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Dear sissy, dear frou frou!! My love for the Silk City also started with the Tigre Royal...In turquoise, dip dye. It was perfect but I was on Ban Island at that time. I decided two days too late that I NEEEEED it - regardless... It was gone by then...
However, with H, you never know! I am sure that we will be Silk City sisters some day, somehow!
My first taste of Barenia apart from the tassels on my Poncho, and I'm sure this is only the beginning .
Toile and Barenia Garden Party Stitch
It's hardly been used and looks perfect .
Seeing the post from One MoreDay of a well used version I know what to expect and embrace it , because this bag is going places !
I was a very brief member of the Barenia club when 3 years ago I bought a new B30. Well, its first trip was to London and it was the most uncomfortable journey as I dreaded every knock fearing a scratch, every drink encounter fearing a spill.
Needless to say, I sold the bag straightaway as I believed I was far too feint hearted for this leather. Roll on 3 years and today I am the proud owner of a barenia Kelly 32 with brushed palladium hardware. It is in superb condition having been barely carried. All the hardware still had its plastic on and the velvet nap and smell was still there. Of course it has the odd rub particularly around the clasp but it has just started its patination journey.
I now have a delightful evening planned rubbing in all the scratches, watching them blend in and getting to know my beauty. Living the dream
View attachment 3328919
View attachment 3328920
I haven't even re-Baumed her yet after her journey. Barenia is just an amazing, amazing leather! Frou Frou, she's stunning! The stitching is such a beautiful and unique touch. Congratulations! Is this a 31 or a 36?
Cheapfrillnorth what an incredible find. I'm so envious! I think you just can't beat a Barenia Kelly and your photos make me determined to be your bag twin someday. I hope that you carry her with abandon (or something close to it, anyway)-- I can testify to the resilience of natural Barenia. Better yet, my own little scrap of natural Barenia can testify to it; I recently hauled a Barenia Evelyne all over the world with me, carrying it in every imaginable condition. It was hit with:
Thick red Moroccan mud
Sand and saltwater from the Pacific ocean
Hands with residual traces of greasy sunscreen
NUMEROUS cocktail splashes (I'm not going to confess how many), some including cream, one of the worst things for stains on textiles IMO
Grease splatter from a tempura fry-basket in Japan
Oily Pho broth in Vietnam
A piece of grilled lamb in Seoul
I'm sure there was more I'm forgetting, and in addition to the insults above my Evelyne got scraped and bumped repeatedly, as tends to happen in large cities and on airplanes and boats. Sounds scary, I know-- but here are some "after" photos. All I did was give my bag a light coat of Baume Renovateur before I set off on my trip, and if I saw an obvious stain or something got dropped on the leather, I took some water on a napkin and splashed it on until the spotted area turned dark dark brown (almost black). When the water dried, the mark would inevitably be gone.
is well
a celebration because a bag that can handle all that and come out looking so divine must be worth searching out . 
Frou Frou, she's stunning! The stitching is such a beautiful and unique touch. Congratulations! Is this a 31 or a 36?
Cheapfrillnorth what an incredible find. I'm so envious! I think you just can't beat a Barenia Kelly and your photos make me determined to be your bag twin someday. I hope that you carry her with abandon (or something close to it, anyway)-- I can testify to the resilience of natural Barenia. Better yet, my own little scrap of natural Barenia can testify to it; I recently hauled a Barenia Evelyne all over the world with me, carrying it in every imaginable condition. It was hit with:
Thick red Moroccan mud
Sand and saltwater from the Pacific ocean
Hands with residual traces of greasy sunscreen
NUMEROUS cocktail splashes (I'm not going to confess how many), some including cream, one of the worst things for stains on textiles IMO
Grease splatter from a tempura fry-basket in Japan
Oily Pho broth in Vietnam
A piece of grilled lamb in Seoul
I'm sure there was more I'm forgetting, and in addition to the insults above my Evelyne got scraped and bumped repeatedly, as tends to happen in large cities and on airplanes and boats. Sounds scary, I know-- but here are some "after" photos. All I did was give my bag a light coat of Baume Renovateur before I set off on my trip, and if I saw an obvious stain or something got dropped on the leather, I took some water on a napkin and splashed it on until the spotted area turned dark dark brown (almost black). When the water dried, the mark would inevitably be gone.
I was a very brief member of the Barenia club when 3 years ago I bought a new B30. Well, its first trip was to London and it was the most uncomfortable journey as I dreaded every knock fearing a scratch, every drink encounter fearing a spill.
Needless to say, I sold the bag straightaway as I believed I was far too feint hearted for this leather. Roll on 3 years and today I am the proud owner of a barenia Kelly 32 with brushed palladium hardware. It is in superb condition having been barely carried. All the hardware still had its plastic on and the velvet nap and smell was still there. Of course it has the odd rub particularly around the clasp but it has just started its patination journey.
I now have a delightful evening planned rubbing in all the scratches, watching them blend in and getting to know my beauty. Living the dream
View attachment 3328919
View attachment 3328920
Frou Frou, she's stunning! The stitching is such a beautiful and unique touch. Congratulations! Is this a 31 or a 36?
Cheapfrillnorth what an incredible find. I'm so envious! I think you just can't beat a Barenia Kelly and your photos make me determined to be your bag twin someday. I hope that you carry her with abandon (or something close to it, anyway)-- I can testify to the resilience of natural Barenia. Better yet, my own little scrap of natural Barenia can testify to it; I recently hauled a Barenia Evelyne all over the world with me, carrying it in every imaginable condition. It was hit with:
Thick red Moroccan mud
Sand and saltwater from the Pacific ocean
Hands with residual traces of greasy sunscreen
NUMEROUS cocktail splashes (I'm not going to confess how many), some including cream, one of the worst things for stains on textiles IMO
Grease splatter from a tempura fry-basket in Japan
Oily Pho broth in Vietnam
A piece of grilled lamb in Seoul
I'm sure there was more I'm forgetting, and in addition to the insults above my Evelyne got scraped and bumped repeatedly, as tends to happen in large cities and on airplanes and boats. Sounds scary, I know-- but here are some "after" photos. All I did was give my bag a light coat of Baume Renovateur before I set off on my trip, and if I saw an obvious stain or something got dropped on the leather, I took some water on a napkin and splashed it on until the spotted area turned dark dark brown (almost black). When the water dried, the mark would inevitably be gone.
Will phone my SA first thing tomorrow to get this H saddle balm! 
Could I use this on Clemence and Fjord, too...? 🤔
What an amazing bag!! Major congrats!! She is a true hero!!
Sammy Royal, thanks! My guess is that the Baume would be too rich for Clemence and Fjord. I haven't tried it on any leather other than Barenia, but it is highly emollient, and Barenia seems to have an appetite for oils that other leathers don't: if you rub a thin layer of the Baume onto Barenia, you'll see it sit on the surface (looking wet and dark) for anywhere from 15-90 minutes and then it just disappears into the skin. On Clemence and Fjord perhaps it would just sit on the surface, or make the leathers TOO soft, or worst of all, darken them?
Since I need to give my bag a little care after her big expedition, I'll post some pictures of the Baume process tonight or tomorrow. It's really straightforward, but it helps to see the before/during/after because it can look scary when you first rub on the Baume and the leather turns momentarily dark!
Especially as your description sounds, indeed, a bit scary... 😳
Frou Frou, she's stunning! The stitching is such a beautiful and unique touch. Congratulations! Is this a 31 or a 36?
Cheapfrillnorth what an incredible find. I'm so envious! I think you just can't beat a Barenia Kelly and your photos make me determined to be your bag twin someday. I hope that you carry her with abandon (or something close to it, anyway)-- I can testify to the resilience of natural Barenia. Better yet, my own little scrap of natural Barenia can testify to it; I recently hauled a Barenia Evelyne all over the world with me, carrying it in every imaginable condition. It was hit with:
Thick red Moroccan mud
Sand and saltwater from the Pacific ocean
Hands with residual traces of greasy sunscreen
NUMEROUS cocktail splashes (I'm not going to confess how many), some including cream, one of the worst things for stains on textiles IMO
Grease splatter from a tempura fry-basket in Japan
Oily Pho broth in Vietnam
A piece of grilled lamb in Seoul
I'm sure there was more I'm forgetting, and in addition to the insults above my Evelyne got scraped and bumped repeatedly, as tends to happen in large cities and on airplanes and boats. Sounds scary, I know-- but here are some "after" photos. All I did was give my bag a light coat of Baume Renovateur before I set off on my trip, and if I saw an obvious stain or something got dropped on the leather, I took some water on a napkin and splashed it on until the spotted area turned dark dark brown (almost black). When the water dried, the mark would inevitably be gone.
I was a very brief member of the Barenia club when 3 years ago I bought a new B30. Well, its first trip was to London and it was the most uncomfortable journey as I dreaded every knock fearing a scratch, every drink encounter fearing a spill.
Needless to say, I sold the bag straightaway as I believed I was far too feint hearted for this leather. Roll on 3 years and today I am the proud owner of a barenia Kelly 32 with brushed palladium hardware. It is in superb condition having been barely carried. All the hardware still had its plastic on and the velvet nap and smell was still there. Of course it has the odd rub particularly around the clasp but it has just started its patination journey.
I now have a delightful evening planned rubbing in all the scratches, watching them blend in and getting to know my beauty. Living the dream
View attachment 3328919
View attachment 3328920
Sammy Royal, thanks! My guess is that the Baume would be too rich for Clemence and Fjord. I haven't tried it on any leather other than Barenia, but it is highly emollient, and Barenia seems to have an appetite for oils that other leathers don't: if you rub a thin layer of the Baume onto Barenia, you'll see it sit on the surface (looking wet and dark) for anywhere from 15-90 minutes and then it just disappears into the skin. On Clemence and Fjord perhaps it would just sit on the surface, or make the leathers TOO soft, or worst of all, darken them?
Since I need to give my bag a little care after her big expedition, I'll post some pictures of the Baume process tonight or tomorrow. It's really straightforward, but it helps to see the before/during/after because it can look scary when you first rub on the Baume and the leather turns momentarily dark!
