m20: London Tan With a Bright Blue Inside
London tan is the color of a good saddle. The bright blue under the flap is for whoever opens it.
Tan and blue
UK English bridle leather in London tan, lined in bright blue Italian calf suede. I picked the blue to make the tan pop when the case is opened, and to give whoever opens it a color combination they have not seen before. A solid brass buckle from saddlery closes the front.
Years of wax, then jeans
The leather comes from the Sedgwick tannery in the UK, a company that, the Express & Star reports, was founded in 1900 making leather for bridles and saddles, and moved to Walsall in the 1920s. Leather made that way carries a lot of wax. The wax takes time to break in, probably years depending on use. After that, London tan fades like a great pair of jeans. That is the patina real leather earns.
The handle strap
The handle strap comes off. The shoulder strap attaches to the same handle rings, and the strap is lined in blue too. One set of brass rings does two jobs.
Size
10 x 7 x 4 inches with two 2 inch gussets, hand saddle stitched. The shoulder strap is adjustable, with a 20 inch drop. Late 2023.
How it is made
The clock lock is one of my high-end handmade locks, made by hand in Italy; it sets like a clock, so the combination is a time you can remember.
The suede is real: see the suede lining page for why I use it instead of microsuede, and the care page for how to look after it.
The bridle leather is described on my leather page, and the journal explains it in What English Bridle Leather Actually Is, and Why Briefcases Are Cut From It.
The seams are hand stitched; see The Saddle Stitch Explained: Hand-Sewing Leather Step by Step for the method.
