This explains why my older Togo Kelly (year M) stands strong vs the new ones that melt right out the box.
H leathers getting thinner?
- Thread starter baileylab
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This is a pic of the leather thickness of my new Birkin 30 Togo bought from the boutique about 6 weeks ago. It is my first Birkin so I have no comparisons. The leather does appear to be matte
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Hi everyone! 
It has been a while since I was here. I hope you are all ok...
It must be truly something out of the ordinary (although so much happening in that sense in the world lately- though it does not involve handbags
.... ) that made me start a new thread here after such a long pause and indeed I believe it is: the new skins.
I came across a few let's say shabbier pieces of bags throughout my Hermés era, but what I am seeing now is rather a disturbing and repeating scenario.
The Togo which is being sent to stores is a disaster, simply no other word for it. I realized that in the past few years I am always stressed when my Togo order arrives, if I will take it or decline it.
I have seen a few bags lately, which looked absolutely like Evergrain or Evercolor, but they were Togo. Almost no grain (super fine one), thin, floopy. They lacked any shape, the sides looked like fans. The sangles were so thin they were wavy even when pulled "tight" in the original position.
Not to speak of the colour saturation- the black looked rather like a dark gray/blue, almost washed-out.
Now I am curious: is it only a certain let's say "geographical" region where we encounter these, or is this a worldwide situation?
Togo used to be one of the sturdiest, most durable H skins. The old Togo (and even CT) I have (stamps G-N) are very thick, with perfect plastic grains, they are still standing on their own, no floppiness, lovely symmetry, none or a very very little corner wear.
When you stand these bags together with the new batches, it's like two different worlds.
Opinions? Experiences? Did you turn any of your recent arrivals down because of the poor quality?
I would love to hear from you, ladies.
It has been a while since I was here. I hope you are all ok...
It must be truly something out of the ordinary (although so much happening in that sense in the world lately- though it does not involve handbags
.... ) that made me start a new thread here after such a long pause and indeed I believe it is: the new skins.I came across a few let's say shabbier pieces of bags throughout my Hermés era, but what I am seeing now is rather a disturbing and repeating scenario.
The Togo which is being sent to stores is a disaster, simply no other word for it. I realized that in the past few years I am always stressed when my Togo order arrives, if I will take it or decline it.
I have seen a few bags lately, which looked absolutely like Evergrain or Evercolor, but they were Togo. Almost no grain (super fine one), thin, floopy. They lacked any shape, the sides looked like fans. The sangles were so thin they were wavy even when pulled "tight" in the original position.
Not to speak of the colour saturation- the black looked rather like a dark gray/blue, almost washed-out.
Now I am curious: is it only a certain let's say "geographical" region where we encounter these, or is this a worldwide situation?
Togo used to be one of the sturdiest, most durable H skins. The old Togo (and even CT) I have (stamps G-N) are very thick, with perfect plastic grains, they are still standing on their own, no floppiness, lovely symmetry, none or a very very little corner wear.
When you stand these bags together with the new batches, it's like two different worlds.
Opinions? Experiences? Did you turn any of your recent arrivals down because of the poor quality?
I would love to hear from you, ladies.
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I think H is looking to increase the variety of leathers due to the supply issues they experience with various tanneries. Togo went through changes due to EU regulations that required certain chemicals in the tanning process to be changed. One of those changes caused the great "smelly" bag era, perhaps the matte quality and color saturation is part of it. It's possible that the Togo supplier is having issues.
I have not handled any bags that feel off in quality, my swift Birkin 30 is soft and thin but with an insert it feels supported. I prefer grainless/smooth leathers so I don't look at too much new Togo. My only Togo is very matte Etain with a puffy grain and little veining, it feels thick enough to hold it's shape but recently developed a little slouch. It's from 2 years ago.
I have not handled any bags that feel off in quality, my swift Birkin 30 is soft and thin but with an insert it feels supported. I prefer grainless/smooth leathers so I don't look at too much new Togo. My only Togo is very matte Etain with a puffy grain and little veining, it feels thick enough to hold it's shape but recently developed a little slouch. It's from 2 years ago.
Hi everyone!
It has been a while since I was here. I hope you are all ok...
It must be truly something out of the ordinary (although so much happening in that sense in the world lately- though it does not involve handbags
I came across a few let's say shabbier pieces of bags throughout my Hermés era, but what I am seeing now is rather a disturbing and repeating scenario.
The Togo which is being sent to stores is a disaster, simply no other word for it. I realized that in the past few years I am always stressed when my Togo order arrives, if I will take it or decline it.
I have seen a few bags lately, which looked absolutely like Evergrain or Evercolor, but they were Togo. Almost no grain (super fine one), thin, floopy. They lacked any shape, the sides looked like fans. The sangles were so thin they were wavy even when pulled "tight" in the original position.
Not to speak of the colour saturation- the black looked rather like a dark gray/blue, almost washed-out.
Now I am curious: is it only a certain let's say "geographical" region where we encounter these, or is this a worldwide situation?
Togo used to be one of the sturdiest, most durable H skins. The old Togo (and even CT) I have (stamps G-N) are very thick, with perfect plastic grains, they are still standing on their own, no floppiness, lovely symmetry, none or a very very little corner wear.
When you stand these bags together with the new batches, it's like two different worlds.
Opinions? Experiences? Did you turn any of your recent arrivals down because of the poor quality?
I would love to hear from you, ladies.
I have noticed that newer Togos are thinner, more matte (and definitely are not as color rich, but I think Togo has always been a more-matte leather), and not as veined. Personally, I bought a swift bag from the boutique recently, but it is thinner than my older-swift bags, but still amazing.
I really do not understand why the mod felt the need to move my post into (albeit similar) a different topic.
Thickness of the new Togo is not the only issue, it is the different characteristics of this skin we are encountering (like the very structure of this leather). Colour saturation being another issue and there may be more we do not know about, but members may have experienced.
I am an old collector and the facts like more matte character of togo vs CT and other leathers are very well known to me.
We are talking about a SIGNIFICANT difference of new Togo now.
Thickness of the new Togo is not the only issue, it is the different characteristics of this skin we are encountering (like the very structure of this leather). Colour saturation being another issue and there may be more we do not know about, but members may have experienced.
I am an old collector and the facts like more matte character of togo vs CT and other leathers are very well known to me.
We are talking about a SIGNIFICANT difference of new Togo now.
The last two Togo bags I purchased (the past two years) do have more pliability to the leather, which I don't see as a bad thing. It did bother me at first, because my older Togo bags are a bit more rigid, but I have had no issues with the newer Togo- the new bags maintain their shape, although it's a softer shape than my older bags. I have also noticed the newer Togo bags have more of a matte finish, but most of that is probably in my mind as the finish will change over time through use. What is even more obvious to me is the finer grain of recent Clemence- I have purchased a couple of Clemence bags in the past two years and the grain is more like Togo, so much so that I thought they were marked incorrectly on the receipt, but I was told they are definitely Clemence. Additionally, I ordered a barenia replacement strap a few years ago and it arrived with a foil stamp instead of a blind stamp. Leather is a natural material so it will have some variation, but there clearly has been a change in the tanning process itself, which is due to new regulations. Is one finished product better than the other? That remains to be seen, but we know H can't return to the old processes in terms of tanning, dying, etc. New processes will mean some variation in appearance and feel of the leather compared with years past, but I would urge people not to assume that such a difference is necessarily a bad thing.
One additional thought- has anyone weighed their old Togo vs new Togo? If they leather is truly thinner, there should be a clear weight discrepancy.
One additional thought- has anyone weighed their old Togo vs new Togo? If they leather is truly thinner, there should be a clear weight discrepancy.
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i noticed my new togo kelly leather is significantly thinner compared to my other togo bags. even my SA commented that the color (etain) looks lighter than usual. the flap already are flipping up when i bring it home. a bit disappointed since I was so looking forward being finally offered a bag of my desired combo. hoping it will not soften too much over time.
I don't understand why people get so upset that leather looks different from year to year. Leather is the product of a living being which changes with breeding, environment, and feed. If Clemence or Togo looked exactly the same every year and every decade, I'd be very very worried. Only fake leather looks exactly the same in every batch, every year.
May I ask whats the size of your Kelly? Im also struggling if I should request a togo K28 or K25 as I have recently seen some seriously abused togo Kellys in the office that are all soft and lost the shapes. And from I have known about the owners they wont carry fakes.
I personally have no problem with things you stated above. I have a problem when the Togo skin, which does have its specifics and characteristics looks like evergrain (that does have its own too).
People get Togo (including myself) because of its nature, durability and esthetics. I personally love the softness of evergrain or evercolor (I even own a b30 in vert laurier in evergrain) but I would never get it again because no matter how lovely, buttery and shiny the bag looks with use, it does not age the way I would like it to. This is why I stick with Togo and CT for my everyday workhorse bags. And many others do too.
Now imagine, a client does the research on H skins (or not) and knows they want Togo for maybe there one and only bag (or not) and when after a year (and more) wait the box is opened, a huge dissapointment happens. Because the skin not only looks nothing like Togo (not speaking of if the grain is bigger or smaller by 0.00001 mm) but it's simply a very thin, floppy, almost grainless bag. And yes, it is marked as Togo.
This did not happen once, my SD had bags like this in the past, some were sent back to Paris as some clients declined them as faulty.
I am very well aware of the fact that things change, the process of production and tanning changes, I stress here I had been buying these bags for over a decade and I do own a few older pieces.
But what disturbes me is the quality decline, which is very prominent when you look at the bag, when you hold the bag. Not all are, but just me- myself, I personally held a few in the past year. It's a difference one can not overlook, it's just eminent.