Conceria Puccini Atillio Grind

The leather is sourced from premium cattle hides from France and Northern Europe, processed as full-grain double shoulder cuts that exclude the belly portion for better yield and more consistent quality. At 3.5-4 ounces (approximately 1.4-1.6 mm thickness) with medium to firm temper, Grind is suitable for leather goods, footwear, bags, and accessories. As a full-grain material, it exhibits natural characteristics including stretch marks, fat lines, and scars that develop into a distinctive patina over time.

Conceria Puccini Attilio was founded in 1986 by Attilio Puccini in Ponte a Egola, San Miniato, in the Pisa region of Tuscany. Attilio Puccini began working in tanneries at age 14 during the 1950s post-war era, gaining extensive experience in bovine vegetable-tanned leather for leathergoods and footwear before establishing his own tannery. The company operates from Via Gaetano Salvemini, 16 in San Miniato and is currently managed by Attilio's son Marco and daughter Sandra, who continue the family's tanning traditions.

The tannery is both a founding member and associated member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale (The Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium), specializing in the processing of vegetable-tanned bovine leather. Conceria Puccini Attilio produces shoulders, fronts, butts, sides, and calves in various colors and thicknesses, serving the luggage, bag manufacturing, leather goods, footwear, belt, and furniture sectors.

Grind leather undergoes traditional Tuscan vegetable tanning using natural tannins extracted from chestnut, quebracho, and mimosa plants. The hides are processed in wooden drums with pure water, deliberately avoiding aggressive chemicals to preserve the leather's natural characteristics. The tanning process incorporates natural oils and fatliquors that provide the leather's characteristic elasticity and soft hand feel.

The finishing process involves multiple manual techniques aligned with contemporary design trends. Pads and spraying machines finish the full-grain surface, coloring the leather while maintaining a warm and transparent appearance. Rolls lined with felt and rolls made with amber stones polish the leather by rubbing the surface, creating a natural shine without synthetic topcoats. This finishing approach allows the leather to develop character and patina as it ages, with the oily pull-up finish creating dynamic color variation when the leather is flexed or stressed.

The tannery employs slow drying processes that contribute to the leather's stability and longevity. These traditional methods result in leather that showcases natural wrinkles and grain patterns, with hand-wiped, layered, transparent, and glossy finishes. Some production includes bronzed leathers featuring faded and aged aesthetic effects, as well as soft and natural greasy leathers that emphasize the hide's original texture.

Grind leather is processed as full-grain double shoulder cuts, meaning the belly portion is excluded from each hide. This selective cutting provides better yield for leather workers and ensures more consistent quality across the material, as the shoulder area of the hide typically exhibits more uniform thickness and structural integrity than belly leather.

The 3.5-4 ounce weight (1.4-1.6 mm thickness) provides medium to firm temper suitable for structured applications while remaining flexible enough for comfort in footwear and bags. The smooth grain surface retains all natural characteristics of the hide, including stretch marks, fat lines, and scars that are considered indicators of genuine full-grain material rather than defects.

The oily pull-up finish creates a distinctive effect where the leather lightens in color when bent, pulled, or flexed, then returns to its original darker tone when relaxed. This characteristic allows the leather to develop rich color variation and depth over time, with high-contact areas naturally developing lighter tones while protected areas retain deeper color. The natural oils in the finish help the leather resist minor scratches and scuffs, as the oils migrate to fill in marks during regular use.

As vegetable-tanned leather, Grind develops a natural patina through exposure to light, oils from handling, and environmental conditions. The patina development is gradual and varies based on individual use patterns, with each piece developing unique coloration over time. The full-grain surface allows this patina to develop more expressively than corrected-grain or pigment-finished leathers, which is particularly valued in heritage footwear and leather goods applications.

Grind is offered in six standard colors, each exhibiting the characteristic pull-up effect and capacity for patina development:

All colors are applied through the finishing process with transparent and layered techniques that allow the natural grain to remain visible beneath the color. The availability of colors may vary based on production runs and minimum order quantities for leather retailers and craftspeople.

The material specifications and characteristics of Grind make it suitable for various leather crafting applications. At 3.5-4 ounce weight, the leather provides appropriate substance for footwear uppers, particularly in boots and shoes where the medium-firm temper supports structured construction while remaining comfortable during wear. The full-grain double shoulder cut ensures sufficient size for pattern cutting in most footwear applications.

For bags and leather goods, Grind's combination of durability and visual character supports both functional and aesthetic requirements. The oily pull-up finish helps resist the minor abrasions and scratches common in daily bag use, while the patina development creates visual interest that enhances with age. The material works for messenger bags, briefcases, small leather goods, and accessories where vegetable-tanned leather's characteristics are desired.

The leather's medium-firm temper allows it to maintain shape in structured goods while remaining pliable enough for wallet construction, cardholders, and similar accessories. Belt applications benefit from the leather's thickness and vegetable-tanned core, which provides the structure necessary for belt use while developing character along fold lines and buckle contact points.

Furniture applications utilize Grind for upholstery details, chair seats, and decorative elements where the leather's natural characteristics and patina development contribute to furniture aesthetics. The vegetable tanning ensures the leather remains breathable and comfortable for seating applications while the oily finish helps protect against typical furniture use wear.