Louis Vuitton Leather

[glockanator]

I have a request to do a holster with some fake LV leather. Problem is I can't find any "fake" LV print leather. Anyone know a source?

[dirtclod]

Would you want somebody to rip off your trademark or design ? IMO that's what you will be doing if you find the leather and do it. I'd tell em no way !!

Edited February 1, 2013 by dirtclod

[Beaverslayer]

You will not find any reputable tannery or leather supply company that is even going to stock or have access to Louis Vuitton embossed leather. It would infringe GREATLY on Trademark and Copyright Laws in ANY Country.

I've been asked a number of times if I could tool such logos as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach and a few others and have always declined explaining I don't do "Knock Offs.

[mikesmith648]

[billymac814]

I have to disagree. He's not being asked to make a fake LV. He's being asked to use part of an LV bag in a holster. I personally think its a pretty cool idea and I've always wanted to get a trashed LV bag to use as accent pieces on certain things.

My only real problem would be using a fake one to begin with however I can understand the cost saving aspect of it and god knows there's enough fake purses out there that you could find as a donor.

This is no different than repurposing something and done well it can be a pretty interesting piece.

If he was asked to make a purse or wallet using LV material then that would be a whole new ballgame and I wouldn't agree to it.

I believe the material you're looking for is more of a canvas though. I'd find a used bag or buy a knockoff and have at it.

[Feraud]

The typical LV bags you see

(that cost a whole heck of a lot of money)

are indeed painted material. They do leather bags but I think the OP is referring to the frequently seen logo style.

[Beaverslayer]

Billy, an interesting point you bring up regarding "re-purposing". If someone where to take an old Louis Vuitton purse and cut it all up, but then resew it together as a different purse, then market and sell them as "Re-Purposed", would this still not fall under some sort of Trademark infringement?

As to the holster that this customer wants made, using either "Fake" or "re-purposed" Louis Vuitton material, I would think the same would apply as well. If Louis Vuitton saw a holster with their logo emblazoned all over it I believe they would have reasonable grounds for a lawsuit. You would still be "Representing" to the general public that this is a Louis Vuitton holster.

I agree, it would be a cool looking holster, but I still would not take on the job for the reasons I've said before. The re-purposing is a very interesting question though, I'm thinking I'll do a bit of research on this.

[dirtclod]

Billy Mac he said he wants to buy fake LV leather. I highly doubt anybody on here would be very happy if somebody had a makers stamp made just like theirs, then have the other person make holsters, belts, saddles or what ever using their makers mark. My guess is folks would be HIGHLY PO !!! I know i would be i've spent 20 plus years trying to get my brand built up making quality products. Using fake leather with a fake logo is no different. I do think that most of the time their selling over priced stuff that they had no hand in making outside of coming up with the design and i bet a lot of the designs are from somebody that works for them. It's just i like i tell people all the time if you can get enough people to say your the best at what ever your making pretty soon you are. Even if your stuff is junk !!! In their mind they have a what ever brand and it's the best because ever body says it's the best. It's just like the time i had a guy come by my shop asking me to repair his billfold. I looked at it told him it was made of plastic and it was. He swelled up like a toad and told me it was some big name designers billfold brand and that it cost 500.00 . Might of been all of that but it was still made out of plastic.

Edited February 1, 2013 by dirtclod

[billymac814]

I don't really agree with using a fake one as that defeats the purpose in my eyes.

I wouldn't be calling it a LV holster at all, I also would not cut up a purse to make another purse though as there's no reason too and that idea seems shady and that would probably border on trademark infingment. I don't think LV would have a leg to stand on in any type of trademark infringement if you're not marketing it as a product made by LV. They would be much better off going after the hundreds of companies trying to pass of vinyl garbage as authentic LV. You're simply using thier material for whatever reason.

This is far different than ripping off someone else's "brand" if for some reason I made things that had MCL stamped all over them and one of my items reached the end of its usuable life and someone with some creativity used that material to make something else completely different I would not have a problem with that at all. If they were trying to copy what I've made and sell it as my own it would be a whole other story.

This isn't exactly an original idea either, I've seen Nike shoes with an LV swoosh and some other items that used the LV monogrammed canvas. Its done because they love LV and they are free to do whatever they want with the purse they just paid a thousand bucks for.

If you can't pull it off and it looks cheesy then I wouldn't do it. I for one would not have a problems doing say an LV inlay or overlay on a holster. It would clearly be a "McCabe's Custom Leather" holster though. I would not do a wallet, purse or anything else that could pass for an LV items.

I work on a fair amount of LV items and they are very high quality, overpriced??? Maybe a little but they spend a great deal of time and care making sure everything is perfect even down to the same amount of stitches and they are all perfectly spaced. That quality doesn't come cheap. I also see my share of fakes and slot of my customers claim they are real and I know within 2 seconds its not, half of the time the handles are not even leather.

If it were me I would agree to do it but only with a real one, it'll be expensive even buying a pretty worn used one but I'd probably hold my ground there. We can agree to disagree if you wouldn't take the job but if its done with tact its not trashing anyone's brand, in fact its glorifying it in some degree. And remember you'll need a leather backer as that monogrammed canvas isn't suitable for a holster.

Edited February 1, 2013 by billymac814

[billymac814]

It's just like the time i had a guy come by my shop asking me to repair his billfold. I looked at it told him it was made of plastic and it was. He swelled up like a toad and told me it was some big name designers billfold brand and that it cost 500.00 . Might of been all of that but it was still made out of plastic.

I find that most people either lie or don't know when they have something that's real or fake. I see so many fake Coach, Gucci, Prada come in my shop that are about the same quality as a purse that came from the dollar store and the customer will tell me its real. Sometimes I'll tell them its not real if I think they will try to pull something over on me and expect me to replace it, other times I say nothing and let them believe what they want.

One kinda trashy girl was in a whole ago with a fake Coach bag and made a point to tell me its real, it needed the vinyl handle loop repaired, I told her it wasn't real and if it was she wouldn't be here right now, her response was "Well I still like it" it was not a suprise to her at all which means she totally knew it was fake but thought??? I have no clue what she thought but she was a liar and I still have the damn thing because she never picked it up. Luckily all fake bag repairs get paid in advance because I can't and won't sell them if they abandon them.

[veedub3]

if its done with tact its not trashing anyone's brand, in fact its glorifying it in some degree.

This is clearly your opinion and in the end a Judge would be the one to determine if your view is correct or not. Although I believe it is highly unlikely LV will even see your holster, and yes their time would be better spent going at those Chinese makers that are clearly ripping them off, you are still at risk for being sued. LV could very well be against guns and to have their logo emblazoned across a gun holster could be considered damaging to their brand for which you would be liable. LV is recognized across the world and even if you market it as a "McCabe's Custom Leather" holster, all anyone is going to see is the LV design, and identify it as such. One photo on the internet of the finished project is all it would take to have their Attorney's oya!

To the original poster - It is a risk you would take, and I would seriously ask myself is the amount of money I would make on a project such as this is worth the risk. All the Trademark holder have to do is drag you into court, and you will have to pony up to defend yourself. Whose pockets are deeper, your are theirs?

[billymac814]

I sill don't believe there to be any risk or wrong doing in doing it. I would really like to find out from a lawyer or someone else who could provide facts as to whether or not this would be a trademark infringement. I highly doubt it. You are not copying anyone's design or copying their trademark.

So if you had a customer who brought you a belt buckle with the Harley Davidson Logo would you not make a belt for it? I myself would, I would not however tool a Harley Davidson logo onto a belt. I made a belt with a S&W buckle on it as well, a buckle I purchased directly from S&W. is that a problem too?

[WScott]

Here is a posting from etsy. Is this ok or not???

IMHO I think not, it is a legal action waiting to happen.

"http://www.etsy.com/...earch_type=all"

Edited February 3, 2013 by WScott

[billymac814]

Here is a posting from etsy. Is this ok or not???

IMHO I think not, it is a legal action waiting to happen.

"http://www.etsy.com/...earch_type=all"

I'd say its not ok, for one that is made with fake LV material and their vague description is probably meant to mislead buyers into thinking that is an LV product. That's far different than a customer commissioning a single item to be made with a real used LV purse which is what I'm saying I would do. Its cool looking though.

Again my only problem with the OP is that the customer wants to use fake material and that already means their intentions are wrong.

I recently repurposed a suitcase that was my customers grandfather and turned it into a planner. The suitcase was no good and she wanted to be able to continue using it in another form. No matter the brand I would have gladly taken the job. Wouldn't be any different if it was an Lv bag or not. She rightfully obtained it and is doing what she wants with it.

[WScott]

Totally agree with you BillyMac.

I like the idea of re-purposing the old item's leather. Recycle it instead of chucking it and letting it rot.

You will only harvest a small amount of useful leather to make a small item for a single person who already purchased the original (ie the company got paid already) and has sentimental attachment to the leather.

What that etsy seller is doing looks a little greasy to me

[veedub3]

Here is a posting from etsy. Is this ok or not???

IMHO I think not, it is a legal action waiting to happen.

"http://www.etsy.com/...earch_type=all"

Did you notice the seller is located in China and that her Etsy store opened Jan 15, 2013? Trademarks mean nothing to them. Of course this stuff is fake and illegal and as soon as the Trademark holder pursue it, they will shut down and open up another site using a different name with a different address. What I think is going to happen in this case, is that the Trademark holder will contact Etsy and they will shut her site down.

[Leather Guru]

the stuff by Vuitton is not leather . It's in fact plastic. Only leather is used to make straps & so forth & it's veg leather & it's coated these days with polyurethane so it wont turn color

[WScott]

the stuff by Vuitton is not leather . It's in fact plastic. Only leather is used to make straps & so forth & it's veg leather & it's coated these days with polyurethane so it wont turn color

and people trip over themselves and pay a fortune to get these status symbol bags.....if it was handmade and real leather I could understand

[Jazznow]

Talked to a guy who runs a bag and baggage shop. He's an expert on industrial bags. He told me the Luis Vuitton fakes are in fact better than the real ones, lol.

[Feraud]

My wife owns a few high end bags including LV. The quality of knockoffs are definitely not better than LW. She has has pointed out to me the quality difference based on shoddy construction and low quality parts.

Based on this thread I noticed today my wife was carrying an LV wallet. I asked her thoughts on the quality and she pointed out that particular wallet had little wear and she has owned and used it for 15 years. I doubt many Chinatown knockoff (where most New Yorkers get their knockoffs) will last that long.

[billymac814]

It definitely is because the cases are far too cheap and they don't even mention LV, probably because they don't want to draw attention to it. I see they also have "Gucci" ones and a few others. If they were made from used (or new)genuine ones and sold as such it would be different. They are also made in china where you can probably buy rolls of fake LV monogram canvas and all the fake hardware you desire.

Used and damaged LV bags sell for a minimum of 100.00- 300.00 depending on how bad they are. You'd only get a few cases out of each so they would have to be more expensive. Those cases are cool looking though and if they were made from a genuine LV bag I'd probably have a pending order right now even if they were more expensive.

[billymac814]

I don't think anyone said that knockoffs are better than genuine. Most knockoffs are junk and you can tell from 15' away they are fake. The genuine LV ones are perfect in every way, if they are not they don't leave the factory and they don't EVER sell "Seconds". A lot of knockoff LV bags use vinyl instead of leather on the handles which always rip and they never get darker like a real one. Most fake ones don't last more than a few months of daily use. I despise them and I always charge more to fix a fake one, usually hoping they will pass on the repair. The junk materials are harder to work with.

That being said though some knockoff manufactures are making ones that are of pretty high quality and very difficult to tell whether they are real or not. I would be very cautious buying any LV product on the used market unless I really knew where it came from no matter how good it looks. Some of the manufactures go to great lengths to try to fool people, they copy the tags, the dust covers and even receipts.

My wife owns a few high end bags including LV. The quality of knockoffs are definitely not better than LW. She has has pointed out to me the quality difference based on shoddy construction and low quality parts.

Based on this thread I noticed today my wife was carrying an LV wallet. I asked her thoughts on the quality and she pointed out that particular wallet had little wear and she has owned and used it for 15 years. I doubt many Chinatown knockoff (where most New Yorkers get their knockoffs) will last that long.

[glockanator]

Thanks for all the replies. I have taken everyones opinions into consideration. I was able to find dome fake LV products and informed the client he would need to purchase one so I could use part if it on the holster. Once he found out the holster would be closed to $200 he backed out. I was kinda looking forward to doing this project but its not my style of holster so it will not be done at this current time.

[Mijo]

the stuff by Vuitton is not leather . It's in fact plastic. Only leather is used to make straps & so forth & it's veg leather & it's coated these days with polyurethane so it wont turn color

That's not true, LV has several lines that are all leather and not treated canvas with leather trim. Their all leather products have less branding all over them and tend to cost more, which is probably why they're less prevalent.

[Beaverslayer]

Well, I sent Louis Vuitton an email in regards to "Re-purposing" their products, this is the reply I got back.

Dear Mr. Clark,

Thank you for contacting Louis Vuitton. Due to an e-mail issue, we were unable to reply earlier to your message. We would like to apologize for this delay.

In order to preserve the luxury and discretion of the brand, Louis Vuitton does not sell any of our proprietary materials, or authorize re-purposing of these materials for other uses. We thank you for your interest in Louis Vuitton, and apologize for any disappointment this may cause your client.

For further assistance, please contact Client Services at 866-VUITTON (866-884-8866) or visit us at www.louisvuitton.com.

Best regards,

Stacy C.

Client Services

LOUIS VUITTON

866-VUITTON

contact_us@louisvuitton.com

www.louisvuitton.com

By their answer, I take it they will not "Authorize" but do not say it it would be considered an infringement on their "Trade Mark" . I'd still not want to take the chance of receiving a letter from their lawyers though....that cost would far surpass any profit made from re-purposing any of their products.