Ateliers Fourès: what type of leather?

At Ateliers Fourès we opted for taurillon leather, which is the leather of a young male bovine. It is a very quality and resistant leather. We refine it to 1.5mm thick and work it with a so-called “diving” technique to make it extremely flexible. These are large hides, ideal for cutting large pieces to make bags.

In addition, it is a smooth skin that will develop 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

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.

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. 😊