Ateliers Fourès: what type of leather?

At Ateliers Fourès we have opted for bull leather, which is leather from young cows. It is a very qualitative and resistant leather. We refine it to 1.5mm thick and work it with a so-called “diving” technique to make it extremely flexible. They are large skins, ideal for cutting large pieces to make bags.

In addition, it is a smooth skin that will acquire a patina over the years and therefore become more beautiful! It is the ideal material for a quality product that will accompany you for a (very) long time.

How to recognize quality leather?

In leather goods, there are mainly two types of leather of very different qualities

Full-grain leather : it's the Rolls Royce of leather, the noblest and most beautiful leather (spoiler alert: it's also the most expensive) .
It is made with the external part of the skin and can sometimes be nubucked in order to have a velvet aspect and an extremely soft touch.
The split leather : it is made with the internal part of the skin. Much less expensive than the flower, it is the most widely used on the market. But, it is inferior visually and mechanically.
It can sometimes be in the form of velvet and take on the appearance of a full grain nubuck. However, it is much less attractive than nubuck and much less resistant.

The crust can also be covered with a thick layer of "plasticizing" paint on which an assisted grain is applied (printing of a hot mechanical grain: crocodile, lizard, grained leather, ear grain, etc.). A rind is thus obtained which has the appearance of a full grain, but it is much less resistant than the grain, has no suppleness or roundness, and has a “plastic” feel.

You guessed it, for you, we only choose the best and it is only natural that we only opt for high quality full-grain leather on a daily basis.

We work with a local tannery , used to producing skins for luxury leather goods .

Our full grain leather, 100% aniline: the Rolls Royce of Ateliers Fourès

Our leathers are “bare”. They are not covered with a layer of resin, plastic or paint like the majority of leathers on the market. They are solution dyed and 100% aniline. This means that no artifice (resin, plastic, artificial grain) hides the roughness. It is therefore quite natural that only the most beautiful skins are reserved for this use. This gives an extremely supple leather, with an incomparable natural touch.

It also means that your full-grain leather bag or wallet will be in contact with the outside and subject to friction. And… you might not believe it, but that's exactly what we want! Leather that acquires a patina is leather that will darken, smooth out and begin to shine slightly. The more an area is in contact and rubs, the faster it will skate. This is what makes our leather so charming: it gets better with time!

So what do you think? We are completely fans 🤩

You will also love our Baroudeur and Baroudeuse collection. The full grain has been very lightly sanded to provide a velvety, nubuck feel, like peach skin.

What is the difference with other products on the market?

Most of the leathers found on the market are covered with a layer of synthetic pigments on the surface, like a kind of paint, more or less thick. This will fully cover the skin and hide any flaws such as scars, pitting, and spots.

Then the leathers go into the finishing stage during which a mechanically hot-assisted grain will add a tumbled appearance, imitate another animal species (crocodile, lizard, etc.), or add fantasy (dots, ears, etc.).

These two techniques make it possible to mask all the defects of the skin and to standardize it completely. This makes the skin much easier to cut: this limits the scrap of leather, we go much faster, and the cut requires much less know-how. It is also a financial gain because it makes it possible to buy much less qualitative skins, with many defects.

On the other hand, this type of leather has many disadvantages.

First of all, it is not very durable leather that ages very badly. On all areas of friction, the thin layer of pigments ends up leaving and then reveals areas of leather of different colors.
With these treatments, we will lose the natural touch of the leather for a plasticized feeling.
We will also say goodbye to the natural details that make all the beauty of the material.
Finally, the final product is much stiffer.

Do not hesitate to visit our retailers to discover and touch our leathers. We are certain that the sensoriality and the quality of these will transport you. 😊