Is it normal on Hermes Epsom Leather?

[FP03]

This effect will be normal for every raised pebbled leather. The raised part of the leather is now essentially the main surface area of the item, which is the part that rubs against and encounters any environmental impact first. This (raised area) will always be darker compared to the inner crevices of the pebbled/stamped leather which will mostly always be lighter.

So, in other words, this is normal. Light wiping every few months will help slow the darkening progression for sure.

PS: It will also be much more noticeable in lighter colored bags/items.

 

[acrowcounted]

This effect will be normal for every raised pebbled leather. The raised part of the leather is now essentially the main surface area of the item, which is the part that rubs against and encounters any environmental impact first. This (raised area) will always be darker compared to the inner crevices of the pebbled/stamped leather which will mostly always be lighter.

So, in other words, this is normal. Light wiping every few months will help slow the darkening progression for sure.

PS: It will also be much more noticeable in lighter colored bags/items.

Many of these bags are coming out of the shrink wrapped box like this so I’m not so sure it’s color transfer or dirt. Seems to be something in the actual leather dying processing that is doing it, especially because it is somewhat correlated to specific light colors but not all light colors. As mentioned, it seems to be vastly seen in mauve pale, mauve Sylvester, vert fizz, blue Brume, and some gold but often not the light whites or beiges.
Mauve Sylvester is interesting as it seems the dark spots are a dark pink, not quite the black seen on other colors. These are all unique mauve Sylvester bags from 2022 all with the ”issue” that makes the item look filthy. Notice how the “dots” are present over nearly the entire surface, even areas that would be unlikely to ever be rubbing against anything.

vs a Mauve Sylvester from 2019 with seemingly few/none of the dark spots. If it were a color transfer thing, I would expect the much older one to be worse.

 

[FP03]

Many of these bags are coming out of the shrink wrapped box like this so I’m not so sure it’s color transfer or dirt. Seems to be something in the actual leather dying processing that is doing it, especially because it is somewhat correlated to specific light colors but not all light colors. As mentioned, it seems to be vastly seen in mauve pale, mauve Sylvester, vert fizz, blue Brume, and some gold but often not the light whites or beiges.
Mauve Sylvester is interesting as it seems the dark spots are a dark pink, not quite the black seen on other colors. These are all unique mauve Sylvester bags from 2022 all with the ”issue” that makes the item look filthy.
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vs a Mauve Sylvester from 2019 with seemingly few/none of the dark spots. If it were a color transfer thing, I would expect the much older one to be worse.
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You may be right (no idea), The artisans at Hermès also handle the bag and leather so that initself contributes. What I described above is just pure science and will happen to any pebbled leather and; will always be more apparent on light colored leather.

 

[Hisunshine]

hi there, also present bleu brume epsom.

 

[Bagaholic1021]

I noticed this on my brand new C24 gold epsom. I wondered if it was dirt, but it was brand new from the boutique so I know it wasn’t dirt or dirty. Then I got a calvi in gold, and it has the same dark spot the moment I got it. But then I recently got Bastia, and it doesn’t have any dark spot at all. So I agree, not all gold epsom have it. I’m so obsessed with Hermes gold, so I still love them all

 

[mango1313]

Has anyone received an epsom slg that appeared to have a cut in the leather? I recently ordered a Bastia in Vert Comics and it arrived with a dark spot on the edge, at first I thought it may be extra glazing that will come off, but it really just looks like a cut. I’m traveling and won’t be able to return it. Has anyone had something similar? Did it get worse with time? Also, there seems to be some darkening on the front of the Bastia, which I didn’t think would be an issue since it not a very light color.

 

[Versace Girl]

I bought a vintage epsom candy birkin in Rose Tyrien that had some darkening from color transfer/dirt. I had really good luck removing a lot of it with Cadillac leather cleaner. I found it Amazon for around $10. I would just recommend trying it first on an unnoticeable part of the bag to make sure it doesn't affect the color.

I put a small amount of the solution on a soft clean cloth and tested it first. After 20 minutes, I didn't see any issues so I started to clean the areas of the bag with darkening. I noticed a very small pink from the color was coming onto the rag, but it was such a small amount I wasn't concerned. Overall, it did an amazing job. It took out stains that I though I would never get out. It looked better than they day I bought it, so I was super happy. (Side note, I was able to remove color transfer from other white designer bags that I own. I'd say it got 90% of it out.)

 

[ccloveh]

Just noticed these leather crack or stain (??) on my K25 sellier. Anyone knows if this is normal or not?

 

[in_mybag]

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Just noticed these leather crack or stain (??) on my K25 sellier. Anyone knows if this is normal or not?

I recommend taking it into your store's leather specialist - I had a tiny dry spot in my K25 epsom and the specialist fixed it in 5 mins. May just need some lotion.

 

[Mishella]

I’m wondering if those little “dots” are normal for epsom leather or is it a defect on the skin? Does anyone have it on your bags? They are visible only if to look at them very up close.

 

[iseebearbears]

I’m wondering if those little “dots” are normal for epsom leather or is it a defect on the skin? Does anyone have it on your bags? They are visible only if to look at them very up close.

I just checked and none of my epsom pieces has these teeny spots. Maybe your camera just has very high resolution, or can you actually see these spots easily with the naked eye?

 

[Mishella]

I just checked and none of my epsom pieces has these teeny spots. Maybe your camera just has very high resolution, or can you actually see these spots easily with the naked eye?

Yes, I can see them with a naked eye if I look at the bag closely in a bright light (less than 10 inch from the eye).

 

[skyvue]

My gold calvi duo has darkened as well after 6 months regular use. I usually carry it in my black Evelyne and thought maybe the interior color of the Evelyne is rubbing off onto the duo. Good to know that this is normal for Epsom. I also have a Euclide Card holder in Epsom in Noir which helps to hide the darkening of the leather. I do like the durability of Epsom. But I am not sure who I feel about having a bag in a lighter Epsom. This is good to know for my wishlist requests.

Thanks to all for sharing. This forum has been a wealth of information for Hermes newbies like me.

 

[r luvs h]

I’m wondering if those little “dots” are normal for epsom leather or is it a defect on the skin? Does anyone have it on your bags? They are visible only if to look at them very up close.

Not “normal” per se, but I have seen this before on a few other Epsom items. If your boutique has an in-house craftsperson, I would suggest taking this to them to look at.

In the meantime, I’m tagging @docride to see if she might be able to shed some light on what this phenomenon is.