Did you know? ::: Natural leather variations

The Gillio Firenze products stand out in quality, craftsmanship and overall look and feel. Once you have owned a Gillio product and have experienced our leather quality, it’s hard to ever go back to cheaper commercial leathers.

Our well-known epoca leathers are still coloured according to the ancient Italian traditions. Not a quick colour dye, but traditional vegetable tanning. This transformation from raw hides into beautifully dyed leather is a slow and astonishing process in wooden drums, based on the use of natural tannins, on modern technologies and machineries but mainly, on the slow passage of time.

This process is the most environmental-friendly, and it allows us to keep the uniqueness and versatility in the product. The natural variations (creases, imperfections, scars, variations in the colour or the grain) in the leathers are inherent to the Gillio products.

What natural characteristics can occur?

Leather can be either pebbly (red planner) or smooth (red clasp). In one product, you can find different variations as different leather pieces are put together into one product. At Gillio, we do not artificially smoothen our leathers, nor do we print a grain on them. We leave the leathers as they are and honour their natural state, by showing that, as all people are unique and different, so are the skins of the animals used in the creation of our leathers.

Small darker dots (f.ex. left of the elastic on this gold planner) may occur throughout the leather. All skins are different - some parts are smoother, some are rougher, some are drier than others. Each part of the leather reacts differently to the colouring process. Small scars or blemishes on the skin may also absorb more colour.

Veins, nerves (purple leather) or wrinkles (grey leather) such as these will show in some pieces of leather. Again, these are natural characteristics of the leather we use, and we specifically choose not to remove them artificially. They are proof that you are holding a unique, natural product of artisanal labour in your hands.

Small scars might be visible on your product, such as on this orange planner. They might present as slightly lighter/darker parts, or they could present as a small part which is a bit more textured (very small dent or bump). These scars tell the story of the animal it came from. We all have small scars ourselves too! It could be a run-in with barb wire, it could be a small scar from where a wasp stung the cow? Who knows. These small imperfections will fade in time when patina develops.

Colour differences might occur within one item. As you see here on this Gold leather Mia Cara, the credit card pockets all vary slightly in colour. They are all gold leather though, but as each skin reacts differently to the colouring process, you get these beautiful variations. This is a great example to show that we don't aim for uniform, mass produced planners but unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

What if I only like smooth / pebbled / ... ?

As with everything, the love for these variations is something very personal. We have clients that specifically ask for leather with as much texture as possible, and some that prefer super-smooth. Some adore veins and nerves showing, some prefer a coarse pebble over anything.

Our staff will try to accomodate your needs to the best of our abilities: if you have a certain preference, be sure to mention it in the 'remarks' field of your order. Within the availble stock, they will look for the perfect match for you. You can also request pictures beforehand to check if it is Gillio-love at first sight.

You Gillio item will develop patina over time, and become even more gorgeous, once the oils in the leather mix with the oils in your skin and develop a shine on the leather.

One thing is for sure: if you are looking for a 13-in-a-dozen, uniform, mass-produced item, our collection will not satisfy you - at all!

The Gillio collection will always be a unique one: no two items will ever be the same. This is the appeal of our collection, and this is what we take so much pride in. We will always search for the best available leathers and materials to ensure that it will remain as such in the future!