Glossary · Materials
Italian Leather
Definition
When I talk about Italian leather I don't mean a species or a treatment — I mean an origin and a tradition. Italian tanneries, concentrated mainly in Tuscany between Santa Croce sull'Arno and Fucecchio, have a vegetable-tanning tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages and still today produces the leather most sought after by the world's fine leather goods industry. Tuscan vegetable tanning uses tannin extracts from oak and chestnut bark, and requires a process that lasts from 30 to 90 days. The result is a leather that reacts to use in a unique way: it softens over time, develops a warm patina, and improves instead of deteriorating. It is the opposite of industrial leather chrome-tanned in 24 hours. I work mainly with leathers from the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale — the mark that guarantees the Tuscan origin and the traditional process. It is not a guarantee of absolute perfection, but it is the guarantee that the leather has been worked as it has always been worked, without chemical shortcuts. For matching: Italian vegetable-tanned leather is the heart of almost every strap I make. Tan or cognac Tuscan calfskin on any steel Rolex is the combination that comes up most often in my orders — and it keeps coming up because it works, always.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale mark guarantee?
It guarantees that the leather was tanned in Tuscany using the traditional vegetable process — bark tannin, long processing times, no chemical shortcuts. It does not guarantee that it is the best calfskin in the world, but it does guarantee that the process was the correct one. For me, it is the minimum starting point when I choose an Italian leather.
Is Italian vegetable-tanned leather really different from industrial leather?
Yes, and you can see and feel it. Leather chrome-tanned in 24 hours has a more uniform, plasticised surface — the fibres are saturated with chemicals. Leather vegetable-tanned over 60 days has a surface that breathes, with open fibres that absorb wax and react to use by developing a patina. Over time the difference becomes even more obvious — vegetable-tanned leather improves, chrome-tanned leather deteriorates.
Are all Milano Straps straps made of Italian leather?
Most of them, yes — for calfskin I use almost exclusively Tuscan or French leathers. For exotic leathers (alligator, crocodile, lizard) the origin is necessarily different — the animals come from farms in Louisiana, Africa or Asia — but the final tanning always takes place in Europe, often in Italy. The workmanship is always Italian.
The next step
The right strap isn't chosen. It is built, together.
From the atelier appointment to delivery, every step is made for those who know that things done well take time. Rare leathers, one piece at a time, eighteen months of warranty.
Request an appointment →Casati Milano · Via XX Settembre 15, Milan · by appointment only
The atelier's website: casatimilano.com