Question about New Bals/Leather/Breaking in

st.love

st.love

Member
Aug 2, 2012
1,325
7
#1
Hey ladies, if this is not the right area to post this I apologize in advance.

I recently acquired a pre-loved but like-new gris tarmac city from I believe 2013. The previous owner only wore it twice. I have owned a few pre-loved cities in the past but never one this new, the leather on all of the other bags was so soft and yummy. The leather on this bag is.. not.

While the bag itself is in amazing condition, the leather feels papery and dry and almost rough. Will it break in with use/time? Do all new bals feel like this? Was it just a bad year for leather? I have heard that 2012 was a bad year, but does that mean that those bags wouldn't eventually acquire the yummy, soft and slouchy goodness?

I have given it one layer of LMB beauty & shine moisturizer, but have also ordered leather honey and apple moisturizer, any advice or caution is welcome!!
 
#2
Hi there. Congrats on your new Bal.
Where have you heard that the '12 leather was bad? That's certainly not true imo. That said, it's leather and therefor each bag will be different though certain colours within a season can also have similar leather, for instance papery or less soft etc.
The best advice to get a Bal soft and yummy is to use it. It's that simple ;)
 
#3
Livia1 said:
Hi there. Congrats on your new Bal.
Where have you heard that the '12 leather was bad? That's certainly not true imo. That said, it's leather and therefor each bag will be different though certain colours within a season can also have similar leather, for instance papery or less soft etc.
The best advice to get a Bal soft and yummy is to use it. It's that simple ;)
Click to expand...

Thank you! I certainly plan on breaking her in :yes:

It seems to be a pretty common opinion around the Bal forum that '12 leathers weren't great; having never bought or felt a brand spanking new Bal I have nothing to compare it to, my only experience is the soft well broken in pre-loved ones I've acquired in the past.
 
#4
st.love said:
Thank you! I certainly plan on breaking her in :yes:

It seems to be a pretty common opinion around the Bal forum that '12 leathers weren't great; having never bought or felt a brand spanking new Bal I have nothing to compare it to, my only experience is the soft well broken in pre-loved ones I've acquired in the past.
Click to expand...

I have only read nice things about '12 leather on this forum but of course there will always be one bag or one colour. It's often the very ligt beige/neutral colours that has a tendency to be on the thin and papery side. But again, each bag is different.
 
#5
st.love said:
Thank you! I certainly plan on breaking her in :yes:

It seems to be a pretty common opinion around the Bal forum that '12 leathers weren't great; having never bought or felt a brand spanking new Bal I have nothing to compare it to, my only experience is the soft well broken in pre-loved ones I've acquired in the past.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. I have three '12 bags (Cassis, Cumin and Vert Poker) and their leather is all amazing: thick and chewy. I have only heard of inconsistent leather quality about Mangue from '12 bags. I am not a big fan of the recent Nero though. It is kind of thin and shiny.
 
#6
I bought a Cumin velo in 2012 from MyTheresa and I must say when I opened the box after much anticipation is was so disappointed. The leather was thin, rough and dry I almost thought it was a fake! I ended up applying about 3 layers of a Leather Honey over about a week and over time with wear, it has softened considerably. Now it is soft, slouchy and gorgeous! I'm sure yours will be the same. Enjoy your new babe!
 
#7
I have a bunch of 2012 bags as well, and I also haven't heard this.

Like Livia said, the best way to soften up a Bal is to use it.
 
#8
Hotmumma said:
I bought a Cumin velo in 2012 from MyTheresa and I must say when I opened the box after much anticipation is was so disappointed. The leather was thin, rough and dry I almost thought it was a fake! I ended up applying about 3 layers of a Leather Honey over about a week and over time with wear, it has softened considerably. Now it is soft, slouchy and gorgeous! I'm sure yours will be the same. Enjoy your new babe!
Click to expand...

So there is hope! :biggrin:

Thank you, I do love it, really! I will have fun breaking her in!
 
#10
I totally agree with Livia; you can't really say that a particular year is good/bad, oftentimes it depends on color as well. For instance, and I can't really explain why, Yellow-colored bags always seem to be less smooshy, more stiff. Not sure if Bal puts more coating on it or whatever, but they always seem to be more dry and not as soft (and that has been the case for a number of years (except the early Chevre years where the leather was just gorgeous .. PERIOD!).

That being said, yes .. use that bag and I think you'll find it will break in nicely!

 
#11
Hotmumma said:
I bought a Cumin velo in 2012 from MyTheresa and I must say when I opened the box after much anticipation is was so disappointed. The leather was thin, rough and dry I almost thought it was a fake! I ended up applying about 3 layers of a Leather Honey over about a week and over time with wear, it has softened considerably. Now it is soft, slouchy and gorgeous! I'm sure yours will be the same. Enjoy your new babe!
Click to expand...


I have a nero part time from 2012 that was dry and rough. I applied leather honey three times also and now my bag is slouchy and softer too!
 
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