Does a leather bag lose its value once it gets scratched?

When you start using a new leather bag, the first scratch can be a bit bothersome.

You want to keep it as clean as possible.
You don't want it to get wet in the rain.
You want to avoid bumping or rubbing it against anything.

Since it is a leather item you took the trouble to choose, I think it is only natural to feel that way.

However, I believe the value of a leather product is not determined solely by "how long it could stay in brand-new condition."

That is because leather holds on to the time it has been used.

New is not necessarily the most beautiful

Leather goods begin to change little by little from the moment you start using them.

Touching it with your hands brings out a sheen.
Exposure to light deepens the color.
It softens and adapts to the body and habits of the person who carries it.

Of course, it may also get scuffed or pick up small scratches.

If you judge only by the brand-new state, those may be "damage."

But when you look at leather that has been used for several years, the scratches rarely stand out on their own.

Together with the changes in sheen and color and the way the leather has settled in, they become the character of a bag its owner has used.

Scratches and all, leather grows

Take, for example, the Italian leather "Margot," which I often use.

When new, it is relatively matte, with distinctive scratches on the surface.

As it is used, those scratches gradually blend in, the color deepens, and it develops a surprising sheen.

Even small scuffs it picked up at first naturally melt into the other changes over time.

It becomes completely different leather from when it was new.

I love seeing it like that.

A leather product is not complete from the start.

Only through use does it finally become its owner's own.

That is how I feel.

That doesn't mean any scratch is fine

Of course, I am not saying that every scratch "adds character."

Deep cuts, water exposure that damages the leather itself, and heavy abrasion are best avoided as much as possible.

Using it with care and giving it the care it needs is also important for enjoying leather goods for a long time.

Still, I think it is a bit of a shame to stop using a bag because you are afraid of even the small scuffs that come with daily life.

Leather is a material meant to be used.

Take it to work. Use it on your days off.

In the morning, you take your bag to work.

Sometimes you set it on the floor.
Sometimes you ride the train.
Sometimes you use it on rainy days.

On days off, you go out with it, paired with different clothes than usual.

The accumulation of these ordinary days gradually shapes the character of the leather.

That is why I don't want you to use it only on special days just because it is fine leather.

Rather, I want you to use it in your everyday life.

I want you to touch it often and carry it everywhere.

That makes the leather more interesting.

See the time, not the scratches

A new bag has a beauty that only a new bag has.

But a bag used for three years has a beauty that only something used for three years has.

Neither one is right or wrong.

But if you choose leather as a material, I hope you can enjoy even the way it changes.

A small scratch appeared.

The color got a little darker.

The handles have come to fit your hand.

Each time you notice such changes, you feel the time you have spent with this bag.

That too is one of the joys of owning leather goods.

Leather does not grow unless you use it.

Rather than thinking only about avoiding scratches, use it for a long time and nurture it into something uniquely your own.

That is the kind of relationship with leather I love.