Leather quality-- Which bags have the best & which are worst?

[whateve]

I've been loving Whateve's bag collection for all the years I've been here on tpf...and...I don't live so far away. So watch out Whateve.

I'm so worried!

We want more photos of your amazing collection. You are just teasing us with these 9 pics!

Someday....

I don't think I'm very far away either. I'm pretty sure she and I are in the same state.

I think we are! It's a big state though.

+1

I've scared away the OP! I'm sorry.

 

[Zealous]

I have some vintage and early 2000s pieces that have wonderful leather. Some of my favorites are:
1. 2010 Poppy. This is surprising because it was Coach's budget priced line. This is my sapphire Poppy Spotlight which has the softest, smoothest, slightly sparkly leather.
2. 2009 Parker. This leather was called gelato leather is super squishy and soft.
3. 2007 Bleecker. I absolutely love this collection. The leather is burnished and has a smooth sheen.
4. 2006 Legacy. The leather on these almost glows. This is a favorite among Coach collectors.
5. 2004 Tortilla bags. These are made of lambskin and you can't get any softer than that.
6. 2013 Madison pebbled leather. My Isabelles are soft and squishy, and have the most wonderful leather smell.
7. 1999 Rambler's Legacy. With older bags, the location of manufacture makes a difference. US, Costa Rica, Hungary, Turkey and Italy are some of the best. Anything made in the mid to late 90s through 2002 in those places is probably going to have nice leather.
8. 2006 Sonoma Natural grain. Very soft thick, pebbled leather.
9. 2013 Legacy pebbled drawstrings. Very thick pebbled leather.

The worst leathers I've seen are some of the classics produced in the last few years, the made for factory Zoes made in 2012-2013 (but my 2009 MFF Zoe is wonderful), anything with cross-grain leather... The 2012 Legacy duffles looked and felt nice but didn't hold up, but I still love them. I'm not thrilled with the leather on my 2013 archival Rambler, but I love the leather on my 2012 Legacy bucket bag.

Wow, Whateve! Great post! Bookmarking this thread for reference!

 

[Ladybugkc]

I have some vintage and early 2000s pieces that have wonderful leather. Some of my favorites are:
1. 2010 Poppy. This is surprising because it was Coach's budget priced line. This is my sapphire Poppy Spotlight which has the softest, smoothest, slightly sparkly leather.
2. 2009 Parker. This leather was called gelato leather is super squishy and soft.
3. 2007 Bleecker. I absolutely love this collection. The leather is burnished and has a smooth sheen.
4. 2006 Legacy. The leather on these almost glows. This is a favorite among Coach collectors.
5. 2004 Tortilla bags. These are made of lambskin and you can't get any softer than that.
6. 2013 Madison pebbled leather. My Isabelles are soft and squishy, and have the most wonderful leather smell.
7. 1999 Rambler's Legacy. With older bags, the location of manufacture makes a difference. US, Costa Rica, Hungary, Turkey and Italy are some of the best. Anything made in the mid to late 90s through 2002 in those places is probably going to have nice leather.
8. 2006 Sonoma Natural grain. Very soft thick, pebbled leather.
9. 2013 Legacy pebbled drawstrings. Very thick pebbled leather.

The worst leathers I've seen are some of the classics produced in the last few years, the made for factory Zoes made in 2012-2013 (but my 2009 MFF Zoe is wonderful), anything with cross-grain leather... The 2012 Legacy duffles looked and felt nice but didn't hold up, but I still love them. I'm not thrilled with the leather on my 2013 archival Rambler, but I love the leather on my 2012 Legacy bucket bag.

What is your opinion on the glove tanned leathers on the Nomad?

 

[whateve]

Wow, Whateve! Great post! Bookmarking this thread for reference!

Thank you!

What is your opinion on the glove tanned leathers on the Nomad?

Personally it didn't blow me away. I love the style of the bag and the leather is okay but I don't love it. I think it is too stiff. It folds at the top rather than smushing. That leather works better for the structured style of Ace but even the structured classic leather bags made in the 90s, like Willis, have a suppleness to the leather that seems to be missing. All the leathers I've mentioned above are nicer in my opinion. I was disappointed when I saw the Nomad but I kind of suspected it from the pictures I had seen. I still think it looks beautiful; it just doesn't feel as luxurious as I would like.

 

[AstridRhapsody]

Thank you!

Personally it didn't blow me away. I love the style of the bag and the leather is okay but I don't love it. I think it is too stiff. It folds at the top rather than smushing. That leather works better for the structured style of Ace but even the structured classic leather bags made in the 90s, like Willis, have a suppleness to the leather that seems to be missing. All the leathers I've mentioned above are nicer in my opinion. I was disappointed when I saw the Nomad but I kind of suspected it from the pictures I had seen. I still think it looks beautiful; it just doesn't feel as luxurious as I would like.

I completely agree about the new leather! I was planning on getting a nomad but will either pass or wait for a better sale. I haven't said anything about it because I thought I was the only one who wasn't blown away by the leather. My local Dillard's has nomad and Ace out in the floor and quite a few were pretty beat up already.

 

[Coconut lover]

I have some vintage and early 2000s pieces that have wonderful leather. Some of my favorites are:
ica, Hungary, Turkey and Italy are some of the best. Anything made in the mid to late 90s through 2002 in those places is probably going to have nice leather.

The worst leathers I've seen are some of the classics produced in the last few years, the made for factory Zoes made in 2012-2013 (but my 2009 MFF Zoe is wonderful), anything with cross-grain leather... The 2012 Legacy duffles looked and felt nice but didn't hold up, but I still love them. I'm not thrilled with the leather on my 2013 archival Rambler, but I love the leather on my 2012 Legacy bucket bag.

Thanks for the list and gorgeous pics Anything more recent with decent leather that you have noticed? What about the Bleecker Sullivan and the grommet boroughs? They seem pretty sturdy leather wise and comparable to the soft pebble drawstring from 2013? Or any others in the last year or so?

 

[whateve]

I completely agree about the new leather! I was planning on getting a nomad but will either pass or wait for a better sale. I haven't said anything about it because I thought I was the only one who wasn't blown away by the leather. My local Dillard's has nomad and Ace out in the floor and quite a few were pretty beat up already.

gosh, I was afraid I was insulting someone's child! I'm glad to know someone agrees with me. I remember someone saying their SA had one and it was already burnished. I wasn't sure what to think about that. Normal glove-tanned leather will scratch easily but depending on the way the dyes are absorbed into the leather, the dye might go all the way through or it may be white underneath. I have vintage Coach bags that need constant conditioning to cover the scratches but at least they aren't white underneath. My 2007 Bleeckers are burnished but that just means that the color is darker in parts, and it glows like a saddle.

I might still get a Nomad someday but I'd like to wait to see how they are holding up.

Thanks for the list and gorgeous pics Anything more recent with decent leather that you have noticed? What about the Bleecker Sullivan and the grommet boroughs? They seem pretty sturdy leather wise and comparable to the soft pebble drawstring from 2013? Or any others in the last year or so?

I don't have a Bleecker Sullivan or any Borough. The leather on the Dakotah I just got from FOS seems really nice. I'm only concerned about how it is going to wear at the edge of the strap but I think that is a design flaw, not an indication of inferior leather. It feels just as nice as my Sonomas but it hasn't stood the test of time as those have.

I have the Bleecker grommet mini duffle (maybe it's the same leather as the grommet Borough?) and another Bleecker mini duffle. These have wonderful leather. In fact, I was really surprised at how nice they were since so many other Coach products made around that time were inferior. The leather reminds me of vintage glove-tanned except that it is thinner. My Bleecker studded mini Preston and my pebbled mini Preston both also have super nice leather. I forgot about these when I was listing my favorites above, but my list was getting too long as it was.

 

[jade]

Thank you!

Personally it didn't blow me away. I love the style of the bag and the leather is okay but I don't love it. I think it is too stiff. It folds at the top rather than smushing. That leather works better for the structured style of Ace but even the structured classic leather bags made in the 90s, like Willis, have a suppleness to the leather that seems to be missing. All the leathers I've mentioned above are nicer in my opinion. I was disappointed when I saw the Nomad but I kind of suspected it from the pictures I had seen. I still think it looks beautiful; it just doesn't feel as luxurious as I would like.

For me, as someone who doesn't like slouchy bags, I appreciated the stiffness in the nomad. It is a hobo without being a hobo. And it has a lovely leather lining. Should last forever and keep more structure than a traditional hobo.