Natural Calfskin Woes

[OCMomof3]

Posted this in natural calf Clubhouse, thought I would mention here as well.

I am now the delighted owner of the small 16 bag in — you guessed it -- natural calf. This bag is a stunner, but it’s making me nervous. I’m not a pearl-clutching bag person. I don’t obsess over minor imperfect stitching or tiny flaws. I do take very good care of my bags, though.

I don’t mind the scratches. I have gotten a few tiny ones already and they buff out with a microfiber cloth for the most part. I don’t mind some “character”. I DO mind the stain (albeit small) I just got on the front of the bag from a small piece of cheese falling on it. That’s not going to come out.

Please talk me down, natural calf lovers! I didn’t think the finish (or lack thereof) on this bag would be an issue, but maybe it is. And I think someone here mentioned Hermes uses a similar-looking untreated leather on some of their bags….which blows my mind at that price point. This price point was bad enough!

Thank you in advance!

 

[wheihk]

i did manage to remove tiny oil stains on my natural calf skin classic bag with baby wipes.

 

[wheihk]

pls look at this thread too.

Celine natural calfskin stain - help!

Hi all, I recently bought a Celine Sangle in natural calfskin (in the terracotta color). Two days ago I discovered a small oil stain on the top of the bag. I dabbed at it with a damp microfiber cloth, which has now left a small watermark in addition to the oil stain. I tried putting some...

forum.purseblog.com

 

[OCMomof3]

pls look at this thread too.

Celine natural calfskin stain - help!

Hi all, I recently bought a Celine Sangle in natural calfskin (in the terracotta color). Two days ago I discovered a small oil stain on the top of the bag. I dabbed at it with a damp microfiber cloth, which has now left a small watermark in addition to the oil stain. I tried putting some...

forum.purseblog.com

Thank you so much! I apparently commented on that thread a long time ago, way before I had this bag. It’s super helpful now!

 

[sylvivia]

A bit late but if you're still searching for practical ways to remove oil stains from untreated leather, these threads (1) (2) on cleaning Hermes barenia might be helpful for you as well. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried these solutions on my Celine natural calfskin myself, so can't personally vouch for them - just saw that there was a lot of overlap between the barenia and natural calfskin cleaning recommendations.)

And I think someone here mentioned Hermes uses a similar-looking untreated leather on some of their bags….which blows my mind at that price point. This price point was bad enough!

An alternate perspective here - both Hermes barenia and Celine natural calfskin are beautiful because they're untreated leather. Barenia, for example, is an heritage saddle leather that is seen by many as more desirable than many finished Hermes leathers. Untreated leather is not a cost-cutting measure (unlike some of the quality issues that occasionally plague luxury bags ). The lack of leather finishing is instead a property that many people intentionally seek out for its softness to the touch and incredible patina over time.

With that said, natural calfskin is not for everyone, and it might not be for you. It's perfectly valid to prefer finished leathers and avoid worrying about oil stains.

 

[OCMomof3]

A bit late but if you're still searching for practical ways to remove oil stains from untreated leather, these threads (1) (2) on cleaning Hermes barenia might be helpful for you as well. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried these solutions on my Celine natural calfskin myself, so can't personally vouch for them - just saw that there was a lot of overlap between the barenia and natural calfskin cleaning recommendations.)


An alternate perspective here - both Hermes barenia and Celine natural calfskin are beautiful because they're untreated leather. Barenia, for example, is an heritage saddle leather that is seen by many as more desirable than many finished Hermes leathers. Untreated leather is not a cost-cutting measure (unlike some of the quality issues that occasionally plague luxury bags ). The lack of leather finishing is instead a property that many people intentionally seek out for its softness to the touch and incredible patina over time.

With that said, natural calfskin is not for everyone, and it might not be for you. It's perfectly valid to prefer finished leathers and avoid worrying about oil stains.

Thank you so much! All of this is great information to have. The beauty and feel of the untreated leather are unmatched in any other bag I own. In the time since I originally posted this, I have taken a “wait and see” approach. The little stain has already blended in and I barely notice it now.

I think I’m truly a fan! Thanks again for your encouragement.

 

[sylvivia]

Thank you so much! All of this is great information to have. The beauty and feel of the untreated leather are unmatched in any other bag I own. In the time since I originally posted this, I have taken a “wait and see” approach. The little stain has already blended in and I barely notice it now.

I think I’m truly a fan! Thanks again for your encouragement.

That's truly wonderful to hear!!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts as well — I'm glad to hear you're feeling great about your bag (and natural calfskin!)