Go behind the scenes of the Graulhet leather workshops where history and know-how meet.
Enter a real workshop
Visit to the Fourès Workshops
To learn everything about leatherwork, there is nothing better than visiting a leather goods factory. Following in the footsteps of Amandine, the manager of Ateliers Fourès, we pass through all the production stations, from cutting to assembly to finishing.
Full-grain leather hides stacked on easels set the tone for the visit: you want to see and touch everything!
Throughout the one-hour tour, our guide introduces us to the different professions that make up the workshop: cutters, stitchers, fitters. So many specialties that require rigor, concentration and above all know-how! This is what we came to discover.
First step: cutting. Using presses and punches, the craftsmen detach the pieces needed to make the objects. We observe them at this meticulous task which must get the most out of a skin while generating a minimum of waste.
Then we move on to the preparation. Here the different pieces are split, if necessary, trimmed and edged to be ready for assembly. This is when the pieces are assembled for the penultimate step: the stitching which is done with the sewing machine. All that is missing is the finishing for a perfect product!
From one station to another, we observe the mastery and expertise deployed to obtain these exceptional handmade pieces! For men and women, the workshops make handbags, school bags, wallets, belts, backpacks… From one visit to the next, we witness the creation of various objects!
Practical information
Book your visit to the heart of a leather goods workshop! “Behind the Scenes of an Excellent Leather Goods Workshop” is (almost) every Thursday at Ateliers Fourès.
| Pricing | Min. | Max. |
|---|---|---|
| Single price |
6 € | Not disclosed |
| Opening hours from August 28 to December 18, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Thursday | Open from 14 am to 15 pm |
Graulhet and leather, it’s a long story
In Graulhet, leatherwork began in the Middle Ages, but it developed from the 1950th century, taking on considerable proportions in the 3500th century. In XNUMX, some XNUMX workers worked in a hundred factories, mainly tanneries. Today, Graulhet is home to the entire industry. The tanneries are still there, and are accompanied by leather goods, and companies working in the chemical or tooling sector. You will find there what you need to find leather for your creations, or visit workshops!
Our tip : in October and on the occasion of the event “Graulhet, leather in the skin”, the leather workshops and companies of Graulhet exceptionally open their doors to share their know-how and offer their products at factory prices!
Graulhet leather in the skin
The House of Leather Crafts
The Maison des Métiers du Cuir is a former leatherworks. It traces the history of leatherwork in Graulhet and the stages of transforming hides into leather. During the visit between the large rooms of the imposing building, you will come across many machines as well as fullers, a type of large barrel used in tanning.
Themes
