We recently customized a Hermès Mini Kelly 2 bag in yellow Epsom leather for a client. It is absolutely stunning and features one of Hermès’ new colors for 2025.

The key to replicating the Hermès Mini Kelly 2 lies in the Epsom leather mold (embossing plate), not just the leather source. Shebag discovered this early on. Therefore, Shebag’s Epsom leather possesses an exclusive secret recipe based on our in-depth research into Hermès Epsom leather. Today, we are revealing a part of that research.

Epsom is one of the few embossed custom leathers adopted by Hermès that falls outside the standard tannery systems of Hermann Oak, Tanneries Haas, Tanneries d’Annonay, or Roux. It belongs to a specific supply chain flow: Calfskin → Shaping → Mineral Tanning → Surface Treatment → Custom Embossing → Hermès-Exclusive Coating.

The Epsom grain comes from Hermès’ proprietary mold system, typically using lightly finished calfskin. Hermès holds exclusive grain molds with two specialized European factories:

• A professional embossing facility in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.

• A leather processing plant in Lombardy, Northern Italy.

Its texture (the so-called “Epsom Grain”) is not the generic “Cross-grain” found on the market. Instead, it features Hermès’ exclusive grain density, direction, and depth. The molds are Custom Steel Embossed Plates, with a statistical dot density of approximately 185–220 dots per cm². This is the key to Epsom looking crisp, dense, and structurally rigid without collapsing.

The raw calfskin hides used by Hermès for Epsom typically originate from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria (higher latitudes result in finer pores). The hides are selected at a finished thickness of 1.4–1.6mm (skived to 1.0–1.2mm for use). Why not use domestic French hides? French hides are more commonly used for natural grain leathers (like Togo, Clemence, Barenia). Epsom requires extremely fine pores and minimal scarring, favoring the Central European supply chain.

Many mistakenly believe Epsom is pure vegetable tanned, but it is not. The standard Hermès Epsom process:

1. Chrome Tanning Base: Makes the leather light, rigid, and shape-retaining.

2. Semi-correction: Smooths out micro-imperfections while retaining elasticity.

3. Hermès Custom Finishing (Double-Layer Coating):

   • Base Layer: Dyeing + Sealing Layer (enhances color fastness).

   • Top Layer: An ultra-thin hardening protective layer (scratch resistance).

This process structure gives Epsom its defining characteristics: Lightweight, Rigid/Structured, Extremely Stable Color, High Scratch Resistance, and Water Resistance. This also confirms that it is not a natural grain.

Most Hermès leather comes from the “Big Three” French tanneries: Tanneries Haas (Togo), Tannery Roux (Barenia), and Tanneries d’Annonay (some smooth leathers). However, Epsom operates independently of this French trio because these tanneries specialize in natural grains/hide processing and do not produce embossed leather. Epsom requires highly consistent embossing depth, so it must be outsourced to specialized European third-party processors focused on embossed leather.

The Hermès color system is most complete when it comes to Epsom. Epsom is perfectly suited for Hermès’ extensive color palette:

• Light Colors (Craie / Nata): Remain stain-resistant.

• High Saturation Colors (Rose Tyrien / Vert Criquet): Show stronger vibrancy.

• Dark Colors (Noir): Grain appears sharper.

This is due to: Controlled coating after embossing, minimal color deviation, and extremely high color consistency across the whole hide (Delta E < 1.0). This is why Kelly/Birkin Sellier styles widely use Epsom.

Shebag’s system operates at a high level for both Togo and Epsom. However, the true difficulty of Epsom is not the leather itself, but the Grain Mold + Coating System:

1. Grain density must be consistent (approx. 200 dots per cm²).

2. Depth layering cannot be “stiff” or flat (most domestic embossing is too flat).

3. Coating thickness: Too thick looks fake; too thin reveals pores.

4. Embossing direction and heat-press temperature must be stable.

5. Color consistency requirements for large hides are extremely high.

Among these five points, the most difficult are the Mold and Coating, not the raw leather itself.