How A $10,000 Hermès Birkin Handbag Is Professionally Restored | Refurbished

Rago Brothers Shoe & Leather Repair is a cobbler in Morristown, New Jersey. The professionals repair all kinds of shoes and leather goods. They show us how they restore an Hermès Birkin bag by deconstructing the bag, repairing the inner tubing of the handles, replacing the metal feet, cleaning it, and redyeing the bag.
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How A $10,000 Hermès Birkin Handbag Is Professionally Restored | Refurbished

[@notconvincedgranny6573]

At least that person actually used the bag.

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

They can't even take care of it

[@WastedBruh18650]

@@I_WANT_MY_SLAW it’s old

[@chuuchuuz]

@@I_WANT_MY_SLAW bags are meant to get dirth

[@chuuchuuz]

dirty

[@StuninRub]

It's a fake. If it was real it would be saddle stitched and Hermes themselves would service the bag.

[@danielleg7471]

I’ve never seen an Hermes bag this worn. I’m proud of the owner lol 👏🏾

[@neldormiveglia1312]

Right?! What they've done to this bag is tragic, really. People just piling up on birkins for them to sit inside a vault is ridiculous.

[@akirebara]

I love that this owner actually goddamn used their bag. Compared to saying "it's a great investment" and just having it sit there in their stupid huge closets.

[@Sonsbitchesall]

Amen to that! Especially the ones with such a lack of color and creativiry

[@StuninRub]

This is a fake bag. Real Birkin are saddle stitched, this was machine stitch.

[@menlynbautista2131]

Haha

[@Ruey-ge6yt]

His voice over feels like I'm in a world war and he's my superior giving me an order that is so important it will directly influence the outcome of the war

[@adissiusly]

Or a heist

[@wardayousufi]

Same 😂😂

[@benk9817]

I thought he was saying "bad boy" every time he said bag

[@streetDAOC]

Lmao!

[@nicolenotnickyy]

So specific 😂 but very true

[@LouBoogaloo]

Best part of this video is knowing that the client bought an expensive bag and actually used it for it's intended purpose instead of using it as a show piece. Then instead of just buying a new one and tossing the bag, she had it refurbished to hopefully continue using it.

[@phyllisanngodfrey6137]

I have learned through KZbin videos that very high quality leather goods are made to be restored rather than replaced. That process, in the hands of skilled craftsmen, is fascinating.

[@Ajayharrysimon]

everything can be restored. It’s the price that made it irreparable

[@rabbitsblood]

The restoration job itself probably cost at least a couple thousand, more than most people would spend on a bag in the first place.

[@wingberry123]

Yes, an animal had to die for the bag. Might as well restore it.

[@phyllisanngodfrey6137]

@@wingberry123 what bothers me is WHY someone NEEDS a $10K bag. For the “status” of owning one and having everyone see you can afford one, I guess. I know how many hungry people could be fed with a $10K donation.

[@RoughOnStuff]

“Quality is what can be restored” I remember reading that in an Hermes memoir or something

[@LegendaryDCC]

$10K bag and Hermes uses a plastic tube for the inner handle? They could at least use some kind of durable rolled up full-grain leather or something that's less prone to breaking.

[@notconvincedgranny6573]

You'd be amazed how many premium brands use cheap materials - especially with shoes. You're paying for the name, that's it.

[@gabrielle1626]

Rolled up leather deont last longer than plastic actually if the owner use it everyday .

[@jacobbwalters8133]

Some sort of synthetic material would need to be used because leather stretches over time

[@KevinKingofPrussians]

@@gabrielle1626 boiled or hard leather could last long but that would be a stretch too

[@Skidmark0606]

People with the money pay for it. They don’t care. They just want the brand and can afford it.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

It's weird how I was horrified at first seing a Birkin that damaged when really it just shows that the owner got a good amount of use out of the bag over its lifetime so far and it got used as what it is a bag which usually is an every day item that of course gets some wear and tear. My bags eventually look like that too and I like to see such an luxury item look like my bags do after a few years.

[@AmandaVieiraMamaesouCult]

It's also a fake

[@watchdealer11]

That was more than I spent on my entire wardrobe until I was 30! 😂

[@johnwt7333]

That's more than I spend on clothing per year after turning 30

[@mika274]

I do wonder though. Rich people(I presume) would just throw the bag and buy a new one. If someone used it this much and decided to restore it, then my guess is that it was not from a rich person.

[@johnwt7333]

@@mika274 inherited bag. Or bought second-hand

[@phillyblaze777]

The craftmanship of these restoration professionals is incredible. It's more complex and intricate than making the handbag from scratch!

[@TheAethusa]

Hermés Birkin bags take about 40 hours to make, most of which is done without machinery. So I don’t think the work this company does is comparable.

[@TanningMiami]

cause they care! Hermes mass produces this crap and says its "handmade" to try to justify 10k purchase. You are really are buying a brand not that much craftsmanship!

[@ElBrooklyn1]

These guys have some basic skills, but not the ones required to remake a real Hermes bag. If they do have them, the shop’s owner isn’t allowing them to use those skills, including the double-needle handle stitching/knotting that any high-level leather worker would use. The way they finish the edges of the bag is also a giveaway. It’s all a short cut. Which is fine for this bag, because it’s fairly obvious that it’s a fake.

[@nigelbaboolal5072]

@@TheAethusa I saw in the thumbnail someone using a sewing machine and immediately started to cringe

[@timphoto83ec]

@@TanningMiami You have NO idea if you think that. Please educate yourself on Hermes before making such a statement.

[@crazy4beatles]

I wish we could all afford this level of craftmanship in a bag. Would keep a lot of junk out of landfills if we didn't have to buy cheap bags that can't be repaired and fall apart far more quickly than this bag.

[@hsvr]

But 10k for a bag 🤡

[@ig-nat-ius1891]

​@@hsvr It's true. There's a certain number where people are being paid fairly for their work vs CEOs are making in excess, and CEOs tend to claim they need to be paid in excess before their workers are treated fairly. But if everyone just got paid fairly and these things cost what they were worth, it would be a whole different ballpark.

[@potatoarmadillo8531]

it dint cost nearly half that to make, a good bag could still be semi-mass market@@hsvr

[@eaterofcrayons7991]

Ah yes, a $10,000 bag, glad I watched this so I know where to send my $10,000 bag that I definitely own

[@lovelyyy7573]

Lmfaoooo

[@sunshinem.fernandez2458]

😂😂

[@sew_gal7340]

This bag was 3k back when it was bought (you can tell it's an older model of the birkin), the 10k Birkins have thicker handles and deeper heat stamping

[@edithtierce8209]

This bag was probably sent to them by the 3rd or 4th owner who purchased it off of a resale site for not much. There is hope. lol

[@chrissmith8469]

Costs 200 to make

[@ozzya7887]

Love the craftsmanship and detail done by these gentlemen. Real work of art.

[@nicolethompson2399]

Genuine question: wouldn't it have been better to clean the bag while it was broken down instead of waiting until it was essentially put back together? I mean, you knew it was dirty and had access to all the nooks but now that it's reconstructed, it won't be fully cleaned. I hope that makes sense

[@SuperVF1S1S]

I thought the same thing

[@Yeepride987]

My guess is the area where the bag is being resewn and reassembled might have some dirt or particles. Since they're repainting and reconditioning the bag i'd assume cleaning the bag after assembly just made more sense.

[@MrMadvillan]

a lot of us 💯 like it just sewed over the dirt ?

[@emiliarain7269]

My guess is cleaning it before repairing will risk further damage on the already worn bag. That’s why they repaired it first before cleaning.

[@MrMadvillan]

@@marcosmarcos8877 conspicuous consumption. its why we buy things that are 1000x the cost of the materials from which it was made.

[@KathBorup]

Love these videos! So satisfying. Sewing nerd here 🙋‍♀️. I'm not into designer handbags but I really respect craftsmanship and the skill these leather workers have.

[@scissorsknivessp.5834]

Triste saber que nem mesmo 0,2% do valor dessas bolsas vão para o bolso dos artesãos.

[@brentdavis9895]

Did you notice the machine stitching at 1:39? Definitely not Hermes. It was a cool bag though!

[@yessymarianaym]

This is an amazing job. You guys must be proud of what you do. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MikeA15206]

So glad somebody didn't just throw it out, that is as amazing as Rago Brothers skills.

[@movadopika]

At least someone used it, versus sitting it in a glass case. Kudos to the owner!

[@shereedaye3405]

Spend thousand of dollars and time waiting for the offer to let it sit on a shelf. Makes no sense but to each his own

[@jeanineperez3302]

I had this company fix a bag of mine many years ago. They do great work

[@chacha5312]

May i know where is the place?

[@jeanineperez3302]

@@chacha5312 New Jersey. I forgot what township. But I think you can ship it in if your not close.

[@kamikani08]

@@chacha5312 Morristown

[@jeanineperez3302]

I paid about $120. It’s worth it for a good piece to be maintained.

[@sp6990]

Amazing job. Love the craftsmanship 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@davidshockey24]

Absolutely beautiful impeccable craftsmanship

[@houlester]

It's nice to see an owner use one and actually afford it.

[@summerrain888]

Make sure your team is well taken care of because they are truly admirable 🤩

[@charcoalanderson8010]

This must be such satisfying work. Taking something beaten and used and bringing it back to life! I'd be terrified of messing up someone's priceless vintage bag.

[@canonymous8035]

Great work. It's mind boggling the condition the bag was in before restoration. It looked like it was dragged along the ground for years

[@annabiggs2534]

Why wasn’t it sent back to Hermès to get the original artisan to fix which is the normal process?

[@ImCerealSuperDuperCereal]

Maybe it's quicker this way.

[@pamjones7426]

Too expensive and there is a muuuuuuch longer wait.

[@riannap973]

There is a waiting list for repair and refurbishing of Birkin. And the price is another story. Maybe the owner just wants it to look good again and just keep it and won't resell it.

[@desyreemalig9329]

It's a super fake Birkin. Authentic Birkins have a rolled leather handle not this plastic tubing.

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

@@desyreemalig9329 how would you know? You're poor.

[@diannawen6023]

It's a fabulous job you did there! Love to see it restored. I have one question though. Aren't you suppose to clean and re dye every piece before you stitch them back?

[@bgrg]

no

[@donpatisson]

Makes much more sense… the finishing is the « ironed » and not painted neither.

[@jayjaytailor]

Exceptionally skilled (and talented) to be able to do this!

[@rosealcidobeauty2133]

Such skill and talent is unmatched, amazing.

[@SW_Wilson]

His voice is giving WWF

[@youlikedyourowncomment5151]

That guy did a really good job matching the color of the dye

[@angelarose249]

Amazing work. I could watch these videos for hours.

[@andishae2699]

The video put up a beaming smile on my face, it really is a rewarding process

[@Phiba14]

Thank you Kevin (from The Office) for narrating this video

[@J_LOVES_ME]

That is definitely a well loved bag! You guys did an amazing job giving it new life :)

[@edithtierce8209]

Abused and not maintained*

[@Louloup25]

@@edithtierce8209 it’s made to be used .. it’s a bag not a painting

[@RavenDarknyte]

​@@Louloup25 b-but the brands!!!! the logos!!! how will people know I am Wealthy if I don't only take out my decorative leather sack by Brand once every two months??? If I use it to carry more than 2.8 oz of goods it may crumble to dust and I will have one less bag by Brand to show people I am not a Poor

[@RampagingPixie]

The sound mixing and editing on this video is BANANAS

[@tamiz8895]

Absolutely amazing work

[@coolhari2000]

Let me be the first to say it bluntly - $10k for a freaking handbag. Absolute nuts!

[@WseemHourani]

1:08 using a very sharp razer knife. meanwhile the fruits knife is chilling at the background lol

[@andreacook7431]

I want to know what brand/coliur that gorgeous purple dye was they were using in the mix! I have a leather satchel that I'm constantly having to touch up, and I'd love to try a different brand of dye on it.

[@jownie101]

Amazing craftsmanship and patience! I know that Hermes also does repairs much like this but I can only imagine how much cheaper this job is compared to Hermes’ own.

[@nospartan8585]

But if Hermès does the repair it will still be done to their quality standard and retain values whereas this bag lost quite a bit

[@laurie812]

How nerve wracking to deconstruct a 10k bag! 😨 Beautiful job by the entire team. I hope you have young appreciates so these skills don’t become lost arts.

[@tamaramonster9027]

I’m surprised they didn’t redo the internal structure. It still looks saggy, instead of standing up right. Everything else looks great. Proud of the owner for wearing her birkin.

[@wilheminaboone1107]

Outstanding video! Well done team! Clapping from Norfolk, VA.

[@catherinevalli6830]

beautiful work! great video. thank you!

[@tejas1615]

my left ear after watching this video : 🔉🔊🔉🔊🔉

[@helenshack2838]

How much does it cost for the repair of this Birken bag

[@gracebono7680]

Rago is terrific! Repaired two Gucci purses. Great workmanship.

[@libellule1499]

Amazing work!!!!!! Art!! Bravo!!!

[@paolabianco9416]

Fantastic artisan work!

[@LordNovaVA]

Craftsman like: "Ok that'll be another $10k"

[@CCCC-rc9ic]

Refurbishing a broken leather bag into as good as new is just satisfying

[@margo6976]

I would love to know how much restoring cost. So much work!

[@alfredjones4925]

I would love a job where I say "we" but have employees doing all the work

[@E50AK]

What you've described isn't exactly a job. It's a business! :p

[@yipwonderful]

Just curious how much is the cost of repair?

[@BaMbY66]

Tudo se reaproveita, tudo se transforma 🤗👏🇵🇹 Good job 🤗👏🇵🇹

[@tting4831]

Excellent and how much dose it cost for restoration tho

[@Hajiroku]

I wish they would show the cost of a repair like this compared to the price of the bag.

[@Billy2011C]

It's no longer a Hermes Birkin Handbag, It's a Rago brothers Handbag made from a Hermes Handbag.

[@yuki56741]

This is not a Hermès bag at all, for sure it's a fake one !

[@Billy2011C]

@@yuki56741 I wouldn't know tbh, either way it's not a Hermes bag.

[@PeterNitzAtelier]

it never was an Hermes bag, its a fake

[@cw5451]

Very interesting video! The restoration was outstanding!

[@Leeroyxoxo]

Its good to see that the previous owner used it rather than keeping it in the box

[@sams3015]

Seems like a great job but with such an expensive bag wouldn’t it better to goto Hermes?

[@gabrielabadi0223]

I would have been better but a lot more expensive. I myself got two Birkins last week for repair here in my country and I try to do the less possible (but at the same time perfect) on those bags because Hermes has a policy or something that if a bag needs a mayor repair that only they can do and they notice that someone else has worked on the bag or did something to it they won’t even accept it For repair. So it’s a very different situation with Birkin bags, unless the owners don’t intent to send them to Hermes ever.

[@luis-sq8cp]

because the bag is fake

[@StuninRub]

Hermes does not service fakes.

[@nigelbaboolal5072]

@@gabrielabadi0223 I'm pretty sure birkin bags have a lifetime warranty. They do the repairs for free. They don't want their name on something that looks bad. Especially if cost/service ratio is so high.

[@jethrohaha]

Hermes won’t take fake back for maintenance…

[@zoltanhorvath8568]

everything is worth as much as someone willing to pay for it. 10k well good luck

[@kaleromania2294]

Hello, I have the same hermes birkin 35 bag, where was this hermes repaired? the location. thank you very much!

[@velocitygirl8551]

This was so fascinating ♥️

[@fernandoorihuela1608]

For a bag retailing more than 10 grand it should not have one machine stitch on it. It should all be stitched by the saddle stitch that Hermes is known for.

[@AllenHanPR]

Berkin's don't retail that much its overtime.

[@The2Turtlez]

Agh, no saddle stitching in this repair at all! I feel like that’s one of the biggest draws to buying leather goods from Hermes. Gives the bag a level of durability and attention to detail that no sewing machine can, that was unfortunately lost in the process of this restoration.

[@raynpark6166]

It didn't have saddle stitching to begin with. This bag is fake

[@lemondedejulien]

You can see at 1:39 that the stitch line they remove is machine stitching. I'm surprised also because Hermes is famous for hand stitching everything.

[@dva5610]

@@lemondedejulien yup a fake

[@FN-rl2ku]

That must be such a lovely satisfying job.

[@pericharis7811]

Amazing job!!!

[@gabrielalamberti5860]

I wonder how much it cost to recondition a bag like this?

[@puffdragon5447]

Really sharp “Razor Knife” pretty sure I got 10 of them in my silverware drawer.

[@leshombre]

Its really amazing and I wonder how much does the repair costs?

[@lozarkderccy3254]

Great work!

[@diamondbolton2944]

I don’t quite know how to feel - on one hand I’m happy to finally see one of these bags put to good use for the price it costs instead of just sitting on a shelf, on the other hand I’m questioning why or better yet how something so expensive has been used to this condition.

[@pokeman260]

“This bag is worth $10,000”… how? Maybe if it was hand stitched by Jack Black or something lol

[@ruk2023--]

Things are worth what people are willing to pay for them. In reality, there's about $50 of manufacturing in the Hermes bag, $4,000 of marketing costs, $4,000 of business overheads and $2,000 profit for Hermes.

[@pokeman260]

@@ruk2023-- I know that. I’m just saying that this purse in particular is extremely boring and uninspired. It’s design is not worth $10,000

[@theonionigame]

um.. because it's Hermes Berkin? There's no way ur saying stuff like this and are over the age of 13.

[@pokeman260]

@@theonionigame is it childish to have a negative opinion on a purse? Just because Berkin bags are expensive, doesn’t mean they’re all created equally. All I’m saying is this bag is boring and uninspired, and not worth such a high price tag.

[@pamjones7426]

Yeah, that was my initial reaction. The original bag is handmade and every stitch is handsewn. The restoration process shown here is not the authentic way that the Hermes bags are made, because the restorer re-stitched the bag with a sewing machine. All luxury leather goods are handsewn using a method called 'saddle-stitching' with threads that have been run through by wax. Stitching this way seals every hole and makes them water-tight (from the melted wax) and saddle-stitching ensures that the stitches don't come apart, even if there is a rip. Still ridiculously over-priced, but when you see the way that the bags are hand-made, you can see why they cost more than the average bag. But as you and others have said, the actual materials don't really cost that much, and like other expensive products, you're just paying for the brand name.

[@farhadfadayi7389]

great done. I learn much from your videos, thanks for sharing subscribed and liked

[@heyitsmeCat]

Amazing craftmanship

[@gkvogt]

How much did the repair cost?

[@user-jd9sj1mq2b]

3.50

[@briankivuti]

Christ it's just stupid that bag would cost that much, no matter the quality. It's just wild this exists. Though, I do love seeing this lovely craftsmanship on display ✨

[@claudiaaguilar272]

Hats off to Luis and the whole team!!!

[@Satine_Moisant]

That looks like a Birkin 35 in Togo leather with Retourne stitching. That poor bag was so dead, Hermes probably would have said, "Nope". It must have great sentimental value. You guys did the best you could and resurrected it!

[@stevenbabe4666]

That is great they could save it but now have the hurt the value of not having it repaired by Hermes. They aren’t using Hermes parts and there isn’t a record with Hermes for the repair.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

There goes the resale value

[@dutbud9049]

Who cares. They're obviously not going to resell it if they're had it for 10 years and still bring it in to get repaired

[@gabrielabadi0223]

Not only the resale value but the future acceptance of Hermes for any repair

[@luis-sq8cp]

theres no resale value because the bag is fake

[@bluur3531]

Hi sir, how do hou solves sticky leather inside sole of the bags. What should i spray?? Please help. Thanks

[@elchekaner]

My grandpa was a shoe repair master in Puebla Mexico we used to own a repair shop I worked every evening after school with him, we used to do bags and leather jackets. He died but I often remember him.

[@KassidyMorrow]

You guys did an amazing job but I have to say...it's not authentic. Hermes doesn't use plastic tubing, they're rolled leather handles. The feet are not screwed on. Also, the stamp is too large and the font isn't up to Hermes standards.

[@scissorsknivessp.5834]

É falsa ?

[@jeffreysantiagoabalos6025]

"We handle it carefully so we will not damage the bag" then dropping that scissors 02:41 on top of the bag!!!! Damn!!! I cringe!!!

[@lupitabutler6890]

How incredible the repair! How much did it cost?

[@andreialamaia]

I have the same question

[@tuyendo2652]

Beautiful job❤️

[@BlankCanvas88]

Even if I were rich (which I'm sure I never will be), I could never bring myself to pay $10k for a purse.

[@GwenPidgeon]

Rich people spend their money in very stupid ways. Case in point: this handbag.

[@nicholasward9502]

Not really, the bag is a great investment. They all go up in value and sometimes double their original price within a few years. It’s no different to a “poor person” buying a $30,000 car when you can get a car for $5,000

[@whitneyann7018]

Not when it’s an investment. I doubled my investment in 3 years by buying a birkin and letting it sit in my closet.

[@marthahoffmann8674]

Would like to know addresses where to bring handbags for restoration as well as an idea of their minimum repair fees. I understand that sometimes it is better to save and buy a new bag because they charge a lot for repairs.

[@ermelindaward2395]

Beautiful job.

[@SolarEnergy4514]

I thought the thing about Birkin bags is they are entirely crafted by hand...hand-sewn.

[@deadizbetter]

"Using a very sharp razor knife" Proceeds to use Michael Myers knife

[@andtothewestamerica]

...stolen from outback steakhouse

[@commonsence8223]

I have kitchen knives that look exactly the same. Should have been using an actual razor blade like surgical steel type.

[@mariloucatado7349]

Wow!!!!! very nice restoration

[@isthisnametaken9965]

Loves these vids. I would love them more if the actual person doing the work speaks on what he is doing. I don’t want to the see the boss speak ok what his employee is doing, I want to hear and see the process from the actual craftsman

[@erikad0511]

For a $10k bag, ya'd think that Hermès themselves would be doing the restoration

[@evecrabapple8413]

Not if it's a fake Birkin

[@maxbrownawell8029]

Wow, this is not an authentic Hermes bag, so much isn't right. The title should be "How a Knock-off Birkin is Professionally Restored"

[@talker91babe]

U right! This bag can't be a authentic Birkin with plastic tube handle :))))

[@gailturnerrickman8917]

What isn't authentic? Really curious. All this is so interesting.

[@jenniferlee9577]

@@gailturnerrickman8917 the bag isn't saddle stitched- hermes is famous for hand stitching all their products and the plastic tubing is a giveaway too. I've seen other comments say the hardware is off too

[@jenniferlee9577]

@@gailturnerrickman8917 Oh and isn't lower grade leather, hermes uses really expensive top grade leather for their products

[@wayneguy6043]

Rago bros. Is my go to for shoe repair

[@kamikani08]

I have a old Kelly that I'm thinking about restoration. I use Rago Brothers quite a bit, and I can imagine it will be a pricey project. 😮