Conceria Puccini Atillio Grind Ruggine

The ruggine variant shares the same construction and tanning process as other Grind colors, with natural dyes penetrating the leather fibers to create rich, non-artificial tones. Each hide exhibits natural variation in tone and may display characteristic marks including stretch marks, fat lines, and occasional branding that serve as indicators of genuine full-grain material. The leather is available from specialty leather suppliers, with pricing typically ranging from $21 to $270 CAD depending on square footage.

Conceria Puccini Attilio Grind Ruggine is constructed from full-grain double shoulder, meaning the leather excludes the belly portion to provide better yield and more consistent quality. The leather weighs between 3.5 and 4 oz, which translates to approximately 1.4 to 1.6 mm in thickness. This weight classification makes it suitable for various leather goods applications including footwear, bags, and accessories.

The leather exhibits medium to firm temper, providing structural stability while maintaining workability for leathercraft applications. The smooth grain surface receives an oily pull-up finish that creates a distinctive effect where the leather lightens in color when bent or pulled, adding visual depth and character to the rust-brown tone. The 100% vegetable-tanned construction ensures the leather will develop natural patina over time through use and exposure.

Conceria Puccini Attilio produces the leather at their facility in Ponte a Egola, located in the Tuscan Leather District between Florence and Pisa. The tannery was founded in 1986 by Attilio Puccini and is currently managed by his son Marco and daughter Sandra, who continue the family tradition of vegetable tanning established by their father.

The tanning process uses powders obtained from the bark, trunk, leaves, and fruits of chestnut, quebracho, and mimosa plants. These natural tannins, combined with pure water, transform the raw hides without aggressive chemicals. The leather undergoes tumbling in dry drums to achieve softness and a silky hand feel. Natural rust-toned dyes penetrate into the fibers of the leather, coloring it with brilliant tones that avoid the dull or artificial appearance of some synthetic dyes.

Manual finishing techniques include slow drying processes and polishing with felt and amber stone. These traditional methods create a surface that naturally shines through rubbing and polishing, giving the finished leather a warm and transparent appearance. The company sources premium cattle hides from France and Northern Europe as raw material for their leather production.

As a founding member of The Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, established in 1994, Conceria Puccini Attilio operates within a network of 18 Tuscan tanneries dedicated to safeguarding centuries-old vegetable tanning traditions. The consortium created the quality trademark "Pelle Conciata al Vegetale in Toscana" (Tuscan Vegetable-Tanned Leather) with anti-counterfeiting measures for traceability.

The ruggine color variant displays natural variation with small differences in tone that guarantee the uniqueness of each hide. The rust-brown tone offers a distinctive color option between traditional brown and reddish-brown shades. As full-grain leather, the surface retains all natural characteristics from the original animal hide, including stretch marks, fat lines, scars, and occasional branding. These features, rather than being defects, serve as authentication of genuine full-grain construction and confirm that no artificial grain has been embossed onto the surface.

The oily pull-up finish creates distinctive visual effects during use. When the leather is bent, pulled, or compressed, the oil within the leather migrates, causing the affected areas to temporarily lighten in color. This characteristic gives the material depth and allows it to develop unique wear patterns based on individual use. The smooth grain surface accepts polishing well and develops a natural shine through handling and maintenance.

As vegetable-tanned leather, the material will develop patina over time, darkening and gaining character through exposure to oils, sunlight, and handling. The natural tanning agents allow the leather to age in ways that chrome-tanned leather cannot replicate, with each piece developing individual character based on its use and care history.