Badalassi Carlo

Tannery

About

Badalassi Carlo is an Italian tannery specializing in vegetable-tanned leather production, located in Ponte a Egola, San Miniato, in the Tuscany region of Italy. The tannery has been producing leather for over 40 years and is a member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata Al Vegetale (Consortium for Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather). The company focuses on producing vacchetta leather using traditional Tuscan vegetable tanning methods combined with modern technology.

Badalassi Carlo operates as a small-scale tannery with eight employees as of 2023 and produces leather shoulders used in footwear manufacturing, bags, small leather goods, and bookbinding items. The tannery is particularly recognized for its Pueblo, Minerva, Wax, and Habana leather types, which have established the company's reputation in the heritage footwear and leather goods industries.

Location and production

The tannery is located at Via Martin Luther King 45/47/49 in Ponte a Egola, part of San Miniato in the province of Pisa. This location places Badalassi Carlo within the Tuscan Leather District, an area situated between the provinces of Florence and Pisa that serves as the center of high-quality vegetable-tanned leather production in Italy.

As of 2023, the company employs eight people and generates annual revenue of less than five million euros. The tannery produces leather in thickness ranges from 1mm to 2mm, focusing on quality and traditional finishing methods rather than large-scale industrial production.

Consortium membership

Badalassi Carlo is an associated member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata Al Vegetale, a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by a small group of Tuscan tanners. The consortium currently includes more than 20 associated tanneries, all operating in Tuscany and sharing common production standards for vegetable-tanned leather.

Only Badalassi Carlo and select artisan Tuscan tanneries within the consortium are authorized to use the "Pelle Conciata al Vegetale in Toscana" (Tuscan Vegetable-Tanned Leather) trademark, which guarantees the authenticity and quality of leather produced by member tanneries. The consortium's mission includes promoting vegetable-tanned leather, safeguarding this traditional Tuscan product, guaranteeing the quality of raw materials and processes, and highlighting traditional techniques rooted in Tuscan history.

Vegetable tanning process

The tannery employs traditional Tuscan vegetable tanning methods that have been passed down through centuries. The process uses natural tannins extracted from tree bark and other organic elements, aided by modern technologies and the passage of time. This method represents the combination of ancient recipes and advanced technology characteristic of the Tuscan Leather District.

The vegetable tanning process at Badalassi Carlo is environmentally friendly and safe for sensitive skin due to its use of only natural tannins. The traditional methods require both time and patience, representing the skillful combination of technology and experience that defines Tuscan master tanners' approach to leather production.

Leather types

Minerva leather

Minerva Liscio features a smooth surface finished with aniline that gives the leather a natural appearance. The leather is infused with a special blend of Italian fat wax, providing the characteristic hand and feel associated with vacchetta leather. Minerva develops pronounced patina as it ages.

Minerva Box differs from Minerva Smooth through its dry-milled finish, also called drumming, which creates a wrinkled final appearance. This thicker version was specifically developed for footwear applications. The milling process allows individual hides to produce naturally unique grain patterns.

Pueblo leather

Pueblo leather is characterized by its rustic, nubby texture created through a specialized finishing process. The distinct artificial scratch patterns on Pueblo's surface are achieved by rolling iron balls over the classic Minerva article. The leather's surface is uniquely reactive due to the addition of sego (tallow) during the tanning process.

Pueblo develops a distinctive patina over time, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. The leather has established significant recognition in the watchstrap, small leather goods, and heritage footwear markets.

Wax leather

Wax leather is produced on square shoulders that undergo vegetable tanning and oiling with tallow. The leather features a dry-milled waxed finish, also called pull-up or lightening effect, which gives it a distressed appearance when pulled or folded. The milling process achieves a unique pull-up and rustic cracking effect that adds depth to the leather.

Habana leather

Habana shares characteristics with the tannery's Nemesi leather but differs in its production method. Habana is hand stuffed, while Nemesi is dyed in the drum and covered with glaze. This production distinction creates different surface characteristics and finishing properties between the two leather types.

Applications

The leather produced by Badalassi Carlo is suitable for manufacturing all types of footwear and leather goods. The tannery's products are used in heritage boots, bags, small leather goods, bookbinding items, and watchstraps. The emphasis on refined, exclusive, and sophisticated hand-finishes alongside high-quality classic treatments has made the tannery's leathers popular among makers of premium leather products.