Today, we are showcasing the latest production run of the Hermès Kelly 25 bag from Shebag. Observe the quality of our leather: the grooves of the Epsom leather are exceptionally crisp. Epsom is firm yet soft, tough, and highly durable. Many Kelly 25 bags have been in use for 10 or even 20 years, yet the hardware and leather remain in perfect condition.

The Shebag factory places the utmost importance on detail; every element must be perfectly presented, as quality is our lifeline. Hermès’s Epsom leather is among the highest quality and highest priced leathers procured. Shebag adheres to the same requirements as Hermès: using top-tier European leather, free of scars (scabs), wrinkles, or folds. Nearly all the best leather from a single cowhide is reserved for making Hermès bags.

Hermès Kelly 25 Epsom Leather Craftsmanship

The Hermès Kelly 25 in Epsom is produced using traditional saddle craftsmanship centered on the Sellier (outer-stitched) construction. This process is completed by a single artisan in the French atelier, embodying a highly refined standard of manual production.

1. Leather Selection and Preparation

• Leather Type: Epsom is an embossed, corrected-grain calfskin. It must be used only if the surface texture is uniform, the color is consistent, and the rigidity is stable.

• Quality Requirements: The leather must be free of bug spots, scars, or color variance, and the grain direction must be consistent.

• Thickness: The thickness is strictly controlled to be between approximately 1.4 to 1.6 millimeters. Epsom’s embossed surface provides strong scratch resistance and a light, crisp hand-feel, making it ideal for the sharp, three-dimensional appearance of the Kelly 25 Sellier.

2. Cutting and Tapering (Parage)

• Cutting Precision: Cutting is performed using metal punching dies combined with manual knife-cutting to ensure precise uniformity of all structural components. The symmetry error of the flap (couvercle) must not exceed 0.5 millimeters, and the corner radius of the side panels must match the bag body’s curvature.

• Grain Layout: Cutting must strictly adhere to the leather’s grain direction to avoid visual discrepancies. The leather strips used for the handle’s inner core are cut from more elastic areas of the hide to enhance grip and durability.

• Skiving (Parage): Skiving is performed differentially using knives and skiving machines for various areas:

  • The front edge of the flap is skived to 1.0 to 1.2 millimeters for smooth folding.

  • The folding line area of the side panels is skived to less than approximately 1.0 millimeter to prevent crease buildup.

  • The diamond corners require chamfering to ensure the edges do not burst after stitching.

  • Skiving must be gradually transitioned and naturally smooth, with no sudden steps, which could otherwise create shadows or lift at the bag edges later.

3. Assembly and Shaping

• Bonding: The outer leather and lining leather are first positioned using water-soluble leather glue.

• Molding: The side panels and bottom are then fixed using aluminum or steel molds to set the bag’s three-dimensional structure firmly. This stage requires the shoulder curve (包肩) to transition naturally, without breakpoints or collapse.

4. Stitching (Cousu Main)

• Stitch Type: Saddle stitching is employed, using beeswax-impregnated linen thread in a double-needle cross-stitching technique.

• Precision: The stitch pitch is strictly maintained between 3.0 to 3.2 millimeters. Holes are punched using a diamond-shaped tapered awl, keeping a consistent angle (approx. 45 degrees) for every hole, ensuring the stitches cast a uniform shadow effect.

• Tension: Stitch tension must be uniform, not allowing for puckering, looseness, or bulging.

• Finishing: Corners are secured with a lock stitch (锁针手法收势) to ensure the stitching remains tight even after long-term use.

5. Hardware Installation and Testing

• Material and Plating: Hardware components (clasp, bottom studs, D-rings, key bell, strap buckles) are made of a brass substrate and electroplated in gold or palladium. The plating thickness must reach 2 to 3 microns (μm).

• Durability: The hardware must pass at least 48 hours of neutral salt spray testing.

• Handle Stress: The handle base connection to the D-ring must undergo pressure testing and endure a tensile force of at least 15 kilograms without loosening or leather tearing.

6. Edge Finishing (Mastic/Edge Paint)

• The edge painting process determines the refined quality of the Sellier structure.

• Process: Requires a base coat to fill pores, fine-sand polishing, followed by at least two to three coats of top oil.

• Quality: The edge paint must be smooth, free of bubbles, cracks, or flow lines, and possess color saturation consistent with the leather. Once cured, the edge must have a firm, non-sticky hand-feel, protecting the leather layers from moisture while preserving the geometric aesthetic.

7. Final Quality Control (QC)

• Rejection Criteria: Final inspection includes dimensional accuracy, stitching uniformity, edge paint integrity, surface precision, hardware stability, visual symmetry, closure fit, and bag stiffness/balance.

• Strictness: Any flaw, including skewed needle holes, micro-cracks in the edge paint, arc deviation, or slightly misaligned screws, can lead to the entire piece being scrapped; patchwork or superficial rework is strictly forbidden.

In-Depth Analysis of the Epsom Leather Supply Chain

Epsom leather is a typical example of embossed, corrected-grain calfskin in the luxury industry. Its supply chain is characterized by a minimal scale, concentrated sourcing, and strictly controlled processing stages, aiming to ensure the leather is crisp, light, uniformly textured, and resistant to scratches and pressure, while maintaining long-term replicability and aesthetic consistency.

A. Sourcing and Raw Hide

• Origin: Supply primarily comes from the traditional European calfskin tanning system, with France and Italy being core production areas, and some high-grade supply coming from smaller workshops in Switzerland.

• Raw Material: Raw hides mostly originate from small male calves raised in high-welfare environments. The hides are small but have few surface defects, which is essential for uniform texture.

• Pre-Screening: At the raw hide stage, defects like bug spots, scars, wrinkles, and excessive growth lines are screened out because any minor flaw will be visible and amplified after the Epsom embossing process.

B. The Press Plating and Finishing Process (The Key Barrier)

• Non-Natural Texture: Epsom’s texture is not natural; it is a directional artificial texture applied to the surface. The size, density, and angle of the grain pattern must be strictly uniform.

• Coating & Pressing: After tanning, the process involves multiple applications of resin coatings to stabilize the surface layer. Then, a steel plate embossing machine presses the grain into the leather, giving it its crisp, consistent geometric pattern.

• Process Control: This requires stable temperature, pressure, and time. Instability leads to grain overflow, collapse, blurring, uneven light reflection, or surface brittleness.

• Durability: Because the coating layer is thin yet dense, Epsom is more durable, scratch-resistant, and possesses good water and stain resistance.

C. Tanning and Chemical Control

• Tanning: Chrome tanning is typically employed to give the leather better stability and rigidity. For environmental compliance or tactile adjustment, some batches use a chrome-tannage plus vegetable-tan transition technology to achieve a balance between rigidity and flexibility.

• Regulatory Limits: The finishing stage is subject to extremely high environmental regulations (especially in France/Italy), directly limiting the supply volume, meaning capacity cannot be easily increased simply by scaling production.

D. Color and Consistency Management

• Coloring: Color application relies on a highly controlled coating system, resulting in color saturation and uniformity superior to uncoated calfskin.

• Batch Tracking: As the embossing layer limits the leather’s stretch, any slight non-uniformity in the original fiber structure can cause subtle white lines at folding points after pressing. The supply chain must pre-sort the leather based on the intended use (e.g., the flap area requires better stretch resilience).

• Cost Driver: Epsom’s cost is not driven by “scarce leather type” but by the high rejection rate and the high standardization requirements. The specialized tooling and textures (different brands use different embossing angles and sizes) create a significant barrier to entry and link technological capability directly to brand pricing power.