To ensure the highest quality of our products, we source our leather from reputable Tuscan tanneries, such as Conceria Walpier and Badalassi Carlo, both members of The Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium. We also use leather from the Horween Leather Company, one of the oldest tanneries continuously running in the United States. Our atelier is located in the heart of Europe, a few steps away from Prague’s Old Town Square. We ship internationally with excellent postage rates. Feel free to contact us via e-mail with any inquiries you may have. Thanks for stopping by!
Sustainability in Every Stitch: How Certified Alligator Leather Supports Conservation
There are two types of alligator species still in existence, the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). They’ve been roaming the planet since ancient times, first appearing as long as 37 million years ago. The term “alligator” is most likely an anglicized form of el lagarto, Spanish for “the lizard”, which…
Napa Leather: A Californian Innovation from the 1800s
Napa leather, sometimes also spelled nappa, is derived from calves, lambs, and young goats. As these animals have incredibly soft hides, the leather they produce have a soft feel which makes napa excellent as lining leathers for watch straps. Unlike Zermatt calf, another favourite here at Ateliér D. James, napa comes in a wide range…
Conceria Walpier Buttero: A Timeless Classic
In the village of Ponte a Egola, which sits in the heart of the Tuscan leather district, Conceria Walpier have been producing some of the world’s finest leathers since the tannery was founded fifty years ago. It is one of the 18 tanneries that make up the Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium. They all…
The Buzzword in Luxury Goods: What is Vachetta Leather?
Vachetta leather derives its name from the French word for cattle, but its heritage is actually from Italy and it’s produced mainly in Tuscany. It is always vegetable-tanned and full-grain, which means it comes from the top layer of the hide, where the fibers are the most dense, which distinguishes it from genuine leather that…
Pure Elegance: The Beauty of Badalassi Carlo Wax
The Tuscan tannery Badalassi Carlo has been in the business of producing top-quality vegetable-tanned leathers for over four decades. They’re highly respected for their expertise in making Vachetta leathers which go into the handbags of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and their most famous leather, Pueblo, is a timeless classic that combines ruggedness with…
The King of Straps: Introducing Rembordé
The most common variety of strap is the cut edge where the strap leather gets cut to size either in a press or, as here at Atelier D. James, by hand with a knife. The edge then gets burnished or painted.On a Rembordé strap the top layer of leather gets wrapped around a natural cotton…