Rémy Carriat Tannery

What leather Rémy Carriat makes

Rémy Carriat is a French tannery founded in 1927, leaning toward chrome-tanned taurillon leather lines. The three lines in stock — Nubuck, Velvet, and Taurillon Clemence — are all young bull leather (taurillon, around 12 months) from this tannery, and all follow chrome tanning. This is a familiar French tannery name among bag makers.

What all three share: large hides, soft and drapey from chrome tanning, and consistent color. This is leather for bags — hides are large enough to cut long panels without splicing, yet soft enough for the bag to drape naturally instead of sitting rigid like a box. On a bag, a seam across the body is both a weak point and an eyesore; large hides allow you to cut a single continuous piece, keeping it strong and clean-looking.

Two very different surfaces

Nubuck and Velvet are both buffed leathers: the surface is buffed to raise a fine nap that feels like velvet. They look warm and luxurious, but note that the napped surface still picks up dirt easily even though Nubuck has been treated for water and oil resistance by the tannery. When making items for outdoor use, you should apply extra protective spray before stitching. Picking up dirt easily is the nature of a buffed surface, not a hide defect, so factor in protection right from the leather selection stage.

Taurillon Clemence, by contrast, is a pebbled-grain leather, with round grains that are larger and flatter than small embossed grains. The hide feels substantial in hand, with a soft drape. Because the grain is large, you have to cut wide panels to show off the texture — using it for small wallets breaks up the grain pattern, losing the whole effect. This is the line to choose when the item is large enough to showcase the grain; using it on small items wastes the hide.

• Nubuck — buffed leather, soft, suited for items with drape.
• Velvet — buffed leather, soft and drapey, suited for bags and footwear.
• Taurillon Clemence — large pebbled grain, suited for large bags that showcase the grain.

What it is suited for

Bags and footwear. Velvet and Nubuck are suited for soft bags or footwear. Taurillon Clemence is the choice for large bags where you want visible grain. All three are soft, drapey young bull hides (taurillon), so do not force them into jobs that require a rigid structure — save those for thick vegetable-tanned leathers.

Is Rémy Carriat Nubuck leather water-resistant?

Yes, Rémy Carriat treats this leather line for water and oil resistance right from the tannery. Even so, Nubuck is a buffed leather, so it still picks up dirt more easily than smooth leather; if you are making items for outdoor use, you should apply extra protective spray before stitching. Picking up dirt easily is the nature of a buffed surface, not a defective hide.

Why is Rémy Carriat leather better suited for bags than wallets?

Because of the large hides and soft drape. All three lines are chrome-tanned young bull hides (taurillon), large enough to cut seamless bag panels without splicing, and soft enough for bags to drape naturally. Conversely, the large grain of Taurillon Clemence gets broken up on small wallets, while the napped surface of Velvet and Nubuck is less suited for frequently handled items because it picks up dirt.