hello , just joined first post .
Allthough I have lurked in the past when researching Hermès and Chanel purses with an ex-girlfriend .
( I think she is a member here )
I’m going to my local store with her tomorrow to look at a 32mm tourareg belt I “need”
The belt will be ”dual purpose” , so I need some advice on the different buckles and leathers available .
First : the buckle .
I want a belt I can wear every day and night , but i work in construction during the day ...
This is why I think I need the tourareg buckle .
Allthough I’d rather have a plain brushed silver H buckle I am worried it will look terrible after a few weeks of me wearing it for work , scratches and dents and the plating wearing off . Whereas the tourareg is not plated so wont show it’s age as badly so can be worn at night too , and can be polished in the future if needed .
Looking at online images of vintage Hermès buckles , it is hard to get an idea of wear as most people really look after their items and don’t put themselves in a position to damage them every day .
I bought a polished silver belt as a gift for her a few christmas ago and i could get one for work and another for play for the price of the tourareg version , but from what I’ve read even the most carefull guys wear out the plating on the edges .
As it is right now , I’m convinced I need the solid silver even though I’m not particularly keen on too much engraving so will be looking for the one in stock with the least engraving and also the shallow engraving so I can lose a little should I have a jeweler polish out scratches in the future should it get so bad I cannot wear it outside of work .
As this is the most expensive part of the purchase , any advice on this MUCH appreciated !!!
Second : the leather .
What I would really like is 2 different straps , one for work and one for play .
Both of them in black and orange .
Allthough I would wear black probobly 99% of the time I have a couple of orange watches that I think it would be fun to match the belt to every now and then , plus I get the pleasure of wearing an orange hi-Vis vest every minute of the day
What I want to do is get the best leather type for outside work when I buy the buckle from Hermès , then buy a used strap for work and distress it ( as it will get distressed anyway !! )
So I want comfort and looks for outside work and would prefer a smooth satin black and smooth bright orange as I’m not a fan of huge grain . but I bought my ex a vintage Annie in (I think) box leather and it had a scratch that was still there even after it went back to Hermès for restoration .
I want similar smooth looks , but hardwearing if possible so it will stay looking good after years of wearing outside work .
And for “work version” of the belt I want a leather that is light and comfortable that I can prematurely age .
I have researched distressing leather and I think I would rather have it looking like a “beat-up old belt” from the off , rather than a new belt that just got ruined by constantly clipping on walk-in-talkies , flashlights , etc.
I know about Hermès heritage as I come from a horse family and realize that they really are a quality product that is made to last , but should be looking for a certain type of leather to buy used that is easier to distress ?
Sorry for the essay , but I figured it would be better to put all the info out there rather than have a 100 post thread of questions and answers , people calling me an idiot etc .
Any advice , however small , much appreciated !!
Thank you .
Ian
