topic Re: D&B Leather Question in Handbags

D&B Leather Question

Raider Fan — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 22:37:46 GMT

I hope some of you can help me. I have some Doony's from the 80's/90's and the leather is still great. I just bought (from the Q) a D&B Saffiano purse. I am very surprised at the leather, it doesn't smell like leather and it seems like it is bonded to cardboard. The purse is too expensive to keep when I am so unhappy with it. My old Doony's are pebble leather (I think) which I remember being the only choice. Is Saffiano leather always like this? The vendor and host led me to believe it was a superior leather which is clearly not the case with my purse. All comments are appreciated.

Re: D&B Leather Question

Kachina624 — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 22:47:53 GMT

I'm no leather expert but Saffiano leather reminds me of the cheap vinyl from which a Walmart handbag would be made. I don't care for it. The first time I saw it, I would have sworn it was plastic. The people who like it seems to really love it saying it's durable, easy to clean, lightweight, etc. Dooney makes bags using other, more recognizable leathers like pebble and Florentine which is smooth so don't give up on them. Just chose another bag and avoid the Saffiano like I do.

Re: D&B Leather Question

gramygram — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 22:57:27 GMT

@Raider Fan hi I only have one saffiano leather handbag - a zip zip satchel and the leather is very different than pebble leather or florentine. I dont think it feels like plastic at all. But I agree it's not liked by everybody. Since you're used to the older styles I think you would love another bag in pebble leather or florentine.

Re: D&B Leather Question

jaxs mom — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 22:58:39 GMT

You probably have the All Weather leather. Saffiano is what it is, either you like it or you don't.

Re: D&B Leather Question

Susan in California — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 23:44:18 GMT

@Raider Fan

I appreciated your commentary as well as your question. You are absolutely right about the quality of Dooney's leather. It has definitely gone downhill. They can spin it all they want, but the Saffiano leather is some sort of blended leather that, yes, is easy to clean (like plastic), but is in no way a fine leather. I don't mind the pebble leather, but that is as far as I will go. Just yesterday I ordered from the Dooney website because I am afraid the Florentine will no longer be offered, or if it is, it will be a tote or a drawstring type of bag. I have several Dooneys, and I don't mind paying for quality, but I have noticed a decline lately. Another spin, the cheaper rubber 'feet". Not anything I would like.

Re: D&B Leather Question

Shawnie — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 00:19:20 GMT

I havent seen a saffiano leather either in Dooney or Coach that I like. What i do like is the coated cotton, particularly the Sutton line. A salesperson at Coach told me a couple of years ago that to do saffiano they split the hide so it is half the thickness of say a pebble leather. I don't like these saffiano-like embossed leathers either. And count me as another anti rubber feet customer. You can sanitize the metal feet, rubber not really.

Re: D&B Leather Question

millieshops — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 01:08:43 GMT

I can't even remember what brand, but I looked at a saffiano leather bag at Macys yesterday. Not something I would pay big money for.

I did walk past their Dooney selection, so if Dooney is the only company selling saffiano, it would have been theirs. If it's not exclusive to them, I can't begin to say whose it was.

Re: D&B Leather Question

hopi — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 01:15:30 GMT

@Raider Fan

I have many leather bags and many pebbled leather bags , coated cotton, nylon, denim,denier nylon and in saffiano leather 2 Coach one Dooney and absolutely love them - the are light, trendy, hold their shape and they a great addition to my collection.

That being said if you do not love a bag it has to be returned to many beautiful bags to pick from.

Re: D&B Leather Question

faeriemoon — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 13:19:23 GMT

I don't care for Saffiano either. I think it feels like plastic.

Re: D&B Leather Question

meallen616 — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 15:01:01 GMT

I agree with several of you ladies! I don't care for the saffiano either. I only buy Dooney's in pebble and florentine and have been very happy with my purchases!

Re: D&B Leather Question

Shawnie — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 16:44:48 GMT

If you like Saffiano and like a bargain, check out TJM. Mine has oodles mostly in Michael Kors. Only a couple of other brands.

Re: D&B Leather Question

libbyannE — Sun, 01 May 2016 00:42:59 GMT

I feel the same about saffiano, and Dooney and even higher-end couture brands are using it. It looks and feels cheap and simply is not the equestrian saddlelike feel that drew me to Dooney ( and coach) in the 1980s. I will not buy saffiano and hope Peter Dooney comes to his senses and brings us the quality florentine, pebble, and samba cowhide that we want. I am so glad you brought this up. Well done! Hope someone st Dooney is listening. The last tsv (April) did not do very well. In fact, I preordered two and loved the design so I wrote good reviews, but guess what? I could not make peace with the thin, costed, textured leather, which my husband thought was vinyl, so I returned both. Hoping the next tsv is pebble or better. I own four of last november's pebble leather Brenna bag and cannot say enough good things about that bag.

Re: D&B Leather Question

Raider Fan — Sun, 01 May 2016 07:01:35 GMT

Thank you so much, all of you, for your kind and thoughtful replies to my question. I am grateful to now know more about the Doony leather. After I wrote my question, I pulled out one of my oldest Doony purses, a navy crossbody, and I am thinking...why in the world don't I just wear that one again? lol (I think I will) I want real leather, cowboy saddle leather. My impression of Saffiano leather is now not good. I don't get my purses dirty so I don't need something easy to clean. I think I might agree with those of you who wrote that D&B is going a bit downhill. Thanks again everyone!

Re: D&B Leather Question

libbyannE — Sun, 01 May 2016 16:36:34 GMT

You're welcome. I still love the Dooney style and should clarify that It is not Dooney, per se, but a trend across many brands, including coach, to use the thinner, embossed leathers, not on everything but on some styles within the line. I have written about it in hopes that Dooney reads or hears about such posts and that QVC also gives us the higher quality, thicker leathers that we want.

Re: D&B Leather Question

Lilmissy10 — Mon, 02 May 2016 17:41:27 GMT

I purchased a Dooney saffiano a few years back as a TSV and really disliked it. I agree with your comment that it feels like plastic over cardboard. I haven't purchased another once since. I do still love the pebble leather and the coated cotton recently has been nice. I always love it will Jill Bauer refers to the Safianno bag as the one Kerry Washington uses that costs thousands of dollars. For me, it's a no go.