Tannerie GAL Located in Bellac, at the heart of the French countryside, Tannerie Gal preserves the ancestral art of vegetable tanning applied to full-grain bovine leathers. Renowned for its artisanal expertise, it offers high-end leathers with a unique woody fragrance, highly sought after in the fields of luxury saddlery and traditional leather goods. The leathers produced by Tannerie Gal stand out for their natural aesthetics, exceptional durability, and hypoallergenic properties. Each hide is carefully crafted to preserve its authenticity and provide a noble, sustainable material that respects the environment.
Craftsmanship excellence in the service of vegetable-tanned leather For nearly a century, the team at Tannerie Gal has been perfecting its vegetable tanning techniques to produce full-grain bovine leather, pure and free from any metals or petrochemical derivatives. This artisanal know-how, passed down through generations, guarantees a noble material that is environmentally friendly and suited to the demands of luxury saddlery. Our pursuit of excellence is based on mastering traditional processes enriched by innovation. At a time when traceability, quality, and sustainability have become essential criteria, we reaffirm our commitment to responsible and authentic manufacturing. Every stage of production is guided by respect for craftsmanship methods and the use of natural components, such as plant extracts, to offer leather that is both aesthetic, durable, and eco-designed.
Careful selection of large bovine hides At Tannerie Gal, the quality of vegetable-tanned leather begins with a meticulous selection of full-grain heavy bovine hides. Sourced from the finest farms in France and Europe, these hides are chosen for their thickness, density, and their potential to become premium leathers. This crucial step ensures a final leather that meets the highest standards of durability, mechanical strength, and natural aesthetics. Each selected hide reflects a commitment to traceability and respect for animal welfare, which are core values of our artisanal approach. To better understand the differences between calf leather and heavy bovine leather, check out our comparison: Calfskin vs cowhide
Hide preparation: river work The vegetable tanning process at Tannerie Gal begins with a crucial step: the river work. This phase prepares the raw bovine hides to ensure optimal quality before the actual tanning process. It includes several technical operations: cleaning, hair removal, liming, fleshing, and sampling. Each of these steps aims to purify the hide while preserving its natural structure, thus ensuring a full-grain leather ready to receive vegetable tanning agents. This traditional know-how, combined with artisanal precision, forms the foundation of our commitment to producing sustainable, eco-friendly, and premium leather.
Vegetable tanning: a natural and sustainable process At Tannerie Gal, we preserve a vegetable tanning technique using oak bark that has been practiced since the 12th century in Bellac. This ancestral process relies on the slow action of plant-based tannins extracted from oak bark, which interact with the collagen in bovine hides for over six months. This long and natural tanning process forms a complex fiber network, giving the leather exceptional strength and unmatched durability. It is particularly suited for equestrian accessories, high-end saddlery, and any product requiring a robust and noble material. By using exclusively plant-based tanning agents, this method guarantees a hypoallergenic leather that is environmentally friendly and meets the standards of eco-responsible manufacturing. To learn more about the benefits of vegetable tanning in high-end saddlery, Discover our article dedicated to the excellence of vegetable-tanned leather.
Specialization in high-end equestrian saddlery Since 1955, Tannerie Gal has established itself as a benchmark in the production of vegetable-tanned leathers for luxury equestrian saddlery. Thanks to its mastery of traditional oak bark tanning, our leathers offer exceptional strength and a noble aesthetic, perfectly suited to the demands of professional riding. Recognized internationally, Tannerie Gal has notably supplied Olympic riders, demonstrating the quality and reliability of its leathers. Our artisanal expertise, combining tradition and innovation, allows us to produce unique saddlery leathers that meet the highest standards in the industry. This heritage of French excellence embodies Groupe Hcp’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing, respectful of materials and their uses.
Retanning: refining the properties of vegetable-tanned leather After the initial vegetable tanning, the bovine hides undergo a re-tanning process that allows for precise adjustment of their physical characteristics. Using exclusive formulas, we combine plant-based tannins, natural fats, and dye pigments, without any addition of synthetic resins. This process enhances the flexibility, mechanical strength, and depth of color, while preserving the leather’s hypoallergenic and eco-friendly qualities. Each re-tanning is tailored to the specific needs of saddlery artisans and high-end accessory designers. Vegetable re-tanning is a key step in our sustainable manufacturing approach, ensuring a premium leather that is both aesthetic, high-performing, and environmentally respectful.
Dry currying: mastering the drying and flatness of the leather Dry currying is a crucial step in the artisanal production of vegetable-tanned leather at Tannerie Gal. This process requires advanced technical expertise and relies on a sequence of traditional methods such as conditioning, air drying, hanging, and pressing. These operations ensure perfect flatness and even drying of the leather, while preserving its mechanical properties and durability. Each piece is carefully treated to guarantee a premium leather, ready to be used in luxury saddlery or artisanal leather goods.
Handcrafted finishing: a high-end finish for each piece of leather Manual finishing carried out at Tannerie Gal is the final step in our vegetable leather manufacturing process. It includes the precise adjustment of color, gluing for a resin finish, as well as satinizing or graining techniques depending on the leather’s specific characteristics. A traditional sponge greasing completes each piece, ensuring a unique appearance and a very high-quality finish. This artisanal expertise gives our leathers a refined aesthetic and optimal durability, meeting the expectations of professionals in luxury saddlery and high-end leather goods.
Quality control and leather durability testing Before shipping, the vegetable-tanned bovine leathers from Tannerie Gal undergo a rigorous final sorting and laboratory testing in compliance with the most demanding safety and durability standards. These quality controls verify the leather’s mechanical strength, color fastness, flexibility, and dimensional stability. Only pieces that meet our strict criteria leave the tannery to be transformed into exceptional products, destined for luxury saddlery and high-end leather goods.