If you're looking for a durable Chanel bag that will stand the test of time, make caviar leather your go-to search term. A popular grained calfskin leather with a pebbled finish, it's slightly heavier than lambskin, and has a much more scratch- and water-resistant surface, so you can use it every day with confidence.
Chanel Caviar Leather
Caviar is the most highly coveted of all Chanel leathers, and it holds the highest resale value. It is made from pebbled calfskin with visible and tactile grains making this leather tougher and heavier than Lambskin, and a popular choice among those who want to carry their Chanel bag more often.
They also design handbags in calfskin, goatskin and exotics (to name a few). However, a few years ago, Chanel made the decision to concentrate predominantly on Lambskin and Caviar, which is why their seasonal designs will host one of these leathers.
Calfskin on its own is sturdier than lambskin, and the pebbled finish of caviar leather also renders higher durability. For an everyday bag, caviar is more durable and able to stand more wear. Lambskin on the other had is more prone to scratches and scruffs. However, lambskin is not as fragile as you might think!
As a general rule of thumb, lambskin is best for leather garments (jackets and coats) because its soft texture easily forms to the body, whereas calfskin is better for accessories (shoes, handbags, wallets, and related accessories) because it is tougher and retains its shape better.
Caviar is generally more popular than Lambskin and occasionally sells out in stores. Chanel's Caviar bags may be more exclusive and hard to get at retail.
1. Water damage and stains. As lambskin leather is sensitive to water, you should avoid washing it or getting it wet.
Cowhide leather is the best for all types of bags because of its durability, elegant look, strength, softness, flexibility, and patina development.
Although calfskin leather is fairly durable, it doesn't have cowhide's strength. It is generally more scratch resistant, however, and much softer to the touch. As calfskin leather will typically be vegetable tanned, you'll also be getting leather closer to its natural form, and will thus stain more easily.
Goatskin is known for being a sturdier textile with a little more texture to it and can withstand everyday wear (still prone to scratches, but the natural creases conceal them better) compared to lambskin.
Saffiano is a textured leather, meaning it has a cross-hatch finish achieved by treating the leather with a specialised stamping machine. This full-grain leather is further finished with a wax treatment. As a result, the leather is highly scratch resistant, durable and exceptionally easy to keep clean.
Chanel Flap Bags are lined with high quality leather. The leather should be fitted tight with no creases, bumps, or bubbles. Even over time and with use, the lining in a genuine Chanel will not pull away or loosen from the sides.
Among real leathers, full grain leather is by far the best in terms of quality. Unlike the other grains, full grain has not been separated from the top grain or split layers, and is therefore the strongest and most dependable type of leather.
Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable leather. Additionally, since the grain is so tight, it resists moisture very well. Over time, full-grain leather will look nicer and nicer and develop a patina from being handled. The next best—and second strongest—leather is called "top-grain" leather.
Meet the shell cordovan
The most expensive exotic leather in the world is from the shell cordovan, a leather derived from the flat muscles underneath the hide on a horse's rump. As you can imagine, not many places in the world raise horses for leather.
Pigmented leathers typically have the strongest performance characteristics of all leathers, proving resistance to scratching, fading, staining and abrasion.
Deerskin: Ultra-soft, supple, lightweight, durable, spongy and yet, highly durable, deerskin is one of the only types of leather that can get wet and still dry soft, over and over again! It's also a lot more comfortable than cowhide, and hence is a favorite of luxury handbag brands like Prada.
In 1990, the medium classic flap bag retailed for around $1,150. Cut to 2021, investing in a Chanel bag would set you back around $8,800. However, Chanel bags' resale value exponentially increased by a whopping 17.25% in the preloved market.
Chanel has consistently increased prices on the most popular handbag styles like the Classic Double Flap Bag and demand has not decreased, making it a sturdy investment with an average increase of 16% year on year.
They're also very high quality (and, with some leather choices, quite durable) so the bag can last a lifetime with the proper care. All these great qualities come with a high price tag, so making the choice to buy your first Chanel bag can be a big one.
Although lambskin leather has many desirable properties, the material is very fragile and can damage easily with improper care. Some well known issues with lambskin leather are its susceptibility to scratches, tears, stains and discolouration.
Buff Lambskin Leather
Just rub gently on the affected area, and it will help to reduce the appearance of scratches, dents and wrinkles. I've done it with all of my lambskin Chanel bags and it really does help to keep the leather puffy and shiny.