The Leather in Florence, Italy
The Leather Capital of the World, Florence.
Back for a travel-focused article, it's pretty niche, but I had spent hours researching the subject on a recent trip and thought I might as well put my findings here, either for future me, friends/family, or strangers on the internet to use. By no means am I a professional traveler, but I do consider traveling a big hobby of mine, especially traveling to Italy, a country where my family descends from and a place where a piece of my heart will always be.
Leather in Florence is like Pizza in Naples; the two go together, and you simply can’t have one without the other. I personally tend to focus my leather purchases here not caring much for brand names but rather extraordinary quality. Before going this past summer, I got sucked down a rabbit hole of what makes good quality leather and where in Florence I can go without feeling like I am being ripped off.
Let’s dive in;
Leather Quality Basics
In Florence, and I believe almost everywhere there are three grades of leather;
Pieno Fiore, also known as Full-Grain is considered the finest quality with preserved natural grain and retaining the highest level of durability and character.
Cuoio di Grano, also known as Top-Grain, is still of high quality but has been slightly sanded down to show more consistency in the grain look.
Vera Pelle, also known as Genuine Leather, is considered the lowest quality and is stamped in an attempt to show quality. In the USA, while shopping, it is stamped in an attempt to show quality. It tends to be less durable and often does not retain its natural grain look.
Identifying good quality leather products basics;
Smell, make sure you can smell the natural leather and smell the bag.
Appearance: look for the grain patterns and thickness.
Feel the leather, making sure it feels supple and soft.
The stitching must look even and tight.
The main goal here is to make sure you know exactly what you’re paying for. If you find a piece that is Vera Pelle, that is totally fine, just as long as you don’t pay top prices as if it is a Full or Grain product.
Where to Shop for Leather in Florence;
Florence is known for some high-quality leather pieces expected to last a lifetime and age gracefully. Now I understand there are many different budgets, that said I think you should check out these locations first because you will not be paying the let's screw over a tourist tax and will have the ability to see and feel high-quality leather that can operate as your benchmark or be the end purchase. Now, I am sure there are many other excellent locations, but these are the ones that I visited after research.
Davide Cerasi | Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 30/R 50123 Florence Italy
Very friendly, and wonderful leather goods. They focus on more leather jackets and garments. I found this store through the legend Rick Steve, who usually has high-quality and well-informed recommendations.
Infinity | Borgo Sant'Apostoli 33 R 50123 Florence Italy
Again friendly staff and wonderful products. More focused on leather bags and accessories.
Scuola del Cuoio | Via di San Giuseppe 5 Unit R 50122 Florence Italy
Really interesting place to see, behind the church, friendly staff, high quality products and they also have tours and classes on offer. Great for leather bags and accessories.
Other advice;
Like I said, there are many other wonderful leather shops, just make sure you’re paying for the quality that they are selling, no reason to over pay and like everything else while traveling research, research, research.
Another rule, street vendors tend to sell lower quality Vera Pelle products, if you plan to pruchase here, always haggle the price down sometimes as much as 50% and remeber whatever magic discount they have to offer it will be there tomorrow.
Many of the lower-quality leather products that are essentially the same products found at a bunch of different vendors are made at the same factories that use migrant workers who are paid pennies on the dollar. So again, ensure you're not overpaying for a piece that will NOT last a lifetime.
When walking the outdoor leather market, remember everyone hustles the same products from the same factories. They will overcharge and lie to you to get the sale. Always be willing to walk away and remember we are the stupid tourists with the target on our backs for a good Shtick.
If you have any questions or comments my email is thomasmjumper@gmail.com