Leather production in Italy - A look behind the scenes at GOOD WILHELM

Author: Clemens Burkert / Published: 25.08.2023

"Vegetable-tanned leather from Italy is more than just a material, it is an art form. It is the result of a centuries-old tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a passion that is reflected in every detail."

After spending an extremely hot weekend in Florence, with only lots of water and gelato to cool us down, we headed east to Santa Croce sull'Arno, one of Italy's three major leather regions.
Our family received a very warm welcome and Maria, our contact person, immediately offered us a wonderful espresso. We encountered this Italian hospitality again and again on this trip. Italy is not only known for its passion for fashion and quality, but also for its child-friendliness. Our little daughter was immediately lovingly looked after, and the boss himself generously unlocked the sweets machine for our daughter.

In the meeting room, we discussed the current situation on the leather market and took a look at new color variants, which is quite rare. Most of the colors remain the same. They are timeless, classic and elegant, just like our products. It is the timeless design that our customers appreciate so much.

Of course, our main aim was to experience leather production up close. Excited and a little curious, we wondered what it would smell like in the factory. But to our surprise, the smell was pleasantly sweet, not at all harsh or unpleasant. This made the tour of the factory all the more fun, and we would like to share it with you.

Step by step, we followed the fascinating transformation of the raw material, the cowhides, which were stacked on pallets. It is amazing to see how much effort goes into sustainable leather production.

One of the first steps is to remove the hair from the hides. Two skilled workers have just taken the pickled hides out of a vat. Pickling prepares the hides for tanning, which also influences the final color. This is followed by the crucial step of vegetable tanning, in which the hides are soaked in vats containing vegetable tanning agents such as tannins. This makes the leather durable, supple and resistant to rotting.

After vegetable tanning and various other small steps, the hides are dried to remove excess moisture. Finally, the leather is smoothed and finished to give it the desired look and color.

The storage of finished leather is an art in itself. The leather is "unfinished", tanned to the right color and then given the right finish and appearance depending on the order. Various surface treatments can be applied to make the leather softer or shinier, for example.

The left-hand side shows fully tanned leather in its natural, undyed state. Depending on the individual order requirements, the materials are then dyed and a final "finish" is applied

At GOOD WILHELM, we use two different "presentations" of leather, depending on the product. A firm leather and a leather that is "milled" in a large drum for several hours. This makes it particularly soft and supple and gives it its typical "grain". This grain is different for every hide and is what makes them so unique. This makes each hide an individual piece and gives each product its own character.
Take a look at our FRIEDRICH Macbook sleeve as an example of our fine full-grain leather. As an example of our firm leather, take a look at our KARL desk pad.

Clemens, founder of GOOD WILHELM with his wife and daughter

After an hour and a half tour of the factory, we were enriched by many exciting experiences and said a grateful goodbye to our hosts. Our vacation in Umbria (the "green heart of Italy") could begin, and we were looking forward to the wonderful wines, the delicious food, the great weather and, above all, lots of time with our family.

We hope we were able to give you a little insight into leather craftsmanship and give you a glimpse behind the scenes at GOOD WILHELM. We were really impressed by how much work goes into a single leather hide.
We are proud to be able to offer you high-quality products with such an impressive history.

Arrivederci and see you soon,

Clemens and the GOOD WILHELM team