Hermès Bag: The Ultimate Authentication Guide (2024)

Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Ch David

The popularity of Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags has soared, leading to a surge in counterfeit versions. Recent research shows that up to 90% of these bags sold online are fakes. This is concerning for anyone dreaming of buying one.

The challenge is that fake Hermes bags are getting better, making it harder to tell them apart from the real ones. However, there are still specific signs of a fake that you can spot if you know what to look for.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide.

How you can tell if a Hermes bag is real

You can tell if a Hermes bag is real just by looking at the “HERMÈS PARIS MADE IN FRANCE” outer engraving.

Replicas never have use the right font for this inscription.

1. Engraving

• Authentic: Thicker, same font-weight for all letters — with more distance in-between.
• Fake: Thinner inscriptions, and the letters are too close to each other.

On a real bag, the letters should never be “glued” to each other.

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Is it too hard? Reach out to our expert Hermès authenticators:

2. Date stamp

2.1. Appearance

• Authentic: Thinner text, as it doesn’t fit so deep in fabric.
• Fake: Thicker inscriptions — too deep into the laether.

2.2. How to read

The illustration shows you how to read your Hermes bag’s date stamp

Use the table above to see if your Hermes bag’s date code matches the authentic database.

Let’s now move on.

3. Handler

• Authentic: Every stitch is angled the same, at 18 degress.
• Fake: Some stitches are straight, while others are angled.

For a Hermes bag to be authentic, every stitch on the handler must be at angled at 18 degrees.

No exception.

4. Buckle

4.1. Exterior

• Authentic:
  1. The edges of the metal are curvier.
  2. The “-HERMÈS-PARIS-” text is thinner.
• Fake:
  1. The metal is too little curvy on its edges.
  2. Thicker inscriptions.

Let’s flip the buckle to the other side.

4.2. Interior

• Authentic: Perfectly straight stitching — also thicker.
• Fake: Stitching is crooked and thin.

A quick mention:

• The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
• The next few steps are still reliable methods…
• … but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item

If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.

5. Flap

• Authentic: Solid and thick stitches all over the flap.
• Fake: Very thin stitching — not inspiring high quality.

6. Leather

• Authentic: Bigger patches of fabric.
• Fake: Smaller spots of leather.

7. Lock

• Authentic: Thinner engravings all over the padlock.
• Fake: Very thick “HERMÈS” text logo and numbers.

8. Luggage tag

• Authentic: Thinner threads.
• Fake: Very thick stitching all over the label.

9. H Logo

• Authentic: Smooth golden surface — doesn’t reflect lots of light.
• Fake: Reflects too much light.

9. Dust bag

• Authentic: Smaller and thicker “H” logo.
• Fake: The “H” is too thin and wide.

Shortlist: Quickly tell fake Hermès

Go through this list if you’re short on time and prefer a checklist of all the steps to spot fake Hermès bags:

Hermes Bag Authenticity Checklist for Users

1. Engraving Check

• Are the engravings thicker with evenly spaced letters? (Authentic)
• Are the inscriptions thinner with letters too close together? (Fake)

1. Date Stamp Verification

• Is the text thinner and not deeply embedded in the fabric? (Authentic)
• Are the inscriptions thicker and deeply set in the leather? (Fake)
• Does the date code match the authentic database? (Verify)

1. Handler Inspection

• Are all stitches consistently angled at 18 degrees? (Authentic)
• Are there a mix of straight and angled stitches? (Fake)

1. Buckle Examination

• Exterior: Are the edges curvier and is the “-HERMÈS-PARIS-” text thinner? (Authentic)
• Exterior: Is the metal less curvy and are the inscriptions thicker? (Fake)
• Interior: Is the stitching perfectly straight and thicker? (Authentic)
• Interior: Is the stitching crooked and thin? (Fake)

1. Flap Stitching Quality

• Are the stitches solid and thick? (Authentic)
• Is the stitching very thin? (Fake)

1. Leather Texture and Size

• Are the patches of fabric larger? (Authentic)
• Are the leather spots smaller? (Fake)

1. Lock Engraving Analysis

• Are the engravings thinner on the padlock? (Authentic)
• Is the “HERMÈS” text and numbers very thick? (Fake)

1. Luggage Tag Thread Thickness

• Are the threads thinner? (Authentic)
• Is the stitching very thick? (Fake)

1. H Logo Reflection

• Does the logo have a smooth golden surface with minimal reflection? (Authentic)
• Does it reflect too much light? (Fake)

1. Dust Bag Logo Size and Thickness
   • Is the “H” logo smaller and thicker? (Authentic)
   • Is the “H” logo thin and wide? (Fake)

Tick off each feature as you inspect your Hermes bag to determine its authenticity.

Expert Hermès Authentication

Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.

Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!

Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David