WHY are the older leathers better? Sad yet true.....

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beauxgoris

beauxgoris

O.G.
Mar 17, 2006
15,046
501
#1
I know that they're chevre and newer seasons are agneau - but when I feel my '01, '04 and '05 bags the leather is simply TDF. Soooo squishy and petal soft. I own other chevre bags ('06 and '07) and even a very nice '08 agneau BUT as nice as they are (and well broken in) they just can't touch the older leathers. If two bags are both made of chevre = then WHY are the oldies soooooo much better? Was bal using a better (more expensive) chevre back then? Please someone fill me in! :flowers:
 
#2
I have always wondered this also. When I asked the Bal SAs about it, they kind of curtly tell me that the leather has always been the same, and nothing has changed, and then they cut the conversation short. They've even told me there's no difference between chevre and agneau...how could that be? they changed the word and not the leather??:wondering
 
#3
Good question! Even within the same season, the bags can feel different. My sister and I both have S/S 2005 black City bags...her bag has this super thick, chewy leather...mine doesn't. Her bag feels like a 2004 bag; mine feels like a 2005 bag.
 
#4
kobro said:
I have always wondered this also. When I asked the Bal SAs about it, they kind of curtly tell me that the leather has always been the same, and nothing has changed, and then they cut the conversation short. They've even told me there's no difference between chevre and agneau...how could that be? they changed the word and not the leather??:wondering
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^^ that's a total friggin' lie!!! :tdown:
 
#5
^^I have a 2004 marron bag that I realized I was caressing the leather today (bag was in my lap during a car ride - I was in the passenger seat). It's like silk it's so soft. I started thinking WTH? All the hype about 2004 bags is so dead on. It seems like a great many 2004 bags have splendid leather. Something must have been different that year. Maybe it was a supplier that had a better product or something, but that they later couldn't afford? I just don't know but I *DO* know the earlier leathers are better. Just no question.
 
#6
My theory is that the older leathers were less stable; i.e. some people like how they change over time (and they tend to frequent tpf), but maybe some people complained that they just didn't hold their glaze, and shape, etc.? I'm pretty certain that's why they moved to a more consistent leather, if less desirable for many.
 
#7
kobro said:
I have always wondered this also. When I asked the Bal SAs about it, they kind of curtly tell me that the leather has always been the same, and nothing has changed, and then they cut the conversation short. They've even told me there's no difference between chevre and agneau...how could that be? they changed the word and not the leather??:wondering
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They probably don't know any better. Bal is probably using "lower" quality leather relative to the Chevre from previous seasons. Many companies decide to do this later on when the brand gets so popular that people will continue to buy regardless of "quality".
 
#9
kobro said:
I have always wondered this also. When I asked the Bal SAs about it, they kind of curtly tell me that the leather has always been the same, and nothing has changed, and then they cut the conversation short. They've even told me there's no difference between chevre and agneau...how could that be? they changed the word and not the leather??:wondering
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ahahah:roflmfao:that's the same they told me :laugh:...the quality of oldies such as 05 bags is beyond compare:love:,i think they used a better quality leather..i love 07 leather too ..i think quality/leather started decreasing since f/w 2008:tdown::pout:(there are some exceptions though:amuse:)
 
#10
IMO older leather quality is more consistent than the newer leather. I now still have brand new 2004 and 2005 Bbags. When you put them side by side with the recent years' brand new bags, the differences are so obvious. Their workmanship, leather quality and color saturation are way superior than the recent years bags.

My theory is, when manufactures start doing mass production, their quality ususally gets lower. There sure have some exceptions; but in general, this is what happened to commercial products.
 
#11
I once talked to an SA who told me Bal couldn't get their hands on as much "05-type" leather as they would need for an entire "modern" run because production has gone up so much.

Doesn't mean it doesn't suck though!
 
#12
ahertz said:
I once talked to an SA who told me Bal couldn't get their hands on as much "05-type" leather as they would need for an entire "modern" run because production has gone up so much.

Doesn't mean it doesn't suck though!
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That's very interesting! And I'm surprised an SA was so candid!

But it seems like SA's are often more clueless and/or misinformed about these things than us bal lovers are!

There's no way Bal would ever admit to using lower quality leather though- because then does that mean they should lower their prices? But can you imagine being able to just walk into a retailer and buy a bag with 04-like leather? One can only dream.
 
#13
I think they lost the ability to get enough of the same quality chevre when they went to more mass production. I think they lost the same attention to detail that comes from smaller workplaces. And I think they have altered or added finishes to the bags to make them more durable or something. I preferred the old way, even if the color didn't remain perfect forever or if the bags were a little fragile. Of course, not every bag then was exactly the same or perfect. But I think there was a certain consistency of the leather living up to expectation and being what made B bags distinctive. I generally found that to be true up to fall 2005. Some bags different from the usual started appearing. Many were still excellent.

I don't hate all the new bags. I just accept them for what they are to me - a different thing. It all seemed more acceptable while the prices stayed the same for many years. It was nice to be able to buy a bag at retail without hours of effort. It starts to bother me more as the prices keep going up so much. Of course, I'd pay a lot for the old leather.
 
#14
Aaah beaux, it's sad isn't it? The bags from 2001 up until spring 2005 were just different. I have had plenty older bags and plenty fall 2005 to now bags and I just always seem to sell my newer bags because after the thrill of the new bag wears off these bags can't seem to make me fall in love with them.
The only thing that makes me still buy newer bags, even agneau is the better selection of the styles. I love the Oval, PT and the post-2007 longer handles of the Work, so I keep buying new bags, but I'm always on the lookout for the trusted oldies :love:
 
#15
rollergirl said:
I think they lost the ability to get enough of the same quality chevre when they went to more mass production. I think they lost the same attention to detail that comes from smaller workplaces. And I think they have altered or added finishes to the bags to make them more durable or something. I preferred the old way, even if the color didn't remain perfect forever or if the bags were a little fragile. Of course, not every bag then was exactly the same or perfect. But I think there was a certain consistency of the leather living up to expectation and being what made B bags distinctive. I generally found that to be true up to fall 2005. Some bags different from the usual started appearing. Many were still excellent.

I don't hate all the new bags. I just accept them for what they are to me - a different thing. It all seemed more acceptable while the prices stayed the same for many years. It was nice to be able to buy a bag at retail without hours of effort. It starts to bother me more as the prices keep going up so much. Of course, I'd pay a lot for the old leather.
Click to expand...

I only started buying them in '06, and I remember that then I'd look through several of the same bag/same color that the SA showed me in order the pick the leather I liked. I didn't mind that they were different. Of course I didn't like it when the front was smooth and the back was totally distressed (who bought those?!), but there was always one bag I liked. Like rollergirl, I also accept the new bags for what they are. And I do think they hold up better if they get wet accidentally. But I really do miss the glaze. And they'd better not be raising prices any too soon.:rtr:
 
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