Thank you both for sharing your thoughts. Fingers crossed for stock on Saturday at the mothership please 
Space for Guys & their Hermès
- Thread starter starr98
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
So I just got a hac a dos GM from the website in Fauve Barenia Faubourg leather. I’d hoped it would fit my laptop and I could use it to replace my older LV backpack but it doesn’t so I am planning to send it back. I have 2 other barenia pieces - a hac a dos PM and a sac a depeches and I love the leather - the look - the smell - the way it ages. I’ve thought of keeping the GM for days when I don’t need to carry a laptop but the veining in this piece seems to me to be very pronounced and distracting. As you can see in the photos it’s really obvious and I don’t think in a good way. Is that my
Imagination? Have others seen this on barenia pieces? The barenia on my other 2 pieces has very little - if any - veining that I notice. I also have an old steve messenger in fjord leather in black - that has lots of veining doesn’t bother me at all but not sure about this. Opinions?
Imagination? Have others seen this on barenia pieces? The barenia on my other 2 pieces has very little - if any - veining that I notice. I also have an old steve messenger in fjord leather in black - that has lots of veining doesn’t bother me at all but not sure about this. Opinions?
I normally like veining. I think it can create depth and richness, and sometimes I imagine that there is a kind of transluscent quality to it. I adore it in Fjord leather. I’m not all that familiar with BF or it’s veining, but this bag almost seems like it’s dented (I know of course that it isn’t). I’m also not entirely crazy about the floppiness of the sangliers, and I think the stitching could be less sloppy. While I strongly prefer to buy boutique bags when I can examine them in person prior to purchase, of course that isn’t always feasible. I’m not certain that an exchange for another BF HAC a Dos GM would cure these issues. I find that TPFers tend to post that subsequent exchanges sometimes lead to bags that are worse. I am probably also biased bc i prefer smooth fauve barenia.
ETA: perhaps it is the light, but the color doesn’t have the richness that I associate with Barenia. Maybe that’s simply smooth barenia, IDK
ETA: perhaps it is the light, but the color doesn’t have the richness that I associate with Barenia. Maybe that’s simply smooth barenia, IDK
Last edited:
The dangles are floppy because it comes fro the boutique with the felt the way I repackaged it (on top of and not behind the hardware) thigun I believe you are reinforcing my thoughts spot on. Something about the veining, the stitching and the bag overall seems ‘off’. I love the smoother BF - my opinion like yours - the light isn’t that great - the color matches my other BF bags - it was more the veining. Thank you for sharing your thoughts
I am guessing the lighting might over accentuate the veining, but if it already is nagging you then I think to you should consider returning it. Although you might also just be obsessing, which is fair when spending such amount on a bag, we want it to be perfect.
I personally usually prefer no veining and smooth skins when looking at H bags. But again it is very personal, most of their leather choices are stunning.
I only own H SLGs and those are in box and swift so that is my reference point but I sure would love a B in any of those 2 leathers, especially swift.
You are fortunate to have bought it from the website.
That should mean that you can return it a get a full refund.
As you have so many negative thoughts about the bag, my advice would be you should return it without delay.
Barenia and Barenia Faubourg are different leathers.
Like 880, I really like the smooth traditional Barenia.
You are fortunate to have a Steve and an example of Fjord.
I have this bag and I wanted to see what you experts think: is the way they do it from the store really the best way to store the sangles? I store mine overnight like this as well but now I worry that the sangles are forced to bulge over the clasp.
Also, @880, why do you think the stitching looks sloppy on this one? I don't quite see it but would love to learn.
Finally, I love this bag. I'm on the shorter side so the GM didnt work on me, but it's so sophisticated. That said, I don't think I would do it as a laptop bag since I'd worry about that much weight sitting on the one strap.
One final consideration for me is that this is quite an expensive bag. I love mine but it's more expensive than all of my wife's non-quotas, often by multiples.
I like a bit of veining because it makes the leather look more natural, but maybe not to this pronounced level.
Thanks for all the feedback. I took the bag outside to see it in natural light and, ultimately, the veining was just too pronounced to my liking - especially in the BF leather. I already called customer service, got a return label and dropped it off at the fedex office (next door to my office). Agree these bags are very expensive $11K+ for the GM in BF and it had to be completely to my liking so i didn't have any regrets. The customer service agent couldn't have been more helpful and processed the return with no hassle. Open to any suggestions on a luxury bag that could comfortably hold my 16.5 inch laptop and serve as my daily work bag - has to be a backpack or messenger - something i don't have to hand carry since i travel a lot and carrying a bag can be tiresome. My daily driver has been an LV Michael backpack that's served me incredibly well for years - looking for a change . Would love an HMS bag. I have a Kelly 40 but I usually don't travel with it. I carry alot in my bag and I worry the strap connectors won't stand up to heavy use with a heavy bag. Day to day back & forth to the office, theK40 Lakis is gr8
. Would love an HMS bag. I have a Kelly 40 but I usually don't travel with it. I carry alot in my bag and I worry the strap connectors won't stand up to heavy use with a heavy bag. Day to day back & forth to the office, theK40 Lakis is gr8I am no expert, and I believe someone recently commented that another example that I didn’t like (different thread) in fact demonstrated high quality stitching.* I do own H bags with hand sewn contrast stitching too, so that isn’t it. It’s just a feeling that the individual stitches shouldn’t jump out to the point where they detract from the overall appearance. I also think they look overly large and not even, but again, I don’t know if that’s factually accurate, so pls take my opinion with a large grain of salt lol
ETA * I’ve searched but cannot find the post
I will say that I am not normally one to scrutinize every stitch or popped thread, and none of this would be a dealbreaker for me if I loved a particular bag.
Last edited:
If the veining bothers you, you should return it. I also see a flaw in the second photo to the lower right.
My latest acquisition: the R.M.S. Card holder in Bleu Nuit. A small masterpiece in my opinion. I had purchased the R.M.S. Passport Holder in Gold and love it, so I splurged on this smaller relative and it is fast becoming one of my favorite Hermès pieces. 
Have you considered the sac à dépêches 29?Thanks for all the feedback. I took the bag outside to see it in natural light and, ultimately, the veining was just too pronounced to my liking - especially in the BF leather. I already called customer service, got a return label and dropped it off at the fedex office (next door to my office). Agree these bags are very expensive $11K+ for the GM in BF and it had to be completely to my liking so i didn't have any regrets. The customer service agent couldn't have been more helpful and processed the return with no hassle. Open to any suggestions on a luxury bag that could comfortably hold my 16.5 inch laptop and serve as my daily work bag - has to be a backpack or messenger - something i don't have to hand carry since i travel a lot and carrying a bag can be tiresome. My daily driver has been an LV Michael backpack that's served me incredibly well for years - looking for a change
I actually have a depeches 29 in BF - love, love, love this bag! Doesn't hold my laptop but is perfect for city trips as it easily holds my umbrella, bottle of water, ipad, misc sundries. This leather is aging beautifully, minor scratches rub right out and there is no discernible veining.