The 10 Best Leather Tanneries in the World 

I was very surprised when my bespoke shoemaker told me Horween was the best. I expressed surprise that as a European he didn't have a preferred European tanner, and he told me there are tanners in Spain that aren't as good, tanners in Italy that are sometimes as good and sometimes worse and you don't know what you're going to get, and tanners in France that are just as good but cost more, so why. He does use leather from other tanners because Horween doesn't make every type of leather that is on the market, but that was his take.

Wickett and Craig! All veg tan deliciousness!

I would love to see a video on the 10 best tanneries specializing in garment grade leather.

Guidi is probably the most famous one in that list considering it’s quite popular with the avant-garde crowd in fashion.

I know the list isn’t comprehensive, but if you are listing Top Ten, Tanneries Haas is owned by Chanel and used by Hermès and is probably the top luxury tannery. Also, as others have said, Wickett & Craig seems like an omission.

I am definitely going to be picking up a boot in CF Stead's kudu leather sometime in the future!

SO HAPPY to hear you mention BADALASSI!!!! glad to see SB Foot in here too, I have some new olive roughout kilties/false tongues from Trinity Handmade sourced from SB Foot. I laughed so hard when you mentioned LeFarc lmao!!! also, who's Horween? Never heard of them............ LMAO!!!

Wow! What a great idea for a video. I’ve recently been wondering where I might get such info and Nick comes to the rescue. Glad to see that Horween made it on your list of the best leather tanneries. I can’t believe how much time and effort you must have put into this video. I’m curious if you came across J. J. Rendenbach (sp?), a German based family owned leather tannery, specializing in producing luxury soles used by various shoe manufacturers? Thanks again for making such an interesting and informative video!...Ed

Ahh, full appreciation for the page you have. Good video. How far from top 10 is seidel?

I've been subscribed for a while and I'm surprised your channel isn't as big as the video quality you produce. Hope you grow this year!

Thank you for the education In this and all your videos!

Weinheimer in Germany, Du Puy in France, great Box Calf as well. Great video, I couldn't find the interview you mentioned? (about terminology)

Hey Nick, a fellow Aussie here. IMO you pronounce the first R in Parkhurst a little too short but its perfect in Le Farc 👌😄

Love the channel nick.

Hello to France ! In France a tanneries in végétal for alf sole. The last tannerie use Oak for a végétal good work. Thanks.s you for all your vidéo. Happy 'new year!!

Horween Shells and Dublin, Chromexcel has the market cornered for sure. Gotta pay to play though… Hermann Oak I use to make some very strong belts- great for straps and whatnot as well.

Very informative video Nick. FARC reminded me of the Colombian Guerillas, although tannery probably a better association with the word.

Good information 👍

Yet another fascinating video Nick! Great list you put together for certain! Thank you! Funny, I always find myself ending nearly all my sentences with explanation marks here! 😆

Great informative video. Thank you

Interesting video!

Dang no love for Milwaukie tanneries? Law & Seidel have been around for a minute. Surprised that Wickett & Craig didn't make it either. You got a good list though. Informative as always. Thank you!

Yes, that was very interesting! Thanks a lot.

Very cool video. I'd would've made W&C a spot. Mmmm so nice!

That bag looks Arizona Adobe-ish.. did you scratch it with your nail a bunch of times? Lol. I like your jacket. This background music is.. creepy, like the soundtrack to a modern zombie flick lol. I have that Red Wing belt! (Still nib) I knew it was veg but thought it was SB, you’re so informative 😊

How about JR oak bark tannery in Germany?

Hey Nick . Love the leather bomber jacket . The leather looks buttery soft.

Great vid-thanks.

Awesome content‼️😎👍🥾

Review on the Thursday aviator jacket? Curious on your thoughts.

I'm shocked Wickett & Craig isn't on here!

Thanks for this information, can you tell me which brand of jacket you are wearing? Thanks.

What is the Best Leather Conditioner to use on Distressed or what they call Crazy Horse/Apache Bay leather boots??

Hard to imagine how massive the US Tannery business was at one time all based upon Hemlock and water plus remarkable innovation. Everything changed with the Railroad when near all leather making moved West to where the Cattle Barons roamed. Still Leather was produced on an industrial scale and to such an extent single handedly created the leather furnishings Industry. Sewing machines and the fabric business further solidified an absolutely massive Industry for making clothing much of which moved to the US South then as now to China now back to Mexico as noted here. So much changed with the discovery of vulcanizing rubber it's a miracle any of this survives today. Still given prices one has to wonder if much of this Industry really wants to survive quite honestly. Leather has powerful uses out West though where the climate and lifestyle be far more suitable. They won't be interested in any of the crap presented here but the sentiment is at least solid. Wool and canvas manufacture is a huge Industry in North America as well that only survives because of its Western Heritage. People are so OCD over shit kickers don't really know how any of this survives other than in stylized form.

Really good review of all these tannery's Nick. Well done sir. Btw, was that you in the video wearing a suit? You dress up well. :)

What would be a good leather for a Dominatrix’s leather teddy?

Stridewise, I love your jacket! What brand is it?

What is the boot in the thumbnail for the video?

Where dose loake shoes get there leather? Thanks D.smart

How is the pull-up leather that Txture uses??

Excellent video! I am learning more about leather and this was really informative.

I never stop hearing about JR soles

I think the addition of SB Foot and Lefarc in this list is strange. Both of those tanners are primarily low cost leathers and far from the “best tanneries”. I would take Montebello or Opera, or any of the Sull Arno tanneries before I even thought about SB Foot. They might not even hit top 50

Great!

Nick, love your channel. Only thing I’d clarify is that Baker is the only remaining oak bark tannery left in England. As a couple of people have already mentioned, Joh. Rendenbach (JR soles) is probably the most famous oak bark tannery and it’s located in Germany.

Some of them I have worn them; others need to check them out!!!

Which boot is that in the thumbnail?

Done know why Bole from Sweden isn"t on this list. They're the only remaining spruce-bark tanner in the world.

I've got a wallet made from Shinki Hikaku's Shell Cordovan and it is amazing (it's been through the washer and dryer a few times, yet you would never know it). I also have a roll top backpack made from SP Foot's "Copper Rough & Tough" leather and it holds up to an absolute beating.

Good information on Tanning Industry ! You may please come India and show Tanning Industry status

It seems odd to mention J &FJ Baker and not to have included JR Rendenbach, perhaps the most famous of oak bark tanneries.

In the thumbnail it shows a visvim brigadier boot. But you don’t mention which tanneries visvim uses. Do you happen to know?

Nice jacket. What brand?

Is there a reason that Morocco doesn't usually get noted when it comes to regional tanneries?

What about Swiss company call Gallo Gallusser family ? Very famous in Europe their vacchetta...Perwanger is an other one, fantastic leather,

JR isn't here?

Visvim in the thumbnail but u didn't mention it at all

Sedgwick gets my vote ✔

Good

Surprised Seidel isn’t on the list.

you forgot Seidel

Wicket and Craig?

I'm going to need you to create 10 videos personally visiting these locations. Let's crowd fund it.

Very surprised Wickett & Craig isn't on the list

good list, you should make it 20 instead of 10.

Hey! Could u pls include Mst Muhammad Shafi Tanneries too They da best

Was cutting Chromexcel while watching this...

It’s a shame you didn’t mention Maryam

Yeah, maybe W&C and some others (Maryam) coulda been on here, as they are all saying😂 Maybe a different title would have helped. Like “Renowned Tanneries” instead of “Best”. 🤷🏽‍♂️ But dude, another great video! Super informative, and the top notch footage was so helpful. You always explain things so clearly and succinctly. I had to laugh when you named the over abundance of footwear made with Horween CXL 🤣 Thanks for another useful video🙏🏽

Wickett and creig is the best imho

4:49 caught me off guard. Thought Ronald McDonald was making a guest appearance.

Bangladesh exports croc-meat to Germany, dunno what they do with the skin. It's just one crocodile farm in Mymensingh district or nearby. Experimentally, most people are deprived, which makes for so much space for isolationist narrative 😔

That accent is outstanding. LEFARC

So I clicked on this notification, got two seconds in & paused before I read the description of the 10 listed best Tanneries & saw that Wickett & Craig was not even listed, smdh. Big Big fail. Skipped to the end & heard a brief mention of W&C, are you kidding me, c'mon man..that's a bunch of Malarkey

A Great Leather review, always starts with Stridewise..... From you Aussie to another... Lefarc, not an easy one to pronounce...

Who makes crazy horse leather

Sepici Leather! Grade A Veg Tan leather for half the price.

I have to agree with some of the other comments, Wicket and Craig should be in there.

J Rendenbach, anyone?

Guidi Laced ankle boots in crocodile leather 6687.00 USD 2023 🐊👀😄

Man, leather has been part of my life since i was a kid playing with leather pieces... Your list is kinda strange, believe me! You completely forgot PERWANGER LEATHER, they make waterproof suede with the same secret recipe since 1780! They basically invented waterproof leather... get a talk with some alpinist about what leather they prefer to keep their feet safe at -30°C when in the alps!

Thank's for your excellent French accent : les tanneurs ont la peau dure! I send you later a vidéo on tanneries.

Seriously...do you have a storage unit for all of your shit? You must have so much.

Anyone else think horween is a little overrated? Also, where’s wickett and craig?

Wickett & Craig 100% I usually only buy from them.

Nobody bought cows for leather since Buffalo Bill, and that was mostly about the tongues at reputation weigh in, pun intended, if you can catch English doing turns in the dust of your diction.😆

Most people prefer PU leather these days. Years ago there were leather jacket stores everywhere. What happened?

Les tanneurs ont la peau dur

Fuck that Horween is the best tannery in the world!!!!

Guidi stuff looks...unattractive.

Guidi???? That is one overrated tannery. Many other better tanneries in Italy mate.