Leathers · Hermès
Box calf
Also called Boxcalf
The oldest Hermès leather: smooth, glossy and quick to show scratches.
PurseBlog calls Box the oldest and most enduring of the Hermès leathers, named after the 19th-century English shoemaker Joseph Box. It is smooth, glossy and stiff, holds its shape and scratches easily, though the scratches soften into the patina over time. It must not get wet: it will blister if not dried immediately. Sotheby's dates it to the 1890s, and notes that Jane Birkin's original 1985 prototype Birkin was in black Box calf.
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- Calf
- Grain
- None (smooth)
- Finish
- Glossy
- Structure
- Stiff; holds its shape
- Scratches
- Scratches easily; patinates
- Water
- Blisters if not dried at once