Hermès Swift leather

Swift is an almost smooth calfskin with a delicate shine and a grain that Hermès calls sometimes hardly noticeable. In the collections since 2004, it is described as soft, tender and supple, becoming even more supple over time. Online, we see it far more often on the Jypsière Mini than on any other model.

Swift at a glance: the Hermès profile

Where Swift comes from

The name honours Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels. Hermès chose it to point to a resemblance with Gulliver calfskin, an earlier leather that no longer features in its collections.

Hermès calls Swift extremely supple and sophisticated, with a lightly marked grain. Clemence and Togo are defined by a natural grain brought out by drumming, and Epsom by a printed one; Swift is defined by how little grain shows.

It also works as a partner material. On hermes.com Swift is paired with canvas on the Picotin Lock 18 pocket, the Lindy II Mini Toile & Cuir, the Hac à Dos PM and the Tablier Sellier, with Togo on the Arcon, with felt on a Picotin Lock 18 and with Milo lambskin on the Rodeo Pegase PM.

Swift compared with Box, Epsom and Clemence

Box and Swift are both smooth calfskins, but their profiles diverge. Box, in the collections since 1920, is glossy, polished and firm, sensitive to scratches at first, and acquires a patina while keeping its shape. Swift is soft and generous in the hand and simply becomes more supple.

Against Epsom the contrast is grain and structure: Epsom has a small printed grain, a firm hand and keeps its shape. Clemence is closer to Swift in softness but has a generous, visible grain and a semi-matt surface instead of a delicate shine.

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

Which bags come in Swift

Hermès lists Swift for the Jypsière Mini, Halzan Mini, Plume Mini, Roulis Mini, Jige Elan 29, Lindy 26 and Lindy II Mini, Picotin Lock 18, Rodeo PM, Hac à Dos PM, Arcon, Tablier Sellier and Calvi Duo Compact, the last also in printed Swift designs. In the UK a Lindy 26 costs £7,590 in Swift against £7,300 in Clemence, and a Halzan Mini in Swift costs £4,410, according to product pages checked on 17 September 2026.

Swift appears in the online store far less often than Clemence but far more often than Togo.

What Swift costs on the same item

Swift turns up in more price rows than any other leather we recorded — twenty-four of them, from a £620 Rodeo Pegase charm to a £7,630 Hac à Dos backpack in Woolycot canvas and Swift. It is rarely the cheapest option on an item: on the Picotin Lock 18 the pocket version in Goeland canvas and Swift is £3,280 against £2,700 for plain Clemence.

The printed Swift versions cost more again. A Calvi Duo Compact is £480 in Epsom and £730 in one of the printed «Habits de Cour» Swift finishes — the same card holder, half as much again for the print.

Caring for Swift

Keep a Swift bag away from water and prolonged sunlight. Unlike Epsom, Swift is not described by Hermès as scratch-resistant, so a smooth surface like this deserves some care with keys, rings and rough surfaces.

Store the bag stuffed with paper or soft fabric in its dust bag, so a supple leather does not settle out of shape. For marks, scratches or wear, ask a Hermès boutique about the Hermès aftercare service instead of trying to treat the leather at home.

Frequently asked questions