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Italian leather, and the products made from it, is world famous. These products can range from purses to shoes to car upholstery. However, this world famous Italian leather comes with a price much higher than leather manufactured in other countries. This price is what prompts consumers to ask this question: what is so special about Italian leather?

The primary characteristic of Italian leather is the quality and craftsmanship of the products made from it. The leather producers in the country of Italy have consistently produced leather that is of a very high quality, in contrast to leather manufacturers in other parts of the world. Part of the reasoning behind this consistent quality is due to the fact that Italians have been working with leather for centuries. Tanning was a dirty business and when health, safety and pollution laws shut down leather manufacturing in other countries, Italy decided to take on the excess business. Countries began shipping hides from all over the world to Italy to be tanned into leather. A hide is not leather until is has gone through the tanning process. Many hides come from other countries, but if they are tanned in Italy they can be marked “made in Italy”.

The process by which leather is tanned in Italy has benefited from modern technology some, but remains essentially the same as it has been for the last three thousand years. Much of the process of production of leather in Italy is still done by hand and passed down in families that have history in the business. Animal hides are carefully inspected and only the finest specimens are accepted. Then, throughout the process, quality checks can be carried out at every step by a person trained to look for imperfections in the processes. The Italian leather producers also use high quality dyes and chemicals that will produce consistent, durable and long-lasting products.

There are also a number of Italian leather producers that still use the more traditional vegetable tanning. This process produces a deeper and longer lasting leather product, but can take up to 40 times longer to complete. It produces almost zero environmental toxins or pollutants and is much better for the health of the leather workers. In 1994, the Italian Consortium of Leather Tannery was formed to promote the more environmentally friendly and quality conscience production of leather and leather goods in Italy. Today, there are 26 tanneries stretched throughout Italy that promote the quality of the products. The consortium provides a certification to consumers that the product was manufactured from one of the 26 tanneries that are members. This certification guarantees the quality of the product. These products typically are so durable that the companies that sell them will guarantee them for life.

Italy has become famous over the centuries for its leather production, especially in Tuscany. Therefore, the process has been perfected in this industry and country for hundreds of years. These time-honored skills have been passed down from generation to generation. Today there are more than 2,000 leather workers in Tuscany’s leather district.