Our leathers

Berthille works exclusively with full grain cowhide and bullhide. These natural skins can sometimes have imperfections which reflect their uniqueness and authenticity.

We select and treat our raw material meticulously. Most of our leather comes from France (the rest comes from Italy or Spain) and is vegetable tanned. Our bags are made with the noblest part of the skin offering the best density and homogeneity.

Full grain leather

Full grain leather is traditionally obtained by stirring the skin in a fuller in order to soften it and bring out its natural grain. Thanks to this process, this leather is very resistant with a very high end round hand.

Maintenance:

Once or twice a year, use a specialized cleaning product with a soft cloth to clean, nourish and soften your leather.
Avoid contact with printed materials or materials in a colour that can migrate onto the leather.
Keep away from direct sources of heat. Prolonged exposure to the sun (or the moon) will tend to cause it to fade.

Smooth nappa leather

Nappa leather is a generic term for particularly fine smooth leather. It is a full grain pigmented leather of very good quality. Its touch is soft and delicate thanks to its absence of grain.

Maintenance :

Once or twice a year, use a specialized clearning product using only a soft cloth to clean, nourish and soften your leather.
Avoid contact with printed materials or materials in a colour that can migrate onto the leather.
Keep away from direct sources of heat. Prolonged exposure to the sun (or the moon) will tend to make it fade.

Nubuck leather

Nubuck is a leather whose grain has been lightly sanded to give it a velvety "peach skin" appearance. This leather is of exceptional quality and is very pleasant to the touch; on the other hand it is rather sensitive to stains. This is why all our nubuck leathers have undergone a water-repellent treatment: the leather does not absorb the water but make it peel off.

Maintenance:

Use a soft brush/sponge and rub gently to remove all dust and dirt trapped in the fibers.

The use of a suede rubber is recommended to remove any stains.
It is preferable to waterproof it with a suitable spray to limit the porosity of the skin after cleaning.
Avoid contact with printed materials or materials in a colour that can migrate onto the leather.
Keep away from direct sources of heat. Prolonged exposure to the sun (or moon) will tend to cause it to fade.

Oily leather

During its long manufacturing process, this leather has been strongly enriched with fatty matter (vegetable oil or wax), ensuring waterproofing and giving it an oily touch and a matt appearance. This leather, with its raw character, evolves with use and gives exceptional patinas. Even if it is sensitive to scratches, it is often enough to rub with your finger to erase the trace.

Maintenance:

During the first few months of use, it is advisable to avoid repeated rubbing against very light fabrics to avoid any risk of colour transfer.
Once or twice a year, use a specialized cleaning product using only a soft cloth to clean, nourish and soften your leather.
Avoid contact with printed materials or materials in a colour that can migrate onto the leather.
Keep away from direct sources of heat. Prolonged exposure to the sun (or the moon) will tend to cause it to fade.