Hermès Kelly 28cm Gris Asphalte in Togo and PHW from Haoke Factory via nTS Alina

I've always loved the look of Hermès Kelly, so classic and elegant. I'm fairly new to Hermès reps (or authentic for that matter!) and after doing some research I decided to try a mid-tier rep from Haoke factory. Just my luck, Alina was having a sale last month.

Disclosure - None. Alina does not know that I am writing this review. I bought the bag with my own money and got the generic Haoke factory discount.

Seller: nTS Alina. Wechat: Alina_16880. Album: https://s.wsxc.cn/rBztsy

Price of item: Bag $322 + Shipping $40 = $362, plus $5 PPFF fee = grand total $367

Payment method: PPFF

Price of shipping and carrier: EMS ($40 to NY)

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Order timeline

July 12 - Saw the sale ad on Alina's moments, she confirmed that the Grey on with PHW was in stock.

July 17 - Back and forth about another bag which became unavailable. Paid for this bag.

July 20 - Alina sent PSPs. I GL'ed

July 23 - Asked for tracking number, no response. (Later found out bag was sent out that day)

July 31 - Asked for tracking number again.

Aug 1 - She provided tracking info. There was some confusion as a different seller gave me the SAME tracking info for another bag I purchased recently. Communicated for the next two days re: shipping status and finally it was apparent that the other seller sent the wrong tracking info. ::face palm:: Though Alina handled things in a professional manner and reassured me that the bag is on its way.

Aug 4-5 - Passed through customs at JFK (Thank you Dave and rep gods)

Aug 6 - The bag arrived!

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Photos

My Photos

Factory

PSP

[Authentic]

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Ratings

**Quality - Rating 9.5/10

- Not a Hermés expert by any means. I have only only laid eyes on two in my life. I'm comparing this rep with what I've read in my research (mainly here, youtube and photos on Fashionphile).

- The leather is soft to touch, with large grains and has a matte look and a almost powdery feel. This is apparently normal for current Togo leather. No fufu smell, just smells like leather.

- The turnlock feels sturdy and smooth with opening and closing. I took the protective films off and initially was not happy that it left some residue on the hardware. But I buffed the hardware with felt and it is as good as new.

- The handle is the one thing that I had the biggest issue with. The left side sticks out and make it look rounded. This is the most noticeable looking at the bag from head on or from the back. (-0.5) My solution is wrapping it with a twilly! The bag came with one and it looks great with the bag. I will be getting a pink one because I want to bring out the pinkish undertone of this color.

**Accuracy - Rating 8.75/10

- Overall shape looks okay. The 28cm is smaller than I imagined. This bag measures 10.5in long x 8.5in tall x 4.5in deep. Advertised dimensions are 11 x 8.5 x 4.5. So the bottom of the bag is 0.5 inches too narrow! (-0.5) I think because of this discrepancy, the bag can look more square-ish from certain angles. However I know that even with authentic Kelly's (especially the Retourne), given that they are handmade, the dimensions can sometimes be a little off. See this guide on Kelly's

- The handle drop is 3.5in, similar to authentic's 3.5in. The shoulder strap drop is 17.5in, similar to authentic's 17.25in.

- The heat stamp looks clear, and doesn't appear to be too deep to me. The date code inside is in the wrong place, in the last panel on the left of the bag. (-0.25) The authentic has it in the middle panel. The sangles do not have any date stamp in the back. (-0.25)

- There is no pearling. (-0.25) The "-Hermes-Paris-" logo looks ok to me.

- This bag is advertised as half hand-stitched. To me, everything looks neat. The stitches are mostly straight maybe with a very slight slant upward... doesn't appear to be deviations from the norm to my albeit untrained eye. Initially I was looking for a Kelly in Etoupe, but I realized that Etoupe bags have different color thread. I prefer threads that blend in with the color of the bag, better to hide any issues with stitching. I asked Alina what is the name of the color and she said it is "asphalt." I think it is the rep version of Gis Asphalte. I am really happy that I got this color, it is a chameleon!

**Satisfaction - Rating 9/10

I'm happy with this bag. There are some glaring mistakes but for a mid-tier rep, Haoke factory did a pretty good job.

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Seller Communication and Service - Rating 9.5/10

Alina was responsive to my questions, though some responses were a bit delayed. But I know sellers are very busy and do have to sleep. The tracking number mix-up was not her fault and she was very patient with my inquiries. I wish in general sellers would provide tracking numbers without prompt though.