MPG Apollo, Tobacco Leather

Weight:  5.0-5.5 oz

We now have JUMBO single and double shoulders of Tobacco Apollo!  Our double shoulders typically measure about 1.2-1.4 square meters (13-15 sqft).  But, the latest batch we received from the tannery ranges between 1.6-1.9 square meters (17-20+ sqft).  

Since the beginning, we’ve been on a quest to provide the maker community with excellent and interesting leather options in tannages and/or from tanneries all over the world that aren’t as widely known.  Apollo, from MPG Industria Conciaria in Italy is one of the next of these in our lineup.  

Apollo is 100% vegetable tanned, firm-tempered, and the colors are very rich.  In these ways, it is similar to Dakota from La Perla Azzurra, which originates in the same region of Italy.  If you’re comparing the two leathers side-by-side, you’ll notice that Apollo feels relatively similar to Dakota in terms of how heavy/dense (a different blend of fats/oils during the hot stuffing process) it feels.  It also strongly resembles Walpier’s Buttero with regard to its sheen and the slightly marbled look of the color.  However, it’s not as dry as Buttero, which affords it some advantages for certain leather goods like bags/cases.

It burnishes very well, it’s easy to hand sew and machine sew, it behaves very well with Aquilim water-based adhesives, the colors are solid and consistent, and it has a great smell.  Apollo has enough body at 5oz to hold up well as an unlined/unstructured tote and other types of bags, as well as other items like single layer watch straps, lanyards, key fobs, etc.  At split weights 2-3oz, it’s fantastic for wallet exteriors, interiors and lining for larger goods.  

Apollo comes in double shoulder form, so by nature will likely have some striation marks through the chest area of the hide.

GRADING:

– Grade A – Great quality, very little to no flaws beside what is mentioned above.

– Grade B – Not-so-perfect – will have more noticeable range marks or scratches, broken grain, or slight color variation over a small portion of the panel. 

Please note: There may be a slight variation in color between the product photo and what you receive due to differences across dye lots and the natural characteristics of leather.