Habermas 2067: Eight Feet of Hide and a Suede Interior

Every Habermas starts as a side of English bridle leather about eight feet long, laid out on the bench, and I go over it inch by inch before a knife touches it. The 2067 is the version with one latch and a suede lining, and its story begins with that inspection.

Reading the hide

I inspect every hide for flaws, because a small defect in a hide shows up years later in a bag. In the video I go through a black UK bridle side before cutting a Habermas with two sections and a single silver latch, and I use the butt section for the main panels and the shoulder for the middle divider. The butt is the firmest part of the animal, and the journal article on English bridle leather explains how the leather is made and why it feels the way it does.

The haze you see on a new side is wax rising to the surface. I polish it down at the end. The page on leather choice has more about the tannery I buy from.

One latch, two sections

The Habermas comes with either a single or a double Marcellino latch. The 2067 has one, set in the center of the flap, with rings on top for the shoulder strap and a middle divider that splits the bag into two sections. It opens with one hand, which is what I designed it for when lawyers asked for something faster than a buckle.

I stitched the front panel to the main gusset on a black Habermas with a single silver latch for a university professor, and I recorded the stitching of that front panel. It is mostly stitching and music, which is an accurate picture of the job.

Suede on the inside

This version is lined in suede. I use real Italian calf suede, and I chose it over American splits when I was building a Habermas in English bridle from the Cedric tannery for an overseas customer. The page on suede lining sets calf suede against microsuede, and it explains why I stay with the real thing.

Bridle leather works unlined, and I have made this model many times without a lining. A suede lining is a more refined interior, and the interior photos on the listing show the pockets and the way the divider sits.

Looking after suede

Suede asks for different care from the waxed leather on the outside. No oil conditioner, no water. A soft toothbrush or plain air does the work, and the leather care page has the rest. The outside follows the usual bridle routine in the journal article on caring for a bridle leather briefcase.

The glossary of briefcase parts is useful if you want the names for the pieces visible in the interior photos.