at home because I'm too scared the corners will scuff etc.

I would love your opinion if you think the lamb is just too delicate (even if you look after it perfectly) or should I go for the calf which is more durable but just doesn't look and feel the same.

Any tips of looking after the lamb and calf boys would be greatly appreciated also so I know what I'm getting myself into [emoji5]

Thank you so much!!!!!
 
I was in the same boat as you a few weeks ago. My lambskin boy is my first new from the store Chanel and first lambskin bag. I love it! I too was a little hesitant because my previous Chanel purchase was pre-loved caviar (read: more durable at a lower price point). The bag is too new to me to share any tips, but I did want to share two thoughts.

Because I was nervous about lambskin, I put a lot of time into reading TPF and watching YouTube wear and tear videos. Most YouTube videos I watched were positive though I was searching for the bad reviews. I did watch one video in which the woman's boy bag was beat up even though she said she babied it. It was listed as one of her worst luxury buys, but she also said that she still wears it because she loves the design. Conversely, I watched another video of a woman who did not baby her bag (she kicked it under the plane seat and then slapped the flap into place when it bowed while opening), and her bag looked fine. People seem to have strong opinions of whether or not lambskin is durable. After all my reading and watching, I have concluded that it's less about durability and more about what you find acceptable.

On another note, I originally wanted another caviar bag, but I didn't like the caviar boys as much as I thought I would when I saw them in the store. I was thinking that I would wait for another season or search the pre-loved market to find the right caviar, but when the SA showed me the lambskin, I knew that was it. A lot of the advice on TPF is you should buy the bag that sings to you. It sounds like you're jamming to the lambskin boy's song. ;)

Sorry -- this post went long. Just wanted to share my thought process since I bought the same bag and had the same initial concerns. HTH
 
you live once, so buy what you love!!! sounds like it's lambskin. throw caution to the wind and just ENJOY IT!!! i own several lambskin bags and two caviar bags. i love them both, but the lambskin looks and feels sooooo luxurious compared to caviar. i remember buying a flat card holder in the regular rigid caviar and immediately sold it bc it looked and felt like plastic!! i think it also depends on the batch and also the type of caviar. i have a square mini in caviar that feels more soft than the rigid caviar, my m/l is the same way. i think i prefer the softer caviar in general. anyway, half my SLGs are also lambskin. ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY! don't get caviar bc it's more practical even though every time you look at it, you'll say "but it's not as nice as the lambskin"!! oh btw, are u talking about caviar (grained calfskin) or smooth calfskin??? ohhh, one other piece of info, i think some of the boys from Fall Act II (the boy jackets) are actually made in AGED calfskin (like on the reissues), this leather is also quite fuss-free! HTH! let us know what you decide!! one more thing, i'm also getting a small boy.... and of course it's lambskin all the way!! :happydance:
 
Get the lamb. I have both lamb and caviar. Lamb is more luxurious and feels so smooth-soft to the touch. It's more durable than given credit for.

A week ago I purchased a zip-around long wallet in lamb from the boutique in the Wynn casino in Vegas. I compared it with the caviar side by side and immediately went for the lamb. No regrets.
 
I care for my bags the same way without taking away from my enjoyment when using them. I love both lambskin and calfskin. My preference between the two leathers depends on the bag. I like lambskin on classic flaps and calf on reissues. With boys, I can go with either. However, I really love the calf on my reissue so I'm leaning towards the same for boys.

You really can't go wrong with either choice. All that matters is what you really love which sounds like lambskin. You should go for it. Lambskin looks and feels very luxurious. I can't stop touching my bag when I use it :smile: If you take reasonable care of your bags and use it without being abusive (even unintentionally), you'll enjoy it. Good luck!
 
Thank you everyone for taking the time to let me know your thoughts....definitely sold on the lambskin now!!! Can't wait to purchase it and post some photos [emoji5]
 
I have a lamb boy and I use my bags comfortably - I don't toss it around but I definitely use it but I don't see any wear on it yet! And I've had it for almost a year.

Definitely get the lamb!
 
Calfskin for me... My Boy is calfskin and still looks new after almost 3 years. The new lambskin doesn't seem to be that durable IMO even though it is luscious and beautiful. I destroyed a lambskin classic flap and am unsure whether I will ever buy another, although it was light coloured so that obviously made it even more delicate. I've had no issues with vintage lambskin, but it seems to be more durable.
 
Are you generally more careful, or carefree with your bags? What's more important to you, fuss free usage, or getting the bag that your heart beats most for? If you're someone who doesn't baby her bag at all and wants to enjoy her bag carefree with the bag showing as few signs of wear and tear possible, I'd go for calfskin. It's definitely more hardwearing than lambskin.

I have a black lambskin old medium boy and I chose that, because I love the luster and classic look of lambskin. I also very much like calfskin and might have chosen for that one, if only back then they had the style and color combination that I wanted.
I have the lambskin boy for about 2 years now. I use it often and although I'd love to tell you that I'm not at all gentle on my boy, use it completely carefree, bump with it into things without a second thought, put it on the ground everywhere and it still looks in mint condition............but I can't.
That's just not the nature of lambskin. Lambskin is as soft as leather can come, looks and feels divine, but does come with a price. Although many are of the opinion that lambkin is more hardwearing than it seems (and I somewhat agree), but fact is still that it's a fragile leather and requires more care than other leather types to keep it looking scuff and scratch free. Minor and surface scratches can be buffed out, but with deeper scratches and scuffs (have had that happen on one of my other lambskin flaps) your hands are pretty much tied. You'd have to send it in for professional refurbishment and even after that, it won't look and feel the way it used to.

Condition is also very subjective and each person has their own opinion on this. What's "excellent" to one might only be "good" to another. I admit that I'm pretty anal about my bags and see every dent and scratch (especially if they are lambskin cross body bags and cost an arm and a leg, lol). I enjoy my bags, but at the same time want to keep them in pristine condition as long as possible.

With that said, in my eyes my boy is still in very good to excellent condition after many uses, but that wasn't achieved without blood, sweat and tears .........hahaha, jk.
Because I really wanted this boy I don't mind at all the extra care that it requires (mindful of my surroundings, don't take it to super crowded places, not bumping into people and things, never put it on the ground, condition it with leather lotion, buffing out surface scratches as I see them, store it correctly and not growing talon nails). It's a give and take, IMO. On days that I want a truly carefree bag, I'd pick my caviar, patent, or calfskin ones.

Anyhow, I don't want you going in having super high expectations of the durability of Chanel lambskin (it's not the way it used to be), only to be disappointed (especially since this is your 1st Chanel). Buying the lambskin boy was worth it for me, but whether or not it will be a worthwhile buy for you depends on how you are with your bags and whether you mind some scratches/scuffs here and there and like the "broken in" look, or prefer to keep your bag looking new with as little care as possible.
It's a very expensive luxury purchase after all, so give it much thought and remember to come back here to do a reveal :smile:
 
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Thank you everyone for your comments. It took a while but I finally got my hands on my dream bag (I called the Hotline every day or two and a half weeks haha)[emoji4] ...introducing my new black small Le Boy in lambskin with RHW. I knew as soon as I saw and felt the lambskin that it was perfect for me. Thank you again for your help in making the decision xx IMG_1472552414.906734.jpg IMG_1472552447.838852.jpg IMG_1472552468.900214.jpg