This is Part II of our docuseries on Tannery Rémy Carriat, a respected family-run tannery and collaborator of Peter Nitz, a leading bespoke leather goods atelier.
In Part I, we explored the tannery's heritage, and its almost 20-year partnership with Peter. Now, in Part II, we step behind the scenes together with the Export Manager, Cédric Jorge, to reveal the entire tanning process, from raw hide to finished leather.
Where does the tanning process begin?
Everything begins with the finest European raw hides, sourced from Catalunya and Switzerland. The hides that arrive at Rémy Carriat are called wet blue skins, and have already been chrome-tanned.
- Daily rhythm at Rémy Carriat: 400–450 skins are processed every day at the tannery.
- Why the term “wet blue”? The name comes from the bluish tint left after the chrome tanning stage.
STEP 01: THE DYEING PROCESS
“Neutralization ensures balance. Dyeing brings life to the leather.” – says Cédric Jorge
- Wet blue skins are placed into dyeing drums.
- They are first neutralized to achieve the correct pH.
- Then the dyeing phase begins, where color is added.
- Small drums handle around 5–6 skins; large drums handle 50–60 skins or more.
- The traditional drums are made of wood, while modern versions use resina.
STEP 02: THE DRYING & HUMIDIFYING PROCESS
Before drying, skins go through a spinning process to remove excess water.
There are three primary drying methods:
- Toggling Machine – Manual process with four workers. Skins are clamped on metal, passed through an oven, and stretched so the natural grain emerges.
- Vacuum Method – Used for less grainy skins. Air is removed via suction pipes, leaving hides flat and dry.
- Ventilation Room – Skins are hung on hooks in a hot, humid chamber until they reach the right humidity.
This careful balance of drying and re-humidifying prepares hides for finishing.
STEP 03: DYE SPRAYING PROCESS
“At Carriat, color isn’t just applied — it’s perfected."
- A thin spray layer of pigment is applied.
- Goal 1: Achieve the exact shade requested by the client.
- Goal 2: Conceal minor imperfections while preserving the natural beauty of the hide.
STEP 04: DRYING, SOFTENING & TUMBLING
- Depending on the skin, hides undergo toggling, vacuum drying, or ventilated drying once more.
- Skins are then placed in square tumbling drums. The first objective is to soften the leather, and the second is the bring out the natural grain.
- The longer the tumble, the more the grain becomes visible.
- Modern tumbling drums also adjust humidity and heat to enhance color and texture.
STEP 05: QUALITY CONTROL & SHIPPING
Every hide is rigorously inspected and graded according to customer requirements.
- Skins are rolled onto carton tubes, packed in boxes, and shipped to luxury houses around the world.
- Only hides that meet the highest standard of quality leave Tannery Rémy Carriat.