13/07/2026
Luxury Leather Types: Prada Saffiano vs Chanel Caviar vs Hermès Chevre
Learn the key differences between three of the most iconic luxury leathers. A practical guide to choosing the best option for your lifestyle and preferences.
Welcome to our monthly blog, Hermes is one of the most sought-after, coveted and loved brands in fashion, for its history and quality in haute couture. Owning a New, second-hand or Vintage Hermes Bag for a woman is like a sports or classic car for a man, "never goes out of style" it is worth noting that obtaining a piece like this is like touching a piece of history.
A piece of History is what Grace Kelly left us, who at that time was the Princess of Monaco and a great actress, when with her Hermes bag "Sac à Dépêches", which is now called Kelly just because of this glamorous situation, when Grace was at a public event and covered her belly with the bag, thus preventing the press from noticing her pregnancy, with this subtle gesture she placed this bag at the top of fashion, an incredible moment in history!
Let's get down to business!
First step: what we have to take into account when observing a second-hand or Vintage Hermes bag is the leather, which is of very beautiful quality, so when we authenticate we use all five senses, we touch and smell, in this way we make sure it is not plastic, the smell of Hermes is very characteristic and very difficult to confuse for an expert or a person who has worked with the brand.
Second step: observe the stitching, it is very normal for Hermes stitching to be diagonal, so we verify all the stitches of the bag, front exterior, back exterior, the bottom of the bag, they all have to be slanted.
An interesting fact is that at Hermes, to obtain a Kelly or a Birkin, there is a one-year wait because they are completely handmade bags, it takes 25 hours per bag, and the Kelly has 2600 hand-stitched stitches.
Third step: The typography, it must be very clear and with asymmetrical lines, it is important that there are no imperfections or letters that are not completely symmetrical in the engraving, it is ideal to use a magnifying glass to observe more accurately.
Fourth point: The closure of the Birkin and Kelly that we can see in the photo above, has a circular twist, it is important that when manipulating it, its movement is uniform in pressure and that no foreign bodies are noticeable, this closure is of great quality, especially with the most current bags, it is possible that the old ones, approximately 20 years, due to use, the pressure when turning the closure is not as uniform and there may be areas with more tension than others.
Fifth step: Check the Serial numbers, although in the case of Hermes it is not a serial number but a data code as with Louis Vuitton, the letter corresponds to the year of manufacture, in addition, this letter has a shape that is always the same.
Hermes second-hand Constance bag with other pieces from Kewaaay - kewaybags
Important note: With this article, you can see basic appreciations to be able to discard a large number of fakes from the market, but there are others that are of great quality and only expert hands will be able to distinguish. We advise you to buy from specialized second-hand stores like ours or from the official house to avoid disappointments.
The Keway Bags Team, your store to buy and sell second-hand bags, wishes you to enjoy our blog.
Do you have any questions? Are you interested in any of our second-hand designer bags? Do you want to sell us your bag? Contact us without obligation, we will assist you as soon as possible.
