La Tannerie Gal – Excellence in vegetable-tanned leather for Luxury Saddlery

A French tannery with rare expertise

The Gal tannery possesses a rare expertise in the world of bovine leather production. From the outset, this French tannery has produced leathers for the equestrian world. A connoisseur of equestrian saddlery and its specificities, it has developed exceptional craftsmanship. The leather produced at the Gal tannery is technical, ecological and top-of-the-range. This full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather has the natural beauty and unrivalled durability appreciated in luxury saddlery. To understand this specialization, we need to take a closer look at a traditional craft: vegetable tanning.

A French tannery with traditional know-how

Producing top-of-the-range leather for luxury saddlery requires a perfect knowledge of the raw material. Before tanning, the Gal tannery carefully selects the hides, based on very precise criteria. This first step is essential to guarantee durable bovine leather for saddles.

Rigorous hide selection

Each breed of cattle has its own characteristics, and skin thickness is one of them. The Gal tannery begins by selecting hides at least four millimeters thick. In addition, the hide must be naturally dense and structured; the indispensable quality of robustness must already be there.

Ecological tanning process

Next, Gal’s ecological tanning process adds value to the hides to create high-quality full-grain leather. A tanning process of excellence, vegetable tanning strengthens the leather by respecting its intrinsic qualities while magnifying them.
The Gal tannery’s know-how is traditional, mastered and handed down by generations of tanners in Bellac, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. They have maintained the ancient technique of tanning leather with oak bark in huge pits. Dating back to the Middle Ages, this traditional, entirely manual process has been perfected century after century.

Vegetable tanning, a natural and ecological choice

Vegetable tanning refers to the exclusive use of natural plant extracts. Prehistoric man was probably the first to discover the virtues of vegetable tanning after dozing under an oak tree. Vegetable products do not damage leather and its natural characteristics; on the contrary, they reinforce them.

A 100% natural process

The Gal tannery produces only vegetable-tanned leather: all the tannins used come from nature. The tanners use ground oak bark or plants from the sea. After tanning, the leathers are given a vegetable finish using linseed. This ecological tanning process excludes all use of petroleum or synthetic products, resulting in exceptional leathers.

Durability and respect for the environment

Leathers tanned with natural plants develop a patina over time and retain their original qualities. The Gal tannery has also opted for eco-responsible vegetable tanning for cattle leathers intended for equestrian saddlery. Not only are the tannins natural, but the water used returns to the river and the natural waste to the earth, in line with the principles of the circular economy.

The advantages of vegetable-tanned leather

In addition to its environmentally-friendly qualities, bovine saddle leather tanned with natural plant extracts offers several advantages:

– Material ennoblement: Vegetable tanning respects the original structure of the hide while strengthening it.
– Exceptional strength: The resulting leather is dense and robust, offering unrivalled resistance to stretching and breaking.
– Unrivalled durability: It holds up remarkably well over time, never fading or stretching.
– Hypoallergenic: Plant-derived tannins contain no allergens, unlike mineral or synthetic components.
– Natural beauty: Vegetable-tanned full-grain leather seduces with its authentic appearance and unique patina.

Robust, handcrafted, French leather

For riders and the equestrian world, the durability and resistance of leather are fundamental. Saddles and harness accessories must meet the technical and sporting demands of the sport.
Gal tannery’s know-how and excellence enable it to offer robust, handcrafted French cowhide for luxury saddlery. With its eco-responsible vegetable tanning, its bovine saddle leathers are synonymous with durability and beauty.
It’s no surprise that the French tannery in Bellac is a world leader in equestrian leathers. A specialty that Gal has been perfecting for over a hundred years, with pride and passion.

To find out more

Explore the different vegetable tanning processes used in our tannery for luxury saddlery, or contact us to find out about our available bovine leathers.