One of the main reasons which explains the difficulties in developing stalk-cured tobacco is the fact that this crop needs a lot of working time. Over the years, many efforts were made in order to build harvesting machines. Results are appreciated by producers (reduction of working time thanks to better management of the harvest, and reduction of effort). Nowadays, leaf stripping is one of the most critical workpoint of stalk-cured tobacco. Some leaf stripping assistance machines have been built. These consist only in transferring tobacco stalks in front of operators in order to reduce people's movements and to allow them to strip with both their hands for more efficiency. This improvement of leaf stripping work management reduces working time and, above all, reduces effort. Moreover, two leaf stripping machines are operational in France, but are not totally appropriate for all kinds of stripping work management. ANITTA, the French National Tobacco Technical Center, thanks to an ad-hoc working group, made an inventory of leaf stripping machines in existence or under development. A new project specification was done: the next prototype must be able to strip between 600 and 1000 stalks per hour, to classify stripped leaves into four foliar stages, to function with at least two operators, etc. On the basis of the model created by Japan Tobacco a few years ago, a new prototype was developed and adapted for French tobacco. Stalk holders, moved by a chain, bring tobacco stalks to leaf stripping belts. A blower directs leaves in the right axis to be stripped by the leaf stripping belts. Leaves are ejected into a four-partitioned carousel whose rotation speed regulates the stalk holders advance. Thus, the right partition can receive the right leaves. Stripped stalks continue to advance and fall into a stalk crusher. All the elements of this prototype are now realised, and are functioning, but many adjustments have to be done before field trials are undertaken.