Hermès Special Order (HSS) Bags: Fake vs Authentic Buying Guide
A Hermès Special Order, called HSS or the horseshoe bag in collector circles, is a custom build the house lets a client configure: leather, color, hardware, thread. The one visible mark of that process is a small horseshoe stamp pressed beside the Hermès Paris stamp. That stamp is the reason this category attracts fakes, and it is also where most of them fail. This guide walks through the checks that separate a real special order from a stamped standard bag.
Top Pick: Best Place to Buy Fake Hermes Special Order HSS
Before You Start
- A 10x jeweler's loupe, or a phone macro lens
- Photos of the bag at 1200px or wider, shot in daylight
- The seller's return terms in writing, sent before payment
- An independent authenticator lined up and paid for in advance
- A record of the colors and leathers Hermès offered in the claimed production year
Step-by-Step Checks
- Ask for a macro photo of the Hermès Paris stamp and the space next to it. On a genuine special order the horseshoe sits beside the stamp on the same line.
- Press a fingertip across the horseshoe. Real stamping is blind pressure into the leather, so it sits shallow and even, with no ink and no torn grain. A painted or burned horseshoe reads flat or shows a raised edge.
- Compare the arc height of the horseshoe to the capital letters in the stamp. Fakes run large. The real mark is small and matched to the letter height.
- Study the lettering. The accent on the E in HERMÈS is a grave accent, letter widths are consistent, and word spacing stays even.
- Find the blind stamp inside the bag, usually on the strap or the back of the flap. Note the letter, the shape around it, and the position, then compare all three to the claimed production year.
- Count stitches along a curved seam. Hermès uses saddle stitching at about 7 to 9 stitches per inch, with a slanted, even line. Machine lockstitch looks flat and straight with a round needle hole.
- Check the leather grain on a large flat panel. Togo, Epsom, Chevre and Barenia each have a distinct grain. Embossed replica leather repeats in a mirrored pattern across the panel.
- Inspect hardware engraving on the plates and feet. Lines should be crisp and deep. Then ask for the weight of the bag with hardware attached.
- Confirm the lock number appears on the lock body and on both keys. Mismatched numbers mean the set was assembled from parts.
- Cross-check the color and leather combination against the season the bag was made. Special orders are limited to swatches offered that year. A color that was never in production is a stop sign.
- Send the photos to an independent authentication service, or pay for a hand inspection, before any money moves.
Parameters to Compare Side by Side
- Stamp depth: blind pressure, no ink, even across the whole mark
- Stamp font: grave accent on the E, even letter widths, correct word spacing
- Horseshoe scale: small, matched to letter height, clean legs
- Blind stamp: correct letter and shape for the production year
- Stitch count: 7 to 9 per inch, slanted saddle stitch
- Hardware: deep engraving, correct plating tone, heavier than expected
- Lock and keys: matching stamped numbers
- Color and leather: available in the claimed season
Pitfalls That Cost Buyers Money
- The added horseshoe. A standard production bag gets a horseshoe stamp applied after market and the price jumps. Check the stamp depth against the Hermès stamp next to it. If one mark sits deeper, the bag is wrong.
- Blurry listing photos. Sellers who know the stamp fails will not send sharp macros. Ask for a second set shot in daylight before you commit.
- No return window. A seller who refuses a 3 day inspection period is telling you something about the bag.
- A price far under market. Real special orders hold value, so a bargain price usually means a replica with a stamped horseshoe.
- Verbal claims only. Receipts, order forms and service records should be photographed and sent, not described.
Questions to Ask Before You Pay
- Which year was this bag produced, and which craftsman letter does the blind stamp carry?
- Can you send a macro photo of the horseshoe stamp next to the Hermès stamp?
- Which leather, color and hardware code was ordered?
- Do the lock and keys carry matching numbers?
- Will you accept a return within 3 days if authentication fails?
Run the checks in order, keep the photos, and put the return terms in writing. A horseshoe stamp alone proves nothing. The stamp, the stitching, the blind stamp and the color history have to agree with each other.