H leathers getting thinner?

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

Is it normal for a Birkin 35cm to have visibly thinner side panels than a 40cm? I noticed on my B35 Bleu Paon bought a month ago and my 40cm Ultraviolet bought in November 2012. Both are Clemence and directly from H stores.

Sorry for the crappy pics, took them quickly with my iPhone in really bad lighting...

View attachment 3598754 View attachment 3598755

OMG, the difference is significant. I am really wondering how the thinner leather going to impact on the bag longevity. Thank you very much for this picture.
 
  • Like
Reactions: prepster
Wow...that is a HUGE difference. One could guess the 40 is thicker to accommodate more weight and due to the added structural heft needed to support the larger size but I never realized the difference was that large...

I really hope that's the reason... the 40cm is a special kind of heavy :lol:

You know what, my first B35 togo (I only have another B in 30 but in TC) has really thin sides. Like literally paper thin! I didnt think too much of it until you brought it up! Oh no!

Even thinner than the B35 in my pics? :wtf:

I've often wondered why my Gris T B's straps were so floppy. Now I found out why compared against my reliable Chocolate B. I fully understand that each panel of leather comes from different animals. However considering the weight of the hardware at the end of the straps mine are definitely not holding up
View attachment 3600023

I also noticed that the straps on my newer B35 were floppy from the start and the hardware were dragging them down more than on my B40 which is 4 years older...

Couldn't be evidenced more clearly.

Thinner leather doesn't necessarily mean less durability - but for an everyday, workhorse bag it can't mean more longevity

Agree, I won't be using my B35 as much as my B40, also because the colour is a bit lighter and probably wouldn't take a beating as easily as the Ultraviolet

Since so many people complain about the weight of bags, thinner leather should mean lighter bags. Maybe it's a good thing!

Haha, in theory yes, but the B35 also gets heavy quickly

Wow -these pics show very visible differences. I have an L stamp TC B40 that is thicker than my later TC B35s - I think it may be what was said above- to make up for weight/structure of the 40. It would be interesting if it was done for some other reason. Not sure how to account for the difference between the straps if those are Birkins of the same size -regardless, they should certainly be "holding up". You would think that in a globalized world culture were "athleisure" is being sold, that making bags lighter and thinner to appease customers would never cause H to shirk their culture/responsibility of creating high-quality bags similar to what Grace Kelly or Jane Birkin first carried. On the other hand, a friend suggested that having to destroy a major amount of R year bags may have had its costs. Who knows?
H, while classic, has changed over the years in terms of leathers and production. However, I have to believe that fundamentally, they would try to avoid putting out poor product that would weaken or cheapen the brand. Given the investment we have all made, I hope that's the case. :frown:

I hope so too...

OMG, the difference is significant. I am really wondering how the thinner leather going to impact on the bag longevity. Thank you very much for this picture.

You're welcome. I'd be curious to see a 2012 Birkin against a much older one, leatherwise
 
  • Like
Reactions: prepster
Can't imagine how it would save costs. Not like you can turn one hide into two by shaving it in half

Actually, you can turn one hide into two, and it is often done. According to what I've read, the average thickness of a cowhide is 5mm. (Saddle leather on the skirts or flaps is probably full thickness. Upholstery leather according to the article, is around .9-1.1mm.) A hide is split in a splitting machine which divides it into at least two hides: the grained hide and one or two splits. The grained side is "top grain." The splits are sold as suede, or a grain is pressed into them. I have no idea how H buys leather for various applications.
 
Last edited:
Actually, you can turn one hide into two, and it is often done. According to what I've read, the average thickness of a cowhide is 5mm. (Saddle leather on the skirts or flaps is probably full thickness. Upholstery leather according to the article, is around .9-1.1mm.) A hide is split in a splitting machine which divides it into at least two hides: the grained hide and one or two splits. The grained side is "top grain." The splits are sold as suede, or a grain is pressed into them. I have no idea how H buys leather for various applications.
epsom!
 
Togo and honestly I like using the bag its very light! But the look of it is not what i am used to....my togo kelly from the same year is much thicker and feels rich to the touch...this one a bit dry.
sorry ehy12, i read carefully after and saw that you did mention "togo". i would love to see a picture of your thin togo bag. my birkin's straps are literally dangling with the weight of the hardware, when i walk with it the straps reminds of a baby toy, the one that has flappy arms. or chair swing ride in amusement park
 
  • Like
Reactions: prepster
sorry ehy12, i read carefully after and saw that you did mention "togo". i would love to see a picture of your thin togo bag. my birkin's straps are literally dangling with the weight of the hardware, when i walk with it the straps reminds of a baby toy, the one that has flappy arms. or chair swing ride in amusement park
Mine dangle too!! Ok...will take comparison pics later....
 
  • Like
Reactions: prepster
Actually, you can turn one hide into two, and it is often done. According to what I've read, the average thickness of a cowhide is 5mm. (Saddle leather on the skirts or flaps is probably full thickness. Upholstery leather according to the article, is around .9-1.1mm.) A hide is split in a splitting machine which divides it into at least two hides: the grained hide and one or two splits. The grained side is "top grain." The splits are sold as suede, or a grain is pressed into them. I have no idea how H buys leather for various applications.
Very interesting/ informative.
Thank you
 
  • Like
Reactions: prepster
sorry ehy12, i read carefully after and saw that you did mention "togo". i would love to see a picture of your thin togo bag. my birkin's straps are literally dangling with the weight of the hardware, when i walk with it the straps reminds of a baby toy, the one that has flappy arms. or chair swing ride in amusement park
Ok...these are awful pics...i am not a good photographer. Also, comparing my b30 togo and k28 togo from the same year...the k28 does NOT seem thicker but theres more texture and it is definitely not as dry. My best togo was on my old b40 from 2009 which i no longer have...people used to stop me to touch the leather...maybe they are usung thinner togo for smaller bags???
20170210_082155.jpeg
 
I have sold my K32 etoupe togo (Q stamp) because the leather was paper thin.. it was suuper thin and slouched from the moment i took it out from the box. I gave my B30 Black Togo (also Q stamp) to my mom for the exact same reason.
Both were bought directly from Hermes boutique.
At the same year i bought B30 Bamboo Togo (also Q stamp) that's thicker and stiffer than my B30 orange togo with O stamp.

I rejected a B30 mykonos clemence (Q stamp) when offered to me by my SA for the same reason. I swear that was the thinnest and slouchiest birkin's leather i've ever seen, even thinner than my etoupe togo K32 and Black togo B30.

My B30 white clemence (T stamp) is thicker and stiffer than my rose jaipur clemence (P stamp) though...
 
Top