Kelly 1:1 comparison
Kelly 25 Authenticity Verification
[Invoice & Original Receipt]
(The color will be revealed at the end.)
📌 Invoice:
Purchased in April 2024 from an official Hermès boutique
Blind Stamp: B
📌 Original Receipt:
Retail Price: $12,500 USD
We purchased it for $23,200 USD on the resale market.
[Front View]
Kelly 25 Epsom Étoupe GHW vs. Kelly 25 Epsom Gold GHW
Which one is authentic?
Try to guess as you look at the photos!
Most people won’t be able to tell just by looking at this image,
it’s nearly impossible to distinguish the two.
[Side View]
Even from the side profile,
both bags have the exact same trapezoidal shape.
One of the biggest flaws in lower-quality replicas is that they often fail to
perfectly replicate the trapezoidal proportions of an authentic Kelly.
Width: 9.5 cm
Height: 18 cm
Of course, even authentic Hermès bags may have
minor millimeter variations, but these proportions
remain consistent within a certain range.
This is an important detail to check when verifying authenticity.
[Back View]
[Bottom View]
Key details:
✅ Sangle (strap attachment) placement
✅ Bag height & overall structure
✅ Trapezoidal silhouette
✅ Protective clous (metal feet) placement
Everything is 100% identical.
Why Is a 1:1 Comparison So Important?
When you look at a single bag on its own,
it’s difficult to judge quality accurately.
Especially if you’re not an expert.
That’s why many people don’t realize the flaws in mid-tier replicas.
However, when placed next to an authentic bag,
many details suddenly become obvious:
❌ Incorrect strap attachment height
❌ Bag height differences
❌ Misaligned metal feet
When it comes to hardware,
the difference is even more extreme.
If you’ve ever seen authentic Hermès hardware in person,
you would immediately notice the difference in
quality with lower-tier replicas.
We are fully confident in our quality,
which is why we go the extra mile to
purchase authentic bags for direct comparison.
[Handle Shape]
The handle is one of the most critical parts of a Kelly bag,
and its construction directly affects the overall quality.
It is also one of the most difficult parts to perfect.
At Thierry Studio, we went through countless prototypes and
years of refinement to achieve a flawless handle shape.
📌 Notable Observations:
Recently, even authentic Kelly bags show slight variations
in handle roundness. Some are more rounded,
while others appear slightly sharper.
What should you look for?
✅ Leather grain consistency on the handle
✅ Edge paint (edge coating) precision
✅ Stitching quality
✅ Handle core thickness
Each of these details contributes to the
overall authenticity and craftsmanship of the bag.
[Handle Stitching]
Handles are attached to the
upper body of the bag with meticulous precision.
This is a highly complex process because:
1️⃣ The bag and handle are separate leather pieces before stitching.
2️⃣ Each needle must pass through precisely measured points.
3️⃣ If a needle is misaligned, the entire leather piece may need to be discarded.
And, of course, Hermès’ signature saddle stitching is a
crucial element that cannot be overlooked.
[Top-View Comparison]
When viewed from above, the overall shape and
handle placement are 100% identical.
[Sangle Saddle Stitching – Right]
[Sangle Saddle Stitching – Left]
Now, it’s time to reveal the answer.
The answer is
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The authentic Kelly bag is on the right.
Kelly 25 Epsom Gold GHW.
[Invoice Serial Number & Blind Stamp Verification]
BTNXXXXX
Since photos can be edited, we also recorded a one-take video to
verify the matching serial number and blind stamp.
Even though the Kelly 25 Epsom Gold was the authentic bag,
you may have noticed that its stitching wasn’t perfectly uniform.
This happens because:
✅ Each artisan has their own stitching style.
✅ Saddle stitching is done by hand, leading to natural variations.
Since every Hermès bag is handcrafted,
each piece has slightly different stitching characteristics.
This is why stitching alone should not be used as
the sole factor in determining authenticity.
(However, there are still important quality standards that must be met!)
Now, let’s take a look at the remaining key details.
[Front Stitching]
[Front Buckle Engraving]
For Kelly 25 Gold Hardware, focus on the
small square on the far right of the buckle engraving.
(The engraving on Kelly 28 is different.)
📌 Alignment Check:
✅ The right edge of the buckle cutout and the left edge of
the small box engraving should be aligned.
(Minor variations are acceptable.)
Note:
This alignment varies by bag size and hardware type
This rule applies specifically to Kelly 25 Gold Hardware.
The biggest difference between authentic and
lower-quality replicas is often found in the hardware.
Here are some examples of hardware from other factories:
📌 Factory 1 Hardware
Font style, font size, and placement are
visibly different from authentic.
📌 Factory 2 Hardware
At first glance, it looks similar. However, the font appears
compressed vertically, making it shorter than it should be.
📌Thierry Studio Kelly 25 Hardware
✔ 100% accurate font, size, and placement
✔ Perfectly matched engraving depth & clarity
[Padlock & Key]
Padlocks are one of the most difficult
components to replicate accurately.
What to check:
✅ Padlock size & shape
✅ Color consistency
✅ Engraving quality
📌 Engraving Details
Font and size are perfectly matched.
The only slight difference is the positioning of the
4-digit number beneath the "HERMÈS" logo.
It is very slightly lower than on the authentic piece.
And if you look closely, the shape of the keyhole is different.
All are authentic Hermès padlocks.
Even among authentic Hermès padlocks, variations exist
due to different production batches and artisans.
Key Details That May Differ Between Authentic Locks:
✔ Positioning of the engraved numbers on the bottom
✔ Font style of the serial number
✔ Slight variations in the shape of the keyhole
These small differences also exist in genuine Hermès locks,
depending on production year and artisan.
[Edge Coating]
The color of the edge coating varies depending on
the leather color, so we will skip discussing the color.
Hermès uses a traditional air-dried, hand-painted edge
coating method instead of modern heat-sealed methods.
This method:
✔ Requires multiple layers of paint
✔ Takes significantly longer than heat treatment
✔ Results in superior long-term durability
📌 Key Feature
Even after multiple layers, the coating remains ultra-thin,
allowing the leather grain to remain visible.
A hallmark of true Hermès craftsmanship.
[Logo stamp]
The logo stamp engraving shows no visible differences.
When stamping the logo, excessive pressure is avoided to
prevent damage to the leather. The artisan must apply
just the right amount of pressure to ensure a clear and precise engraving.
[Leather]
Leather is the most important element in bag production.
The leather used is Epsom from HAAS Tannery,
the same supplier as Hermès.
If you look at the photos, the leather grain
and surface are perfectly identical.
That's because Thierry Studio uses the exact same leather as Hermès.
How is it possible for us to use Hermès leather?
We personally source our leather to ensure the
highest quality, giving you the same experience as
purchasing an authentic Hermès bag.
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Thierry Studio – Unmatched Quality & Transparency
No one else does direct, side-by-side
authentic comparisons like we do.
Our commitment is simple:
✔ 100% Transparency
✔ Uncompromising Quality
✔ Customer Trust Above All
Thank you for reading
we hope our passion for craftsmanship has reached you! 😊
