Badalassi Carlo - Minerva Smooth - "Vacchetta" Veg Tanned Leather (HIDES)

Badalassi Carlo (Italy)

Please note: Images are representative of the actual product, but colors may vary due to device screens and dye lot differences. The leather you receive may appear different than what you see on your screen. When color accuracy is critical, we recommend requesting samples before ordering. Product descriptions are provided to the best of our knowledge—if you spot any errors, please let us know 

"This is some of the nicest leather I've worked with. It's beautifully tanned and the flesh side is smooth enough to require little, if any, additional treatment." - Bruce C.

Price
$ 114.99

Minerva Smooth is a vacchetta leather infused with a proprietary blend of Italian fats and waxes to achieve its famous buttery hand. The smooth grain surface highlights the deep, transparent colors that age beautifully with use. This full grain leather has a supple-medium temper, easy to cut and skive while holding structure well. With dozens of rich tones, Minerva Smooth is perfect for refined projects where elegance matters.

  • Thickness: 1.8mm (4.5 oz) +/- 0.2mm
  • Firmness: Medium
  • Expected Yield: 85%+
Specifications
SPLITTING

Leather splitting is a custom service available down to your preferred thickness

Please note split leather can't be returned

There is a tolerance to leather splitting. While we have invested a lot of time and training into hitting a tighter tolerance range than advertised, sometimes the  leather articles and differing densities require the full tolerance range. 

Leather tolerance is denoted by +/- which means the leather can be both above and below that number by the denoted amount.

  • Example 1.2mm +/- 0.1mm.
  • This means that the leather could come anywhere ranging from 1.1-1.3mm across the hide. Most the time this amount is indiscernible to the naked eye, but should be noted if measuring with precise equipment

How we gauge the leather is with a thickness gauge that can reach both the edges and middle of the hide. We apply a moderate amount of pressure (Not too hard and not too soft)

Again our tolerances are tighter than the tanneries. We are usually well inside the range, especially on panels, but occasionally need the full range. Tolerance ranges are as follows: 

Splitting Panels: +/- (0.1mm).

Splitting Full Hides & Half Hides:  +/- 0.15mm

No Splitting (From Tannery Splitter):  +/- 0.2mm

  • The width of our splitter is 27-28 inches. If you have a hide that is larger we will trim the hide to fit and return you both pieces. We cut off the belly section leaving you the nicest area of the hide in tact.
  • Due to it requiring often multiple passes we do not send the split flesh part.

Classic Italian vacchetta with timeless smooth elegance

Refined Grain, Rich Vacchetta Feel

Badalassi Minerva Smooth, born in Tuscany at the historic Carlo Tannery, captures the essence of Italy’s renowned vacchetta tradition. Infused with a special blend of natural waxes, this full-grain leather offers an unmistakably soft hand and depth of color. Its smooth, even grain ages gracefully into a lustrous patina, making every crafted piece a work of enduring beauty.

OVERVIEW

      Minerva Smooth Vegetable Tanned Leather comes from the Badalassi Carlo Tannery in Tuscany, Italy. They are well known for their traditional methods of vegetable tanning with tree barks that go back 100's of years. Badalassi Carlo is a member of the exclusive Pelle Vegetale Consortium certifying they tan leather using the strict traditional vegetal methods. We offer serialized certification tags you can attach to your finished products HERE 

      This veg tan leather is their top grade, it is full grain and has a nice supple feel with a small amount of firmness. Minerva is a vacchetta leather that is infused with a special blend of Italian fat wax giving it the famous hand and feel attributed with the vacchetta name. This leather has a beautiful smooth grain with a beautiful depth to the leather color. The veg tan will have an amazing patina as it ages. The leather is dyed completely through and has a nice soft flesh side. This leather has a great feel in the hand and it is easy to cut and skive.  

      MADE IN ITALY 🇮🇹

      DIMENSIONS

      • Full Hide:  average 12-16+ square feet  (approx 48 x 48 inches)
      • 1/2 Hide:  average 6-8+ square feet  (approx 24 x 48 inches)
        • Please note every hide is unique and dimensions are just an approximation. We recommend purchasing a larger hide whenever possible to give you flexibility. Contact us if you have any questions. 

      WHOLESALE / VOLUME DISCOUNTS

      We are the Official North America distributor for Badalassi Carlo. We have a few options to save you money on larger orders

      1. Mix and match any Badalassi Articles & Colors in Full Hides to get a volume discount (See grid above). Discount is applied automatically to your cart.
      2. Tannery Direct Pricing is availably for orders over 500 sqft per color. Lead-time is 2-4 months depending on shipping method. Contact us for more details. 

        WHAT TO EXPECT?  

        ETHICALLY SOURCED LEATHER

        All of our hides are ethically sourced as a byproduct of the meat industry. Leather that might otherwise be overlooked is transformed into something lasting through your creativity.

        Fast Shipping

        Most orders ship the next business day so you can keep your projects moving.

        Customer Service

        Our team is here to answer questions and help you find exactly what you need.

        Satisfaction Guarantee

        Enjoy 30 days of hassle-free returns for peace of mind with each order.

        Staff Picks

        Outlet

        Inspiration

        General Info
        Tannery i Badalassi Carlo
        Cut i Shoulder and Double Shoulder
        Material Characteristics
        Full Grain i Yes
        Grain (Top) i Aniline
        Flesh (Bottom) i Smooth Nap
        Burnishable i Yes
        Processing & Finish
        Tannage i Vegetable Tanned
        Dye i Completely Through
        Finish i Aniline
        Physical Properties
        Firmness i Medium
        Thickness i 1.8mm (4.5 oz) +/- 0.2mm
        Splitting i Free Splitting
        Yield i 85%+

        With a natural product like leather, there can be areas with neck and back wrinkles, veins, scars, bites, loose grain, but in general this article can expect an overall high cutting area. Double Shoulders also increase the cutting yield due to having no bellies where most the defects and loose grain are located. If you require large cuts for bigger products like totes, duffles, etc., we recommend whenever possible ordering a full hide. This leather being full aniline (meaning the leather is very natural with no extra finishing on the surface to hide any flaws) darker colors will better hide any areas of concern. A key skill of using full aniline leather is the ability to work less desirable areas of the hide into the less visible areas of your projects.
        Availability & Promotions
        Restocked i Yes, every 3-4 months
        Discounts i Yes, you can mix and match any of the Badalassi Carlo articles & colors in full hides. Volume discounts automatically applied. Note Paypal does not load the discounts, please pay with credit card instead