Vintage Coach Photos & Chat

[Coachaddict4020]

Interesting. I only have my fake Willis and the dowel really bugs me because it’s heavy enough that it drags the top handle backwards. Then because it does that, when I access my phone in the back pocket, the dowel bumps my hand. Maybe coz the fake ones are made worse, I don’t know. Glad you like your Willis though.It really is a smart looking bag.

I don’t have that problem with the willis yet but Im wondering if it’s because its still structured from being rehabbed. I think if it softens up overtime, the dowel might become an inconvenience. I’ll deal with it though because I love the look. I finally understand why @Paris Girl has so many of them lol

 

[LunaSilver]

Saw on YT that “Original Glovetanned Leather” is Coach’s way of saying it is sustainably made. Instead of chrome tanned, it is veg tanned. Not sure if one is more environmentally friendlier over the other but apparently that’s what they are promoting with this new branding. Lol at crack marketers though

In general veg tanned leather is better than chrome tanned, price is higher too. It use tree barks, very time consuming (months). While chrome tanning is much quicker (week), many of the chemical used are toxic, although most toxic chemicals are removed at the end, still some remains. I am in the Canadian Leather Workers Facebook group, most leather craft people prefer veg tanned leather,
ETA: environmental friendly? Sure tree barks won’t pollute the environment like chemical, what ever they use eventually find way into ground water, but how many trees will die to harvest the barks?

 

[lazysundays]

Coach stopped putting “genuine glove tanned leather” in their descriptions & instead have changed it to “glove tanned leather”. The amount of Youtubers who will say things like “its the same leather as the old bags” drives me nuts lmao. I really wanna see what these new originals look like in 10-20 years. Most of them on the pre-loved market look horrible after they’ve been well loved. I wonder if you’re right about the “original natural leather” but something tells me it’s just more clever marketing by coach.

I can honestly say that dunking a 1941 bag or a Coach NY vs. a true vintage bag is not at all similar. I dunked a camera bag and the hardware tarnished in the vinegar soap bath. The 1941 saddle 23 was better but even with reshaping while drying, it still had a subtle squish at the bottom after it dried. Can’t imagine dunking a Rogue with the twill and suede lining. It’s just too complicated and delicate.

 

[lazysundays]

I don't mind the lack of back pocket either... probably because I don't want to stretch a pocket out putting a phone in it anyway. My black Station has the most gorgeous leather of any of my vintage bags!!!!

I hope my Station has the same leather as yours

 

[lazysundays]

Just had a weird work lunch experience. I was eating my soup while listening to the person across the table talk when a hand slapped down on the table beside me with a whack!!!! And this woman shouts “here” at me with a good deal of force to her voice. I almost jumped out of my chair. I turned around with WTH face because, WTH, and seeing everyone staring at her, she says, “So you don’t get that in your dress.”

I look and she has slapped a paper towel on the table next to me because I had dripped some soup. I would have seen it when I looked down and it was nowhere near running off the edge. She had seen it and thought my lack of immediate attention meant I was going to leave it there, made herself look awful by both interrupting the speaker and scaring me, and was trying to save face. What is with people?

What a weirdo!!

 

[lazysundays]

I think the Originals from Boutique stores are full grain, I have a couple turn lock belt bags, the leather is nice , thinner than vintage bag leather but definitely full grain, attention to details is better too, also most 1941 newer bags are full grain too.
Now outlet start to promote their version of Originals. Only say natural pebble leather, judge by photos , they are less quality.
ETA: @houseof999 knows 1941 bags well, hope she will give us her expert opinion . The several 1941 bags I got all are full grain.

What is up with the Outlet dropping a line of Originals? I thought they were gonna be Coach Reserve Originals, not Outlet version. It’s not that much cheaper either.

 

[lazysundays]

Just pull out a 1941 saddle 23, the lining is not full grain, but exterior leather is, I can see the leather pores. Also stated in the creed too, word full grain is just beneath the bag symbol

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ETA: the Originals turn lock belt bag is mini, with a mini creed., no word of full grain, but leather pores are very visible, usually the indication of full grain leather.

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Twins on the dark denim saddle 23

 

[lazysundays]

In the creed says genuine glove tanned leather too, but veriations are character of full grain leather, I think Coach means to say it is real glove tanned, not other tanning method. Usually genuine leather means split leather, but some leather goods companies do use term of Genuine Leather on their full grain leather products, especially if such companies have some ties with Italian Tannery. Roots is an example, they used to make leather goods in Canada, but now moved to China, "Genuine Leather" is part of their logo , their vintage bags mostly full grain, and ages very well, silimiar to Coach.
ETA: while still made in CAnada, Roots used very good quality full grain leather imported from Italy, rumor said the same tannary Hermes use, not sure about nowadays since they moved everything to China. I still have several Roots bags, leather is nice and thick, but craftsmanship is little less than Coach.

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Whaaaat?! I thought Roots still makes their leather goods in the Toronto factory?

 

[LunaSilver]

What is up with the Outlet dropping a line of Originals? I thought they were gonna be Coach Reserve Originals, not Outlet version. It’s not that much cheaper either.

I was up at 6 am on Sunday morning, trying to have the best selection of Originals to choose from, what a huge disappointment! They don't even say glove tanned in description, just "natural pebble leather"

 

[LunaSilver]

Whaaaat?! I thought Roots still makes their leather goods in the Toronto factory?

The bags I bought several years ago are still made in Canada, I don't buy bags there anymore in recent years, but all the shoes got from Roots are made in China.

 

[lazysundays]

In general veg tanned leather is better than chrome tanned, price is higher too. It use tree barks, very time consuming (months). While chrome tanning is much quicker (week), many of the chemical used are toxic, although most toxic chemicals are removed at the end, still some remains. I am in the Canadian Leather Workers Facebook group, most leather craft people prefer veg tanned leather,
ETA: environmental friendly? Sure tree barks won’t pollute the environment like chemical, what ever they use eventually find way into ground water, but how many trees will die to harvest the barks?

Exactly. Plus the water usage on both processes.

 

[lazysundays]

I was up at 6 am on Sunday morning, trying to have the best selection of Originals to choose from, what a huge disappointment! They don't even say glove tanned in description, just "natural pebble leather"

You could have been sleeping! Lol it was such a disappointment. The hype was so misleading.

 

[lazysundays]

The bags I bought several years ago are still made in Canada, I don't buy bags there anymore in recent years, but all the shoes got from Roots are made in China.

I bought a bag last year but ended up returning it. It was still made in Canada. Maybe it’s just the shoes they outsourced. It would be sad to see them all go to China.

 

[Lake Effect]

In my understanding from reading the Coach screed... 1941 leathers are not full grain. They are all embossed with "GENUINE GLOVETANNED LEATHER" or "GENUINE GLOVETANNED PEBBLED LEATHER". I think they are top-grain leather. I need go revisit the article. I am not sure what they used for the originals but I had seen a listing where the leather lining had peeled with use. If they used the same leather as the vintage Coach then it wouldn't have leather lining. They would be unlined suede.

I think if they were using full grain leather, they would say so. I was under the impression the term glove tanned started with the owner of Coach, Miles Cahn, who developed the company. Because he was impressed with the durability of leather used in baseball gloves, hence the early baseball hangtags.
I agree that I would imagine the high quality leather used in recent years is top grain. Lining full grain leather would be bulky.

 

[fitzopolds]

In general veg tanned leather is better than chrome tanned, price is higher too. It use tree barks, very time consuming (months). While chrome tanning is much quicker (week), many of the chemical used are toxic, although most toxic chemicals are removed at the end, still some remains. I am in the Canadian Leather Workers Facebook group, most leather craft people prefer veg tanned leather,
ETA: environmental friendly? Sure tree barks won’t pollute the environment like chemical, what ever they use eventually find way into ground water, but how many trees will die to harvest the barks?

I think the amount of water and tree bark etc. they use for vegetable tanning is 100% better than using toxic metals that end up in the soil and in the ocean. Where a lot of chrome tanned leather is made is in China and they don’t have the best environmental protection laws, so it’s worse because they’re most likely not disposing of it correctly. https://www.forbes.com/sites/olivia...-promoting-it-as-sustainable/?sh=66cfed5a517b Here’s an article about one company switching from chrome to veg, I agree with most of it except that veg tan leather is apparently stiffer than chrome? Comparing my bags, it’s the other way around.