Today we present the Hermès Lindy 26 handcrafted in Shebag’s workshop, finished in Togo leather in Trench. Shebag selects full-grain calfskin blanks that closely match the authentic Togo’s bold grain, substantial hand feel, and resilience. Since direct access to top-grade hides from Hermès’ exclusive tannery Haas is difficult, the team focuses on sourcing alternatives with the most closely matched physical properties, ensuring the leather thickness—typically slightly heavier than Clemence—and wear resistance meet strict standards.

Trench, a sophisticated shade in the same family as Etain, is a complex taupe-grey tone that exudes luxury. The factory’s dye technicians perform spectral analysis on authentic leather samples and conduct repeated tests with custom imported dyes, ensuring the leather displays the same subtle tonal depth and saturation under varied lighting as the original.

Using professional equipment such as spectrophotometers, Shebag conducts precise chromatic analysis of genuine Trench Togo leather, digitizing the color into a specific Pantone matching system code. Trench’s complex grey-brown taupe cannot be accurately defined by simple RGB or CMYK values, making standardized Pantone codes the only precise language for communication with leather suppliers.

Once Shebag has confirmed the Pantone shade, it requires suppliers to provide physical cotton or leather swatches—Trench being one of Hermès’ classic colors—for visual inspection under standardized light sources to ensure a perfect match with authentic color samples.

Pantone color guides are costly, with a single set costing dozens of US dollars, and Shebag invests in new batches annually.

Rather than using inexpensive dyes, Shebag imports premium dyes from Europe of the same origin and grade as those used by Hermès. The team understands that different leather types absorb dye differently, and Togo’s natural grain and pore structure directly affect the final color outcome.

Before full-scale production, Shebag conducts small-batch dye tests. Dye formulas are applied to leather blanks with Togo-like grain to monitor penetration, fixation, and final appearance after drying, ensuring perfect color alignment with the authentic Trench shade.

To minimize color variation, all exterior leather panels for one bag are cut from the same dye lot and production batch. Even in strictly controlled factories, slight tonal differences between batches are unavoidable, making rigorous lot control essential.

In the cutting and sewing workshop, Shebag’s artisans work under standardized lighting conditions, calibrated to simulate natural daylight. This premium grey shade shifts in depth and tone under different lighting, making uniform lighting a necessity for consistent color control.

The uneven, natural texture of Togo leather creates visual variation in color. The challenge for top workshops lies in preserving Togo’s authentic character while achieving the precise Trench tone, avoiding superficial, flat, or artificial-looking color finishes.