The Baron leather process

Naturally and vegetably tanned Italian leathers and their treatments have centuries of history going back to pre-historical times, which to only Tuscany is the true inheritant of this knowledge.

First and foremost important is the breading of animals, in their natural habitat, which is the base of a healthy animal that delivers the best of meat and in our case: leather.

Being a “living” material, preserving the hinds is of primary importance. Plain salts of non-industrial kind are used during the transport, not to stain nore damage the hinds.

Once reached the tannery, the key to remarkable leather is first of all patience in treatments. A 30 day process is used, where the first step is to emerge leathers in various natural oils, from trees and plants, and in some cases animal fats, all non damaging to nature. Leathers are treated in large wooden tumble barrels, of well chosen wood kinds, that slowly rotate. Here leathers are absorbing the oils, which regive the “living” aspect as well as durable performance.

Once the leathers are treated, various measures are taken, depending on requested final aspect.
Leathers are undergoing a finishing step as a base, where they are determined whether thinner, thicker, more or less plain final aspect, and are cut and prepared accordingly.

Next step is colouring, which is preformed in 2 methods:

One is where leather maintain original base colour (tan colour) and is coloured on surface with one of two methods: hand coloured with sponge, where leathers are passed three times, one by one, hand dipping a big sponge in colouring substances, given a more irregular aspect. Second method, for a more uniform final aspect, is to power spray same colouring substances onto surface, then hung to dry, one by one on large hangers and rotate in heat chambers for days.

The other method is adapted when wished to colour leathers thoroughly and colouring substances to be absorbed throughout leather, giving it one colour. Leathers are re-emerged into wooden barrels, together with colouring substances and left to absorbe, rotating slowly for a determined time. Then passed to surface colouring as above.

Final step is to give leathers their final finished aspect, also this, depending on request.
Leathers are tumbled once again in the large wooden barrels, for softening, passing on to finishing edges and ironing.
In Tuscany there is still used an ancient method to iron and at the same time give leathers their shine, passing them under large, heated rolls made of granite stone. Leathers are passed once or several times, depending on final shine and smoothness request. Shine is one of a kind and not easy to reproduce, using this unique method.

Key to this whole process is patience and ancient knowledge of the masters.