Authenticate Hermès Kelly

The Kelly exists in two constructions and telling them apart is the first thing to establish. A Sellier is stitched with the seams on the outside and the edges piped and painted, which gives it hard, precise corners and a formal line. A Retourne is stitched inside out and turned, which gives it softer corners and a slouchier body. They are different bags to make, different bags to price, and a listing that does not say which is a listing that has not been looked at closely.

The single handle and the strap both take load and are both hand-stitched. On a Sellier, the edge paint is applied in layers and sanded; it should be smooth, even in thickness, and the same colour along its whole length. Chipped or lumpy edge paint is either wear or poor work, and on a counterfeit it is almost always the latter.

The turn-lock plate and the two sangles work as they do on a Birkin, and the clochette carries the keys on the same numbered lock. The Kelly's flap closes under the sangles, so the alignment of the flap to the body is a construction read: it should sit flat and even with no gap at either corner.