Matte Alligator Jige - Practicability?

[luminosa07]

Hi,

I recently got the opportunity to purchase a Noir matte Alligator Jige Elan clutch from a friend. It's absolutely gorgeous and exactly what I was looking for, but I'm hesitating to buy due to two reasons:

1) Oil transfer from my hands - as the Jige can't be worn with twillies etc. to protect it I'm worried that I'll ruin the leather over time as I inevitably have to touch it with my bare hands in order to hold it (unless I'm wearing gloves, haha). Plus I'll wear it rather often, around 1-2 times a month, which is another reason why I'm concerned about wear and tear.
2) I can't get it spa'd easily, as my nearest H store is around 4 hours away. From my understanding matte Alligator is very difficult to spa as it can't go back to matte once it's shiny, so perhaps this worry is moot anyway?

I'd be really grateful if perhaps some more experienced ladies could chime in with their experiences with matte Alligator - this would be my first H exotic and I love it, but I want to make the right decision.

 

[auntynat]

Hi, I cannot comment on matt alligator but it is on my Wishlist. I do have a jige wallet in swift which I think will be riskier than alligator, and it’s etoupe, which frankly I was a little terrified to use it (surprise purchase by DH at the airport. Being both swift, a light colour and as we live in a warm climate = hand residue. Add in hand sanitiser now and . In reality, I make sure a have a fabric hanky inside and if I feel an awkward moment i grab this, and I hold it under underarm a lot when holding a drink, using it mainly at evenings/night. I had to make myself use it the first time to break the fear spell, and since then I have been fine. I dont use it often maybe twice a month, but I would love a bleu nuit, graphite or etain matt alligator So will see what others say.

 

[Ladybaga]

I have a matte gator kelly pochette since 2015 (purchased from my Herems store) and don't use a twilly on the handle. I haven't had any trouble with my handle or the bag, itself, from oil transfer from hands. I never wear lotion on my hands, so maybe that has helped keep it looking new. I also don't carry it very often, but it does get used each year, just not on a regular weekly rotation. Hope this helps!