Woodhull 4752: Hermann Oak Harness Leather
The Woodhull 4752 is cut from American harness leather made by the Hermann Oak tannery. It is thick, rustic and unlined, and it is meant to be scratched.
Leather that does not pretend
This hide from Hermann Oak, an American tannery, is thick, supple and rustic. It scratches easily, and I think that is its beauty: every mark on a harness leather case stays and becomes part of the surface.
It patinas faster than bridle leather. Bridle takes years to wear its waxes in. Harness starts changing once you carry it and bring it out in the sun. Hermann Oak has been tanning leather in St. Louis, Missouri since 1861.
Thick on purpose
I buy the hide thick and leave it thick. Cut that way, a briefcase feels like a tank. On a similar harness case I said it should last 10 to 20 years with good use, meaning carried, not stored on a shelf.
The size is the standard Woodhull body, 16 x 12 x 4 inches, with two compartments. The Cobra quick-release lock closes it, and my signature bottom cross stitch handle carries it.
Unlined
I leave harness leather unlined. The outside is going to get beaten up and scratched, and suede on the inside of a rough case never worked for me. The inside stays matte and smooth, and if you spill something on it, it wipes away. Inside and out, the leather matches.
Why harness belongs in the Woodhull line
The Woodhull line is the heavy end of what I build, and harness leather suits it. A case this thick has weight,. Nothing hides behind a finish.
Harness and bridle, side by side
Hermann Oak leather comes thick, around 8 to 12 ounces, and a suede lining makes it thicker still. That is why I usually recommend keeping the natural lining, and the edges traditional, burnished rather than painted. The leather page describes the tannery and its drum-dyed harness leather, which is stuffed with heavy tallows for wear and thickness. The tannery has made leather for over 130 years.
For the comparison with bridle leather, read Bridle Leather vs. Harness Leather: A Head-to-Head for Briefcase Buyers. The inside of an unlined case is described on the natural leather lining page.
