Pared-back wallet crafted by Bleu de Chauffe in a workshop in Millau, France from vegetable-tanned leather sourced in Europe. With a logo-engraved press stud flap that opens to the interior, which features two card slots, a central compartment and zipped pocket.
The leather tanneries Bleu de Chauffe works with treat the water they use during the organic tanning process, purifying it to reduce impact on the environment.
Details
100% cow tanned leather.
Made in France.
L 14.5cm x H 9cm.
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Going Against the Grain at Bleu de Chauffe
On arrival in Millau, southern France, the first thing to catch your attention is the majestic viaduct. Designed by British architect Norman Foster, this striking feat of engineering stands at 1,104 ft tall making it – at the time of writing – the tallest bridge in the world. Close to the River Tarn, just a few minutes’ drive away, is the Bleu de Chauffe workshop. Nestled in the valley, the timber building is surrounded by wildflowers and billowing grasses, an impressive outlook dominated by the cable-spanned skyline.
It’s here, in the Aveyron region known for its glove-making industry, that Alexandre Rousseau and Thierry Batteux decided to build their bag and accessories business. Established in 2009, Bleu de Chauffe (the name is taken from the French workwear jackets worn by 19th and 20th century factory workers) creates traditional work bags by hand, using the highest quality local materials including vegetable-tanned leather and organic cotton canvas, crafted by their team of artisans.
Leather Care Guide
At TOAST, many of our shoes and accessories are made from natural leather. Each different type of leather has subtle variations in colour and texture, and many have been tanned using vegetable dyes – a more environmentally friendly process of tanning that is recyclable.
Leather is durable and hardwearing, and over time it develops a beautiful patina that darkens gradually.
Looking after your leather
Before exposure to moisture, you can apply a leather/suede protector to your shoes or boots (we recommend Scotchgard) to prevent rain marking the leather. However, many scuffs and marks can be renovated by polishing with the correct products - your footwear will look all the better for it.
Many of our shoes and boots are made with leather soles which provide a beautiful finish but may be a little slippery until they are well worn in. Do take extra care when walking, especially on stairs. Leather soles are a natural product and are porous in wet conditions. Leave wet shoes to dry naturally, never by artificial heat. The addition of a rubber sole and heel pieces by a cobbler will help extend the life of your leather soles and will provide extra protection.
When you’re not wearing your shoes or boots, fill them with tissue or newspaper to help keep their shape.
How to clean polished & matt leather
You can clean your polished leather with a neutral cream polish or a correctly matched traditional coloured polish. We recommend Kiwi shoe polish which comes in a range of colours. Apply with a soft brush and polish off with a different soft brush. A final shine can be given by buffing with a soft cloth.
Be sure to never use a polish on matt leather because you will make it shiny. Instead, we recommend using a saddle soap to clean your matt leather footwear. A good saddle soap is Belvoir Glycerine.
First, clean the footwear with a damp sponge to remove any dirt and allow to dry. When dry, take a very slightly damp sponge and rub it on the saddle soap to get a covering of very slightly soapy residue that you can then apply (if your sponge is too wet, the soap will get very foamy and the final effect will not be so good).
Always leave your leather to dry naturally.
A natural leather wax can be used on accessories to treat the leather and give it a burnished shine.