Hermès Epsom leather

Epsom is a calfskin with a fine, regular grain that Hermès obtains by machine-printing. In the collections since 2004, it is described as round and firm in the hand, scratch-resistant and able to keep its shape. Online, we see it most on the Constance Slim and To Go, the Calvi Duo and the Della Cavalleria.

Epsom at a glance: the Hermès profile

Where Epsom comes from

The leather takes its name from Epsom, a town in south-east England known for its horse races. For a house that started in Paris in 1837 as a harness workshop, the equestrian reference is a natural one.

Unlike Clemence and Togo, whose grain is brought out by drumming, Epsom is a printed leather. Hermès says its fine, regular grain is obtained through machine-printing and has a subtle dual tone.

On product pages the material appears as "Epsom calfskin". It entered the collections in 2004, the same year as Swift.

Epsom compared with Clemence, Evercolor and Swift

Structure is the main difference from Clemence. Hermès describes Epsom as round and firm and says it keeps its shape, while Clemence is yielding and becomes more supple. The feel differs as well: Epsom is dry, with a slightly "up and down" grain, where Clemence is soft and smooth.

Evercolor, introduced in 2012, is another printed calfskin, but Hermès calls it satiny, supple and soft, and says it softens and becomes shinier over time. Swift, from the same year as Epsom, has almost no visible grain and grows even more supple.

Shortened from the leather profiles on hermes.com product pages, checked 17 September 2026.

Which bags come in Epsom

Hermès lists Epsom for the Constance Slim and Constance To Go, the Calvi, Calvi Duo Compact and Calvi Verso, the Della Cavalleria Elan and Mini, the Geta Slim, the Bolide 1923 in sizes 25 and 30, the Evelyne 16 Sellier and the Verrou Mini. In the UK, a Constance Slim in Epsom costs £2,740 and a Bolide 1923 - 25 costs £5,970, according to product pages checked on 17 September 2026.

Much of what we record in Epsom is small leather goods, and overall it appears online far less often than Clemence.

What Epsom costs on the same item

Epsom is where several lines start. The Calvi card holder is £345 in Epsom, the cheapest leather listed for it, against £410 in Mysore goatskin and £480 in Box calfskin. On the Evelyne 16 the Sellier version in Epsom is £2,700, which puts it £980 above the Amazone in Clemence — although there the difference is the construction as much as the leather.

At the top of the range the same leather appears on the Kelly Dépêches 36 at £9,530, the same price as Togo. Epsom is not a cheap leather in itself: it is used where a firm, printed grain holds a flat shape, from card holders to briefcases.

Caring for Epsom

Scratch resistance is not protection from water, so keep an Epsom bag dry and out of prolonged sunlight. Store it stuffed with paper or soft fabric inside its dust bag.

Where the grain has faded from rubbing, or the leather is marked or stained, ask a Hermès boutique about the Hermès aftercare service rather than treating the surface yourself.

Frequently asked questions