There’s no status symbol quite like a designer handbag, but have you ever wondered what makes one so much more expensive than its High Street counterpart?
A leather artisan is on task to find out, using some drastic methods: cutting up expensive handbags, pouring the harsh chemical acetone over the expensive leather and then igniting the remains.
It may seem like sacrilege, but it is the only way Volkan Yilmaz can find out exactly how the bag is made and what materials are used.
And it makes for compulsive viewing: He’s got 755,000 followers on his TikTok channel, @tanner.leatherstein, and his videos have been liked seven million times.
There are some shocking finds – like a £995 Chanel bag that was estimated to cost just £75 in leather, other materials and labor costs.
There’s no status symbol quite like a designer handbag, but have you ever wondered what makes one so much more expensive than its High Street counterpart?
Or the Bottega Veneta handbag which costs £2,076 but Vulcan declared it to be worth just £207.
These numbers are based on serious insider knowledge. Born in Turkey, Volkan owned a tannery, and started working in leather at the age of eleven. He now lives in the US and has his own accessory brand, Pegai.
“The first thing I do when I evaluate a leather bag is feel it,” he explains. Do I feel the stickers or can I feel the natural look of the skin?
Often, he says, luxury brands will even out leather, applying an acrylic coat to cover up any marks or blemishes.
Volkan Yilmaz can find out exactly how the bag is made and what materials are used by setting it on fire
Tell people to think of it like makeup. The leather has imperfections because it comes from an animal: there are scars, bite marks, and so on.
“About 90 percent of leather needs some form of touch-up.” A pattern or texture can be stamped on top of this plastic finish to create a distinctive look – like Prada ‘Saffiano’ brushed leather – but it can also be used to disguise lower quality materials.
The bag costs £2,000 because of the case that comes with the designer’s logo
Next, I look at the craftsmanship – are the stitches perfectly aligned? How complex is the overall design? What is the inner lining made of?
Then I cut it off. I pour acetone over the bag to dissolve the finish, so I can assess the leather underneath. Burning the material helps me figure out the tanning technique used – some much more expensive than others.
Of course, the price of a handbag does not only reflect the value of the leather. We also pay for the prestige that comes with a well-known brand – as well as design and costs, from glossy advertising campaigns to flagship store management in premium shopping destinations around the world.
What Vulcan wants us to understand is how much we’re paying for those “extras”.
His bag-burning career began in 2021 visiting Louis Vuitton with his wife.
He shrugged, “I’ve never been to a Louis Vuitton store.” “But when I saw the prices, I was curious about how the handbags were made.”
On a whim, he bought a bag for £1,310 and then had it taken apart to assess the craftsmanship.
He was dismayed to discover that the main part of the bag was not made of leather, but of much cheaper canvas.
Soon he was cutting bags of all kinds of designer names — and it went viral.
“People don’t and don’t know what constitutes great skin,” he explains. “They can’t tell by looking at it, so they assume that if it’s expensive, it’s of good quality.” Of course, high fashion brands often use the best materials.
Take Hermes, which has its own tanneries – allowing the heritage leather brand to select the highest quality leather and also controlling the tanning process.
But he says even the best leather will still cost about twice as much as a decent leather used by an affordable, mid-market brand – say £10 per square foot instead of £5.
So, this is clearly not why one bag can cost ten times more than another.
In a recent video, Vulcan breaks down a Yves Saint Laurent bag that retails for $1,690 (£1,403).
Its real value is estimated at around $160 (£133), factoring in all materials used and labor cost.
Since handbags are made in large numbers, he bases the labor cost on the estimated price of a bulk manufacturing contract—rather than an hourly wage for a single artisan’s work.
In response to his video, one follower commented, “You just saved me $1,700.” I’ve wanted this bag since forever, but I’ll take your word for it.
Frankly, Vulcan says, this is the right choice for many of his followers.
‘A bag never sells for £2,000 because of the greatness of the leather. It’s £2,000 because of the prestige and prestige that comes with the designer’s logo and branding,’ he explains.
“Some people understand that and are totally fine with it, and I totally respect that.
But others do not know this, and they think that the price reflects the quality of the materials.
“I hope my content helps stop these people from wasting their money.”
So how do the affordable bags stack up on Britain’s High Street under the watch of a man brandishing scissors?
Female challenged Vulcan to destroy Marks & Spencer, Zara and Kurt Geiger handbags and compare them to Prada. This is what he discovered. . .
M&S, Kurt Geiger, Prada and Louis Vuitton did not respond to a request for comment. Zara declined to comment.
The Prada bag costs £1,800, but I’d say it costs £100
Great sign in Prada
Prada Saffiano bag, prada.com
Card price: £1,800.
Vulcan estimate: £100 (£41.70 for leather, £58.30 for labor and other materials).
This look is trendy, but it hides the true quality of the leather used
Exam: Prada uses a lot of Saffiano leather, which is coated with plastic and then stamped with a criss-cross pattern.
This look is trendy, but it hides the true quality of the leather used. On the plus side, the heavy-duty finish makes the bag water and scratch resistant.
When I remove the finish, the leather that was used underneath is of good quality, which is reassuring.
However, £42 should suffice to cover the leather used here, and as the design is not very intricate, I would estimate about £58 for labor and accessories, such as the coveted Prada badge.
Verdict: To me, this feels plastic. Given that I estimate the bag to cost £100, an excess of £1,700 is quite a lot to pay for the name on the label.
Humble quality at Kurt Geiger
TfL Mini Kensington, kurtgeiger.com
Card price: £189.
The outside of this bag is medium sheepskin, which costs about £2.50 per square foot
Vulcan estimate: £38.75 (£5.75 for hides and £33 for labor and other materials).
Exam: The outside of this bag is medium sheepskin, which costs about £2.50 per square foot. I feel like the accessories—the eagle head logo and chunky chain strap—are lacking in detail, and the statement stitching isn’t quite perfect.
The inner liner looks similar in color and texture, but is actually made of polyurethane – clearly a cost-saving measure. Overall, the main draw will be the quilted design aesthetic and brand name.
Verdict: If you are looking for a case bag and you love the amazing color of this case, then this is not a bad choice but the craftsmanship is not impressive.
Zara’s design is simple yet well-made
Animal print leather mini bag, zara.com
Card price: £99.99.
The design is simple, but the stitching is even and the bag is of great quality
Vulcan estimate: £37.10 (£20.60 for leather, £16.50 for labor and other materials).
Exam: This bag is made of white cowhide leather printed with a pattern of brown spots. It’s a rustic style made trendy again, and the finish is of good quality.
The design is simple, but the stitching is even and the bag is of great quality.
It’s a shame that the interior detailing, the inside of the handle and the interior accent liner are faux PU leather, but this is clearly advertised online.
Verdict: This is good value for money. It is simple but well executed.
Exceptionally good value at M&S
Marksandspencer.com woven leather camera crossbody bag
Card price: £69.
The bag is made entirely of leather, with standard leather on the overall body of the bag
Vulcan estimate: £41.20 (£12.40 for leather, £28.80 for labor and other materials).
Exam: The bag is entirely made of leather, with uniform leather on the overall body of the bag to give it a smooth finish.
Most of the bag is made from cowhide, but the woven component is made from buffalo leather—a lower-priced option.
However, I don’t consider this a big problem.
The beauty of the woven structure on this bag comes from the intricacy of the design, not the texture of the leather, so it’s no problem to use slightly cheaper leather in this area.
Verdict: This is a very good value for a well-designed bag.
Choose a handbag that will last a lifetime
If you’re just looking for a new bag – and don’t carry acetone or a box of matches – how can you be sure you’re looking for quality leather and a bag that won’t fall apart after a few wears?
Vulcan says. . .
1. Look for imperfections in the skin – this is a good sign. If it looks too polished and perfect, it can either be coated with a heavy plastic finish, or it can be made of faux leather.
2. Feel it – and smell it. High quality leather is textured, not stretchy and soft. And it probably smells (nice) like real leather.
If the bag has no scent at all, this isn’t always a problem – some tanneries intentionally get rid of this natural scent. However, if you detect a chemical smell or smell like petroleum, that’s a bad sign.
3. Read the label. It sounds obvious, but many people don’t think to check whether they are buying polyurethane or genuine leather.
And beware of vague terms like “genuine leather” or just “leather”. Legally, manufacturers are required to declare what the bag is. But a description like that tells you there isn’t much to say.
Brands that make high-quality artisan leather can’t stop talking about it, and will provide additional details like the finish or tanning technique.
Don’t assume that just because the exterior is leather, so is the interior.
4. Check hardware weight and finish (all metal parts of the bag). It can be tricky to judge hardware – some may look good at first but show flaws later on.
But a good first step is to check the weight of these ingredients. In general, the heavier it is, the higher the quality. Then check the finish for scratches, blemishes, and dullness. A painted or brushed finish is a good sign.
5. Find a branded zip. There is nothing more irritating than a zip that breaks or sticks.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to check: Look for the brand name, which is usually found on the zipper pulls. YKK and Riri are two great brands and reliable indicators of quality.
DISCLAIMER:- Denial of responsibility! olorinews.com is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email at loginhelponline@gmail.com The content will be deleted within 24 hours.