Presenting the guide to identifying the different types of Hermes leather used on bags and other accessories. Hermes has a multitude of unique names to identify the variety of leather finishes it uses on a number of their classic pieces such as the Birkin, Kelly and more. The guide below identifies many of the names for the types of finishes which are currently active or no longer being produced.
Jump to the most common leather types:
[button color="red" size="small" link="#boxcalf" ]Box Calf[/button],[button color="orange" size="small" link="#clemence" ]Clemence[/button], [button color="blue" size="small" link="#epsom" ]Epsom[/button],[button color="pink" size="small" link="#togo" ]Togo[/button]
Use the (+)(-) toggles to open and close the different types of leathers.
[toggle title="Alligator" state="close" ]
ALLIGATOR - Alligator material is available in Matte and Lisse (shiny). Typically the skin is farmed in the southern United States such as Louisiana and Florida. The difference between crocodile and alligator leather is that alligators lacks the dimples on the edge of the scales that appear on crocodile leather.
[toggle title="Amazonia" state="close" ]
AMAZONIA - Rubber coated canvas which looks like real leather. It is waterproof but is prone to scratches. The opposite side of the material is usually the canvas without the rubber treatment. This material is no longer produced.
[toggle title="Berenia Natural" state="close" ]
BARENIA NATURAL - This leather was originally used for Hermes saddles. Smooth calf leather that is usually mixed with white top stitch. Resistant to scratches as this leather can absorb oils. It can even be used on rainy days as it can also resist water. The leather develops a patina over time.
[toggle title="Box Calf" state="open" ]
BOX CALF - Made of Calf Leather which is extremely smooth with a glossy finish. Scratches are more visible compared to the textured leathers but can be blended over time by light buffing. This is the oldest type of Hermes leather and frequently appears in Vintage Kellys.
[toggle title="Buffalo Skipper" state="close" ]
BUFFALO SKIPPER - Made of water buffalo. This leather is soft with medium sized grainy appearance. Dye is absorbed closer to the center of the grain making it appear somewhat spotted. The leather is water resistant
[/toggle]
[toggle title="Canvas" state="closed" ]
CANVAS - A type of cloth that is treated and usually combined with other leathers. An example are the Hermes Herbag which is made mostly of canvas.
[toggle title="Chamonix" state="closed" ]
CHAMONIX - The matte version of box calf. It is also a smooth leather but it is not shiny. It does not scratch easily like the box calf leather. This leather is not water resistant.
[toggle title="Chevre de Coromandel" state="open" ]
CHEVRE DE COROMANDEL - A goathide leather which is soft. It is lightweight and scratch resistant.
[toggle title="Chevre Mysore" state="close" ]
CHEVRE MYSORE - A goathide leather with a grain that is more refined than the Chevre de Coromandel. It is lightweight and scratch resistant.
[toggle title="Clemence" state="open" ]
CLEMENCE - Made from baby bull, this leather is textured and scratch resistant. The grain appears flatter and matte compared to the other grainy leather Togo. The leather makes bags slouchy as the leather is quite heavy.
[toggle title="Courchevel" state="close" ]
COURCHEVEL - A leather which is similar to the Epsom it is a stamped leather with very even grain throughout. Glossier and darker at the top part of the grain. It is lightweight and easy to clean.
[toggle title="Crocodile Niloticus Matte" state="Open" ]
CROCODILE NILOTICUS MATTE - Crocodile leather from Africa’s Nile River region in Zimbabwe. The Hermes symbol on the bag will include two apostrophes ( ' ' ) to identify it as a Niloticus.
[toggle title="Crocodile Niloticus Shiny" state="close" ]
CROCODILE NILOTICUS SHINY - This is the Nile Crocodile, which is farmed in Africa’s Nile River region in Zimbabwe. It has a larger scale pattern compared to the Porosus. Its shine comes from continuous buffing until it shows a gloss. The Hermes symbol on the bag will include two apostrophes (' ') to identify it as a Niloticus.
[toggle title="Crocodile Porosus" state="close" ]
CROCODILE POROSUS SHINY - This Crocodile is farmed in Australia and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore. Same with Niloticus, the shine comes from constant buffing of the skin until it shines. The Hermes logo will include the symbol ^ to identify it as a "Porosus".
[toggle title="Dalmatian Buffalo" state="close" ]
DALMATIAN BUFFALO - A water buffalo leather which is dyed twice to produce a Dalmatian print. It has constant dark veins throughout. This leather has been discontinued.
[toggle title="Doblis Suede" state="close" ]
DOBLIS SUEDE - Otherwise known as nubuck leather or suede leather.
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[toggle title="Epsom" state="open" ]
EPSOM - The new Courchevel leather which is lightweight and sturdy. It is an embossed leather that holds it’s shape and scratch resistant. This leather is easy to clean.
[toggle title="Evergrain" state="close" ]
EVERGRAIN - This is the embossed version of the Evercalf leather. It is soft and has a very fine grain. It is prone to scratches but can easily be removed by rubbing it with the fingers.
[toggle title="Fjord" state="close" ]
FJORD - An adult calf leather with soft and matte texture. A heavy type of leather which is water resistant.
[toggle title="Ostrich" state="open" ]
OSTRICH - From the ostrich this material is characterised by even pores throughout the leather. This leather will darken with contact from skin, and lightens when exposed to light.
[toggle title="Peau Porc" state="close" ]
PEAU PORC - Made of pigskin and lightweight. This is one of Hermes’ classic leathers but is no longer produced
[toggle title="Swift" state="open" ]
SWIFT - (Formerly Gulliver) It is a soft leather with fine grain. It can get scratches easily compared to Togo and Clemence but it can be removed by rubbing the mark. It is a great dye absorbant, and bright colors look more luminous with this kind of leather.
[toggle title="Togo" state="open" ]
TOGO - A scratch resistant leather that is made of baby calf leather. Has a defined soft pebbled finish that appears raised and feels smooth but grainy.
[toggle title="Vache Liegee" state="close" ]
VACHE LIEGEE - A cowhide, natural grained leather that is stiff and durable.
[toggle title="Vache Natural" state="close" ]
VACHE NATURAL - A cowhide that is smooth, untreated and very delicate. It develops into patina over time and the material will darken.
[toggle title="Varanus or Lizard" state="open" ]
VARANUS NILOTICUS (LIZARD) - This leather comes in matte and lisse. It is high maintenance and delicate as the scales may dry out. The small scales of this leather provides a shiny look.
[toggle title="Veau Evercalf" state="open" ]
VEAU EVERCALF - It has a similar appearance with the box calf leather but is softer. It has no visible grains and extremely smooth in appearance.
[toggle title="Veau Tadelakt" state="open" ]
VEAU TADELAKT - A matte leather that closely resembles Box Calf but softer. It has no visible grains on exterior.
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