Ode to the bolide
- Thread starter HiHeels
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Thanks a lot for your advice. It’s not uneven sewing of the zipper tape to the zipper, but it’s more that somehow it ends up warped looking cos perhaps from the “tension” at the two parts where the ring to the bag strap is sewn.
A bummer and I feel so disappointed. I will bring it back to the boutique and hope they can spa it or do an exchange but surely they don’t have the same bag just lying around!
A bummer and I feel so disappointed. I will bring it back to the boutique and hope they can spa it or do an exchange but surely they don’t have the same bag just lying around!
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Okay, this is getting a bit ridiculous. I went to look at my other two Bolides - which I’ve had for 2-3 years - Bolide 31 Clemence (one in Noir and one in Etoupe, I’m a huge fan lol) so an entirely different shape and for both, seems to be similar at the same part! I never noticed before perhaps cos it’s more slouchy. Sure hope it’s not because I got all three from the H website and so not as “perfect”?!
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I don't think that's a defect - I have the same bag (epsom but different color) and also have that “dent” where the hardware/ring sits. It doesn’t bother me at all — zipper works fine, and I don’t see any “damage” in the area around the ring.
Thanks @benjinito and @in_mybag and all for the advice. Indeed it seems to be the case, I will have a think and maybe bring to the store or not after all. But much more reassured as I love the bag so much!!
You all piqued my interest on this and I took a look at one that happened to be at hand. This is Clemence, and perhaps not quite as pronounced (my bag is quite a few years old), but I don’t see a defect.
In thinking more about it, and considering what I understand to be among the challenges in making the bolide in particular, I think maybe the curvature of the pieces that form the faces of the bag are what’s causing the ‘dent’. Depending on the stiffness of the leather; thickness of the particular skin, age of the bag and how it’s been carried (strap), and just the nature of a
curved line, I think maybe this is likely to happen. Maybe because Epsom is a stiffer leather and your bag is brand new it appears more obvious? Dunno?
I don’t think this would bother me (I guess it doesn’t at all since I love my bolides as they are
).
ETA: not sure what’s up with the formatting of this post but I wanted to add that I think you should just enjoy your bag, it’s lovely!
In thinking more about it, and considering what I understand to be among the challenges in making the bolide in particular, I think maybe the curvature of the pieces that form the faces of the bag are what’s causing the ‘dent’. Depending on the stiffness of the leather; thickness of the particular skin, age of the bag and how it’s been carried (strap), and just the nature of a
curved line, I think maybe this is likely to happen. Maybe because Epsom is a stiffer leather and your bag is brand new it appears more obvious? Dunno?
I don’t think this would bother me (I guess it doesn’t at all since I love my bolides as they are
).ETA: not sure what’s up with the formatting of this post but I wanted to add that I think you should just enjoy your bag, it’s lovely!
I remember reading somewhere about the making of Hermès handles. They are made so that one is lower than the other for the ease of carry. I think the stitching is to allow the handles to fall properly. May be the boutique can confirm. See my picture attached, the stitching is like all discussed and the handles have one lean to the other.
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This is a better illustration. A 
Picture from Hermes website.
Picture from Hermes website.
What is the date you received this Bolide from Hermes online shop?
Please save everything, including the brown shipping box that contained the orange box. Also keep the plastic air bags that were inside the Bolide. Keep everything. Photograph everything.
Did you by chance take photos at various points as you unboxed the Bolide? I find it hard to distinguish the details of the problematic zipper area. It looks like there may be a shadow falling on the part that is most important to be seen. The photo is also not showing up for me as sharply focused.
I suggest you take new photos. Take them in natural light (just inside a window when it is sunny outside). Be sure to take beaucoup photos. If you get any photos that are not perfectly in focus, don't submit those. You want to show the problem from several angles. Include close-ups and some a bit further away. Be sure no shadows are obscuring the details you need them to see.
There should be a card inside your orange box that states their return policy. I am uploading some excerpts from their Hermès USA website.
Basically, if you return it to your local boutique, they will issue you a boutique credit only. They cannot refund your credit card.
If you opt to return it to the NJ address, they will either give you a store credit or refund the credit card you used for your method of payment--your choice.
Note: Please click on each photo attachment I've provided, one at a time. This will allow the entire photo to open in much better focus. It looks blurry if you are seeing it in my reply post, but once you click each attachment, you will see it fully displays in crisp focus.
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I will share a Bolide story of my own. Perhaps it will assist you in making your decision as to your course of action.
Pre-pandemic, my boutique SA had located a Bolide in the size, leather color, and hardware color that I had requested. I had been waiting for this combination for several years. However, the leather type my SA located was not the Box leather I had requested. It was a "new" leather type, a leather that neither my SA nor I had yet seen in person. My SA described the leather's characteristics to me based on the description he had been provided by Hermès. Since I had been waiting so long, I decided to accept the Bolide, sight unseen.
Once it arrived, I was smitten by the color and everything about it except for the leather type. It was apparent to me that this new leather type did not have the same amount of structure as Box leather. I could tell it would slouch over time. I knew I would not be happy with it in the long run, so I opted to return it for a boutique credit. My SA sent me a prepaid return label and I sent back the Bolide.
But since it was a boutique purchase (unlike your online purchase) I did not have the option of a refund to the credit card I had used as my original method of payment. Thus, I was given a boutique credit and asked my SA to keep looking for my original request, including the color, the type of leather and hardware, the size, etc.
Several years passed and no Bolide matching my specifications ever became available. Meanwhile, Hermes had multiple annual price increases, which meant my boutique credit was no longer sufficient to purchase the same Bolide, even if it had become available. It was a significant price differential over the period of time.
If I had had the opportunity you now have to choose between a boutique credit or a refund for the credit card I had used to purchase the bag, I definitely would have opted to take the refund to the credit card I had used for my original method of payment.
~~~~~
That said, if your local boutique is conveniently located to your residence, and your local boutique is a flagship location with a leather craftsperson in residence, I would recommend you immediately make an appointment with your SA on a day when the leather craftsperson is working, and take everything you received, including the brown shipping box, to your local SA at your boutique.
Of course you need to have already taken a complete set of photos of this Bolide in natural light with no impediments to ascertaining its condition (such as unwanted shadows). The resident leather craftsperson may be able to tell you how this defect occurred and whether it can be repaired by a complimentary spa service.
If your local boutique does not have a leather craftsperson in residence, personally I would opt for a refund to your original method of payment and continue to hunt for the Bolide you desire.
I say this because it's summer. The leather artisans who provide spa services in Paris are on holiday for the summer, therefore unable to render an opinion for your consideration within the 30-day window you have to decide on whether you'd prefer a refund or a boutique credit.
If you are not bothered by craftsmanship that is sub-par, and you never ever plan to pass this bag on to another owner, be it a family member or a resale situation, then by all means wear her in good health.
Since you noticed the issue and it prompted you to inquire about its acceptability, it indicates to me that this would indeed bother you, and you would not be satisfied keeping this Bolide in its current condition.
I'm sorry you received a bag with a craftsperson issue. This should not have happened. Occasionally the quality control at Hermes is not infallible. I hope this situation is resolved to your satisfaction.
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wow thank you all! @stillfabulous for sharing your detailed story and to @Beauty2c @textilegirl and all for also sharing that this could be the way Bolide is. I got this from H.com just last week, it took 2 days to be delivered. It's not bothering me anymore esp as many of you have shared that this could be the uniqueness of the Bolide, and also my other 2 have that "unevenness" that I never noticed previously! But I will hold on to mine and look at it a few more times before deciding on next steps. Wonderful community here and so glad for fellow Bolide lovers -- my friends who do H are all K and C so it's great to find you all here
I purchased a bolide 31 in the colour gold five years ago from the online boutique. It is still my favourite bag. My zipper in the curve looks like yours. I wouldn’t worry. Enjoy your beautiful bag.
