Hermes Barenia Leather 🐴 Why It’s Not For The Fainthearted 🔥 Kelly 28, Kelly 32, HAC 32, Evelyne III
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Aging, Patina, Wear, Care. Is this HAC the oldest barenia bag on youtube? You think barenia is too much? It is OK. You don’t have to like barenia! 😅 This leather isn’t for the fainthearted 🫠 and its aesthetic is definitely quite particular 😶🌫️ I've turned 54 recently. These bags actually look better on me now, than ever.
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Originally, Barenia was developed by Hermes to use primarily for equestrian equipments, and began appearing in their handbags in the 1970s.
When I started "collecting" them, no one wants them due to how "easily marked" they are, and how fast they developed the "maturing" of colour. Not to mention, heavy. Nowadays in 2024 I hear the word "rare", "hard to find", and "heritage" associated with this leather. Which I found very interesting.
Not so coincidentally, these terms are accompanied by what appear to be an increase in interest in the leather, sadly not so much for the unique characteristics of Barenia from what I can gather, but for its status symbol. Especially now that the fear of marking them has been tempered by the texture stamping of the original Barenia leather.
I could be wrong.
My educated guess is that the Barenia Faubourg, or the pebbled Barenia, was developed, and subsequently launched in 2017, to cover this market gap.
PATINA
Patina by definition is a function of wear and exposure to various elements around an item. So. Applying protective applicants on any leather will almost always interfere with its natural patina formation.
WEAR & AGE
From my personal experience, without using or wearing, the passage of time alone wont allow for the full development of the natural patina of most natural "untreated" leather.
CARE
I use my bear hands to apply the Hermes balm (OLD formula from before 2011) on my HAC 32, let each layer rest for 1-2 days, buff using pure cotton cloth, and repeat. The corners are most worn so more layers of balm had been applied there. To keep the bag from looking like it has dark patches in the corners, I then apply increasingly less layers of balm from the corners towards the centre of the body. Like when painting and during make up applications, I then blend the edges using more hand applied balms.
The leather on the sides of this HAC took the balm differently, as you can see here, they are slightly darker than the front and back of the bag.
- Brush water away IMMEDIATELY, do not rub.
- Dab with non abrasive absorbent material any water droplets on pebbled barenia.
- Always air dry.
- Never take a hair dryer or any heating apparatus anywhere near a barenia.
- Always ensure non chemical ingredients in your balm and oil.
- Stick to Hermes saddle oil and balm
- But please SEEK FOR THEIR ADVICE since formulas change all the time.
CAUTION
- Some leather care product actually destroyed the fibre of your leather.
- I found this out the hard way: Leather care products are NOT one fit for all.
- So please research BOTH your leather care products AND your leather, thoroughly.
QUESTION
Does your older barenia retains its unique scent?
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FRENCH TANNERIES
Barenia leather has its roots in the esteemed tanneries of France, particularly in the Normandy region. This area has a long history of leatherworking, with skilled artisans passing down their knowledge through generations. The specific origins of the name “Barenia” are not widely documented, but it is thought to be a reference to a regional name, river, or area associated with the production of high-quality leather. One theory proposed the village of Barr in Alsace, as one locality. Thus the name Barenia.
TRADITIONAL VEGETABLE TANNING
The hallmark of this leather is its vegetable tanning process. This ancient technique involves using natural tannins found in plant sources, like tree bark, to tan the leather. This method is known for producing a supple, smooth, and durable leather with a distinct aroma. The process takes longer compared to modern chrome tanning, but yields a leather of superior quality.
NINE DIFFERENT OILS
It is also said that barenia is then soaked in a mix of 9 different oils afterwards.
ALMOST 2 MONTH PER BATCH
The whole process is said to take over 5-6 weeks, each time.
DOUBLE TANNING
Some sources said that the leather is also tanned in chrome. But I can not confirm.
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As of May 2024
CLASSIC BARENIA
HAC 32: From 2002, 22 years old, carried for 10-15 years
Kelly 28 Retourne: From 2008, 16 years old, carried only for 1-2 weeks
Apple Watch Cuff: From 2015, 9 years old, worn for about 1 month
PEBBLED BARENIA
Evelyne III: From 2023, over a year old, never carried
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DISCLAIMERS
I make videos to entertain myself.
I am not affiliated with Hermes or any of its associates in any way.
I am not a leather or a barenia expert.
I am not a Hermes expert.
I am NOT and INFLUENCER!
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#hermes #barenia #leather #kellybag #hacbag #evelynebag
CLARIFICATIONS
1. When I said black barenia is no longer produced, I only know that in terms of bags. Presumably if Hermes is still making saddles for dressage, and if they use barenia for those, they might still be producing black barenia.
2. I said the Kelly 28 was “never carried” while at the same time saying it was carried for 1-2 weeks. What I was supposed to say was that’s it has never been carried ENOUGH, as far as patina is concerned.
3. What you see here comprises of my ENTIRE collection of Hermes Barenia items. (Except one on a canvas Kelly sellier 32 as trimmings).
Wow, ask and I shall receive. Ah, I was wondering why the new Barenia didn’t look like the old specimens. Pebbled! Yes like wood. That is what patina does to it. I follow this leather guy called James crane and he took a non treated vegetable tanned bag and has been following its patina process over the last year. Very fascinating….. I know you glossed over the black Barenia as not having the same dynamic character, but from what you showed, I would disagree. The shine, patina, was so much more alive than most black bags I have seen on camera. But was that just the camera ‘fish bowl’ setting you were on? Hah, yet another video of yours I foresee going on repeat. You’re endlessly fascinating.
The black barenia didn’t get a justified amount of time here you are right. I foresee a black barenia dedicated video soon 😆 I’m Google-ing James Crane 😊
I have a bag and a watch. It is my FAVORITE Leather❤but the patina on my watch 💀
Stunningly beautiful leather! Are those bags (and cuff) now just sitting in your closet? You should use them more often! That's what they were made for.
The watch cuff is in use since it is on my Apple Watch 😊 Sadly the bags have been sitting in my closet 💀 Since I moved back to New Zealand from Singapore my life style has changed 180 degrees 😅 Walking in sideway rain storms aren’t the type of days made for carrying a Birkin or a Kelly even when they are made of barenia! 🤣 But. You are absolutely correct, of course ❤️🔥
Wow thank you so much for sharing this info! So much knowledge and wisdom on Barenia! I used to have an Hermes Barenia watch strap and it scared me from Barenia. I ended up getting a Halzan 25 in the new Barenia that is textured and actually it has aged really well but waiting for it to patina was a bit distressful. I was offered a k28 in the same leather but I was still in between patina for my Halzan 25 so I turned it down. Looking back, maybe I should have taken it, but no regrets as I ended up with a gold on gold instead. But indeed I think it's worth to get at least one Barenia bag to experience the beautiful patina. I'm glad I have the Halzan 25...I need to often touch the bag and it has patina well. Thanks again for the in depth sharing! So interesting! By the way I heard the pebbled leather is more sensitive to oil...I did splatter some alcohol on it due to hand sanitizer. Hermes was able to touch it up a bit but I believe pebbled leather is more allergic to oil than water. Do you have any experience with Box Calf - some ppl have claimed they get blisters from the rain, but I don't understand why so many vintage ones still look so pristine and wouldn't they have also been in contact with rain?
Barenia is a tough one to live through before the patina. The “issue” I think is how these bags have become a luxury item that costs too much for it to look “shabby” and not “elevated”. You look chic on a horse with well patina barenia but stepping out of a Bentley you might look like you woke up without brushing your teeth. I dunno. My own personal aesthetic has never been “bling”. So they suit me fine.
As for box leather, I am too scared to carry one because it is the opposite of barenia. The more you wear the box the worse it looks. Barenia and VN are the opposite. The more you wear them to better they look. “Better” I guess isn’t “like new” in this specific conversation.
I have a Kelly sellier 32 blistered like box. But I would never buy box. So I am not sure what I have in my hands at the moment.
As to why vintage box leather bags aren’t blistering I guess when you carry a Hermes bag way back in the day, or even these days, you wouldn’t often get caught in the rain now would you? 😌 Cars will pick you up and drop you off from one sheltered place to another, no? Some things are really products of their times.
@@OrangeIsTheNewBag Oh no, your kelly sellier 32 blistered? What leather is it? Actually the worn in look is now trending. It would be interesting to see your bag collection or your favourites from it. Seems you are a long time collector.
@@ClaraZeela Chamonix I think. I will film the bag and the leather and upload that soon.
There are too many of my bags stored in a few different places for me to show them all at the moment 😅 I’ve been buying designer (“luxury”) handbags since the late 1990s. But mainly started seriously collecting around early 2000s. Prada was amazing at the time. Miu Miu and Fendi too. Really playful and amazing designs. Tom Ford was on fire at Gucci and YSL. Most importantly LVMH was only a few years old and they haven’t ruined the market yet.
Maybe one day I can go through all of them one by one ☺️
Are you in HK? Don’t have an after sales service team and craftsperson there? I need some of my hardwares replaced and I have no Hermes near me. Australia is the closest to me but they don’t have after sales service teams in any of the cities their stores are present I don’t think.
As for pebbled barenia being more sentient to oil, I think you are right.
If you see in this video, there is a permanent mark at the bottom of my Kelly 28 that I suspect is oil. If it had been water it would have disappeared.
Since pebbled barenia has more crevices it would be more prone to anything getting caught there and staying on the leather.
I don’t know about alcohol stains. But my first reaction would have been to leave it.
As I have alluded before, for me staining is part of the long process of the “maturing” of the leather, and the changes in its visual qualities which is part of the fun of the leather for me.
Sadly I think the unbelievable prices the market is asking for these bags now would have prevented anyone from having fun with any of it.
Very sad.
I am curious how H “fixed” yours though? Could you share?
@@OrangeIsTheNewBag yes I am currently in Hong Kong and the after sales is fantastic but usually takes a few months if it’s a local fix up. I believe they may have put a light paint over it to cover the discolouration. It looks okay and you cannot tell unless you look closely. For more heavy duty fix ups I believe they need to send to France . So far the experience is very good
Thank you so so much for making this video. I love Barenia and Vache Natural - these are the only Hermes I collect. Let’s please connect offline. I would love your advise on care.
@@clairecui6536 There is an excellent thread on Purse Forum called Ode To Barenia. It was from a time when collectors and enthusiasts could still sell to each other and restore our own bags in peace. Before these bags became more than bags and none of us could afford to risk having fun with them anymore 😅 There are amazing tips there!
Thank you so much Anneke for sharing this info. I was wondering how would you tell the difference between Chamonix and barenia in the vintage natural colour (much lighter than fauve barenia). Thanks in advance!
@@inaonoson Hello! From memory Chamonix is coated. So the “natural” refers to the colour. I have what I think is vintage Chamomix. It’s been so long and these bags weren’t as big a deal as they are now so we hardly kept records and provenance like some people do now. I’ll try to find it and film a comparison.
I HAVE NOT MONETIZED THIS VIDEO. RUclips and Google have.
Beautiful bags. 😊 What size is your HAC?
Thank you! It is a 32 cm 😁
Hi Anneke! So as I am beginning to write this note, I realize I may be coming off as creepy. So I bought that large Loewe puzzle after watching your video and now I’ve just purchased a Barenia bag after watching this video of yours. Oh well. Tis what it Tis. Really, at this point in my bag collecting it’s about the different leathers out there and you convinced me it really was special. And thus I realized it was a gap in my collection that I needed to fill. I suppose that makes you a real influencer (trust me, I hate the term and I hate the silly system). Anyway, I got a 24/24 in the 29 size and it just arrived in the mail today. You are so spot on. Definitely something special about the feel- perfect combination of oils and waxes. Thank you for steering me in the right direction.
Wow!! Let us know how you go with that one! I do hate that term “influencer” 💀 I better be careful what I say in the future!!
Such a beautiful collection! ❤
@@fabianseow83 Thank you so much! Years have gone by and I still find so much pleasure in them!
I love it.
It is chef’s kiss 👌
What is the Hermes balm? Where can we get it from? Thank you
@@kgan4733 It was the OLD FORMULA Hermes Saddle Baume. They don’t make it anymore due to some ingredients which became illegal. The current balm is made differently and I would suggest you RESEARCH this on Purse Forum. There are many people there who have tried the NEW FORMULA, the only one you can buy now. I myself can’t speak for it. Good luck!
@@OrangeIsTheNewBag thank you for your information. I'll look into that and get back to you with my takes.
Wow love the 2002 leather awesome
Because it has been used for two decades 🔥❤
I am crazy about the Barenia fauve leather (the leather was soaked in oil for a quite long time) but vey difficult to get now a days. You have no idea how lucky you are! Patina is the charm.
@@TC-fq7cy Hello! I am glad I was a fan of it BEFORE it was popular. I can get over how people want it now. It wasn’t looking luxurious enough for most people 15 years ago. Too rustic. With the changing nature of the bag among Hermes fans who prefer their leather to look as they see them new from the store, no one wanted it. Why do people like it now do you think?