Choosing them is half the work
What we work, how each leather behaves, how much time it asks for.
Leather is not chosen from a swatch book. You read the grain, look for the firmest part, discard the areas that would give way with wear. On a large skin there is one right cut for a pair, not three.
That is why two pairs of the same model are never identical, and why differences of tone in natural fibres are not a fault.
The families
Eleven, from calf to alligator. Each one with its origin, its uses and its time at the bench.
Calf and light calf
Firm, elastic, hard-wearing. Full grain keeps the natural surface, which is the strongest part of the skin. Light calf is thinner, for light footwear and leather goods.
- Origin
- Italian tanneries
- Finishes
- Smooth, full grain, hammered, printed, mirror polished, suede, patent, hand shaded.
- Uses
- Oxfords, Derbies, loafers, pumps, boots, sneakers, bags, belts.
- Working time
- 15 to 45 days
Kid
Very soft, light, with a fine grain. This is the lining leather: it sits against the foot all day and must never harden.
- Origin
- Italian tanneries
- Finishes
- Nappa, brushed, caviar finish, woven, hand dyed, gilded.
- Uses
- Linings, light uppers, ballet flats, sneakers, soft bags.
- Working time
- 15 to 45 days
Italian natural sole leather
Not an upper leather but a sole leather. It wears slowly and takes the shape of your stride instead of fighting it. Double layer for daily wear, triple for cold climates.
- Origin
- Italian tanneries, vegetable tanned
- Finishes
- Natural, printed.
- Uses
- Stitched soles, insoles, belts.
- Working time
- Included in the work
Suede and velour
Worked on the flesh side, velvet to the touch. It asks for more attention than other leathers and gives back a softness no smooth skin reaches.
- Origin
- Italian tanneries
- Finishes
- Calf suede, velour, nubuck.
- Uses
- Mid season shoes, loafers, sandals, ankle boots.
- Working time
- 15 to 45 days
Pony and horse
Pony keeps the natural hair and takes dye in patterns, from leopard to two-tone patches. Horsehide, without the hair, is among the toughest leathers worked here.
- Origin
- Italian tanneries
- Finishes
- Hair on, patch dyed, leopard effect, lizard print.
- Uses
- Boots, ankle boots, loafers, bags, clutches.
- Working time
- 30 to 60 days
Ostrich
C.I.T.E.S.
Recognisable by the raised points left by the quills. Light, soft, surprisingly strong. Worked on both surfaces it shows two faces on the same skin.
- Origin
- Certified farms
- Finishes
- Natural, double working, dyed.
- Uses
- High end Oxfords and Derbies, wallets, belts, covered heels.
- Working time
- 45 to 90 days
Python
C.I.T.E.S.
It keeps its softness, strength and colour over time. Wild python is tanned by hand to an old method that leaves the original colours intact and protects it from cracking and fading.
- Origin
- Italian tanning
- Finishes
- Natural, wild, dyed, shaded.
- Uses
- Pumps, boots, loafers, bags, belts.
- Working time
- 45 to 120 days
A pair takes skins from several animals. That is the reason for the long times.
Alligator and crocodile
C.I.T.E.S.
The top of the range, first choice only. Only the noblest part of each skin is taken, so a single pair needs several animals. Full natural size pure back is the most demanding work of all.
- Origin
- Tasmania, Australia, the United States and South America
- Finishes
- Natural, aged, pearled and hand shaded, two-face, pure back.
- Uses
- Oxfords, loafers, boots, bags, belts, wallets.
- Working time
- 45 to 120 days
Stingray, lizard, eel, elk
C.I.T.E.S.
Stingray is soft inside and hard outside: a real challenge for whoever works it. Lizard gives a fine, even grain, eel a silky surface, elk a softness few leathers reach.
- Origin
- Italian tanning
- Finishes
- Natural, dyed, paired with calf.
- Uses
- Inserts, belts, wallets, contrast uppers.
- Working time
- 45 to 90 days
Furs and fleeces
Mink, rabbit, shearling. For warm linings, turnbacks and trims, where heat must be kept in without taking air from the foot.
- Finishes
- Natural, multicolour, dyed.
- Uses
- Winter boots, turnbacks, bags, trims.
- Working time
- 30 to 60 days
Fine fabrics
Silk satin, satin, Japanese silk, lace, velvet, sateen cotton, original Scottish kilt cloth. A shoe in the same fabric as the dress can be done, as long as the sample reaches us in time.
- Finishes
- Hand embroidery, net work, cross stitch, Swarovski, rhinestones, hard stones, Tahitian pearls.
- Uses
- Bridal, ceremony, evening, matching clutches and bags.
- Working time
- 15 to 60 days
C.I.T.E.S., in plain terms
C.I.T.E.S. is the international convention on trade in endangered species: it sets which skins may circulate, from where, and with what paperwork.
Every exotic skin that enters the workshop has its registration number, and the paperwork travels with the finished shoe. If the piece crosses a border, you will need it: keep it.
If a seller offers you alligator or python and cannot say where it came from, the right answer is no purchase.
Every leather asks for its own care
Sole leather is fed, suede is brushed, python is treated with neutral products and never with heavy grease.
Leathers not listed here
We work skins that will not fit on one page. Tell us which one you have in mind: we will say whether it can be done, what it costs and how long it takes.