Italian Pueblo Leather Review: Smells Good, Ages Like a Beast, and Costs a Pretty Penny

Alright, let’s just get into it.

I’ve been meaning to do this series for a long time — just me, talking straight about different kinds of leather. So let’s start with the leather I use the most.

Italian Pueblo from the Carlo Badalassi tannery in Italy.

This is hands-down my favorite leather. It’s the easiest to work with, looks amazing right out of the box, and is always popular with customers. Let’s break it down.

What Is It?

Pueblo is a vegetable-tanned leather, which, if you’re new to this, means it’s tanned using bark, leaves, and other natural stuff — not the harsh chemicals used in chrome tanning. Veg tan leathers age better. Period. And Pueblo? It ages beautifully.

It’s full grain. Premium. The real deal.

What I Love

The smell.
I’m not saying all leather smells good. I’m saying this one smells incredible. Crack open a new hide of Pueblo and it hits you in the face in the best way — rich, earthy, complex. It’s a full experience.

The look.
Pueblo’s got this dry, almost chalky texture on the surface. Not smooth, not glossy — something rougher, more raw. It's hard to describe, but once you’ve seen it, you know. And when it starts to patina? Holy hell. You take a wallet made from Pueblo on day one and compare it to the same wallet a year later, and it’s almost unrecognizable in the best way. It gets darker, shinier, more full of character. Like it’s been somewhere. Like it has stories to tell.

Some folks might hate that. They want things to stay pristine. But me? I want to see the miles. I want to remember the trips, the spills, the time I dropped it in the ocean. That’s the soul of this leather.

Color options and workability.
C.M. Calo Battello delivers this stuff in a boatload of colors. Bright, moody, whatever you want. And from a crafter’s standpoint? It’s a dream. Edges burnish like glass, skiving is smooth, and the whole piece comes together clean and tight every time. No surprises. No drama.

The patina with pueblo is dramtic.

It darkens, gain sheen, and molds to your pocket over time

What I Don’t Love

Nobody’s perfect, right?

Finger oils.
Because it starts with a matte surface, this leather picks up oil from your hands real fast. Handle it too much when crafting and you’ll see dark spots show up. Not the end of the world, but something to watch out for. Pro tip? Wash your hands before you start crafting, or wear gloves. Hit it with a horsehair brush if it starts to look funky.

The price.
Yeah, it ain’t cheap. Pueblo is a premium leather, and it’s priced like one. But that’s the cost of doing things right. If you're selling your work, just make sure you price it accordingly. Folks who get it, get it — and they’ll pay for the good stuff.

Final Verdict

9 out of 10. Easy.
This leather does just about everything I want it to. Someday I’ll do a deep dive on shell cordovan and see if anything can top it. But until then, Pueblo is king in the Coastline shop.

Got more leather reviews coming. I’m queuing up some real bangers — Dollaro, Chat, Gaucho Oil. If you’re into that sort of thing, hit subscribe and let’s keep this going.

Thanks for hanging out.

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