Habermas 2073: Three Rooms and One Hide
The Habermas 2073 is a triple-section build in tan English bridle leather with two Marcellino latches, and it carries its load in three separate compartments.
Why three sections
Three sections give you three places to sort what you carry. The side photo shows the three gussets stacked, each with its own stitched edge, and the interior photo shows the compartments from above.
The video is of a related build, a triple-section London tan briefcase that I named in honor of Stephen Hawking after he died. It expands to about six inches and stands upright on its own. The glossary of briefcase parts explains gussets and the other parts in the photos.
Sharp corners, standing upright
I cut sharp corners on these bags on purpose. A wraparound accordion corner collapses when a case is empty, and a sharp one keeps a triple section standing straight. The leather is stiff at first, and over the years it softens and breaks in.
Two latches, wrapped in leather
The 2073 carries two Marcellino latches, and the latches wear stitched leather covers. The close-up photo shows the stitching on one of them. The covers can feel stiff at first and soften within a few months, and a dab of glue holds them in place. They come off if you find the latch easier to work bare.
I developed the latch for lawyers who liked the traditional look but wanted something quicker than a buckle. The page on high-end locks covers the other closings I build.
Tan bridle and dark edges
The leather is English bridle in tan, and tan is the color that changes most. London tan starts yellow and fades like old jeans from the oils in your hands, as I explain in my videos. The edges are finished dark, in the latex edge paint I use, five, six or seven coats with a base coat under them, each sanded and heated before the next. The journal article on English bridle leather covers the leather and the page on leather choice covers how I choose it.
The back panel carries a flat pocket, the kind I add for newspapers and papers you want at hand.
Stitched by hand
Every seam is saddle stitched by hand with thick thread, set well back from the edge. A triple section has far more seams than a single, which is why these bags take a long time. The page on hand stitching describes the method, and the article on the saddle stitch explains why it holds. For care, the leather care page and the article on caring for a bridle leather briefcase cover the routine.
