Journal

Finding quality leather can be a cumbersome and often confusing process. The market is, after all, full of leather look-alikes – cheap and synthetic quality leather that’s undergone low quality craftsmanship standards but looks practically as good as the real thing.

Here’s what you can do to help distinguish fake leather from 100% genuine leather:

How to Spot a Fake

A genuine leather product will always boast natural quality that’s meant to last ages. Anything altered or “custom built” by man will never have the level of quality or timelessness real leather does.

Always look for the words “full grain vegetable tanned” on your leather products, which states that the surface has remained untouched in order to retain the natural hide markings.

You would generally want to avoid products with the “genuine leather” stamp as these typically feature leather splits borrowed from the underside of skins with an artificial grain pattern stamped on top, and finally a painted surface coated over to look remarkably similar to full grain leather.

This can be very misleading as you’d be tempted to buy such products based on the look alone – however, understand that the hides will never be as soft or durable as full grain vegetable tanned leather, particularly one that’s handcrafted in Spain.

How to Determine Leather Quality

There are two factors that, more or less, determine the quality of leather goods: the tanning process and hide selection. Let’s discuss hide selection first, since you may be able to relate to it right away.

Hide Selection

The hide selection is all about the “cleanliness” of a leather good; e.g. how many natural marks there are on the hide. Leather finishes are usually graded and priced according to this hide cleanliness level, as well as the overall condition of the animal’s skin.

Premium full grain vegetable tanned leather ages beautifully as it forms a unique patina over time. 
As any noble woods, you may be able to appreciate some natural marks that are not to be deemed as defects but rather, a true statement of natural quality. 

So when it comes to hide selection, 100% wool felt, a natural fibre harvested from sheep, boasts top quality. It is a renewable and eco-friendly material that provides you with traditional care and protection. Due to its properties, edges can be left raw but they won’t fray.

Full grain leather is a highly saturated non-woven material that cannot be pulled apart. In addition, it has anti static and moisture resisting properties. It is also self-extinguishing, naturally repels soiling and feels quite soft to the touch.

The Tanning Process

Tanning refers to a process where animal skin is treated to produce leather that’s durable and adequately resistant to decomposition. Ultimately, if your leather product has undergone the right tanning and hide selection process, it should feel very soft and supple to the touch. The material should never feel like it’s made from anything that feels like rubber or plastic.

Harber London offers quality leather products for men who settle for nothing less than 100% genuine, full grain vegetable tan leather. Check out our luxurious leather goods for men collection and satisfy your desire for fine quality leather goods. 

As you may be aware, there are multiple methods of tanning leather. However, not every method is ideal, particularly when it comes to your health and the environment.

When you plan on buying a quality leather product such as a weekender bag or wallet, it’s actually quite important to gain an understanding of the different types of leather that are available.

On the subject of quality and genuine leather, nothing compares to full grain leather from Spain.

 

Why it’s Important to Check for the “Full Grain...” Label on Your Leather Goods

The term “full grain” refers to the layer of hide that’s been used to make a leather good. “Full Grain” refers to the outermost layer which comprises the most closely packed fibre layers. Simply put, it is the toughest kind of leather material you can find and ages timelessly.

Goods made from this type of leather will always form a natural patina over time – you’ll start to see variations in colour and subtle scars, but it will never fray. This is why leather made from 100% wool felt and full grain cow hide will always have an uneven texture because it was, in fact, sculptured over a lifetime on open, green pastures.

The Full Grain leather refers to the cowhide which has been subjected to a tanning process, in order to best preserve it. This natural tanning process has been around for several centuries, and any leather product that has indeed been made from full grain leather will show signs of “breaking in” over the years. This allows the leather to stretch and relax more into a natural shape.

This process stands out from other processes since those incorporate chemical solutions to break down leather fibres, artificially making them soft to the touch. In fact, one of the worst methods to accomplish this is known as chrome leather tanning, a process where toxic chromium salts are used to break down the leather fibres so that they feel soft.

 

Full Grain Leather – Timeless Beauty and Ageing

Leather ages timelessly – it naturally reacts to its surroundings as you use it, polishing up nicely and darkening in colour. 

Most people, however, have not experienced using a full grain leather product as it is not as commonly used as, say, synthetic leather or “genuine” leather goods. Majority of mass-produced leather goods use top grain – which has the outermost layers sanded off, reducing durability – or genuine/bonded leather, which is a quick and cheap way of making leather goods; one which, unfortunately, does not last very long.

At Harber London, all our premium leather goods are made from 100% wool felt and full grain leather. Each product is thoughtfully hand-crafted by the finest Spanish craftsmen, offering remarkable functionality, yet minimalist design that boasts unrelenting elegance and style.

Harber London prides itself upon the quality and functionality of its products, which has allowed our esteemed clientele to attain benefits from our product range, as per their need and / or requirement. Our utilised materials including handcrafted premium Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Leather and 100% Wool felt, has allowed our products to be in a class of their own, with our expert craftsmen at the helm of making each one of our products a class apart.

Since functionality also forms part of our philosophy, we continuously look to provide you with products which are likely to aid you in everyday living, whilst reimagining the structure of the product itself. In doing so, we have introduced the Leather and Felt Desk Mat, perfect for placing your computing devices upon it, whilst providing you with unique benefits, which are outlined below. 

Protection

The minimalistic yet innovative design has been tailored in such a way so as to provide a thick wool felt base which will offer you sturdy cushioning, whilst placing your laptop or other devices upon it. Not only does this allow for your device to have a cushion rather it also enables you to protect your desk surface along with your device from any scratches which could potentially occur, when the two come into contact without the base.

 

Leather and Felt

As the name of the product suggests, the desk mat incorporates both leather and felt in its design, hence providing the best of both worlds. The padded felt allows for extra protection whilst the premium Full Grain Vegetable tanned leather, with its ageless design and look adds to the timeless look of your desk.     

 

Keeps Your Desk Tidy

Now we all know how cumbersome it can get to sort out the cables which are linked to the various devices we have placed on our desks, whilst if you don’t sort these cables out your desk can end up looking untidy and cluttered. Therefore, the Leather and Felt Desk Mat provides a cable cut, which allows for your desk cables to remain untangled and all within one place. Not to mention, the former enables your desk to look clean and clutter less, provided you effectively utilise the cable cut.  

The Leather and Felt Desk Mat is available in tan, black and navy colours, with the size options being medium or extra large as per your requirement (the dimensions can be viewed via our website).

For further information on the Leather and Felt Desk Mat, along with any of our other products, you can browse our website or contact us through our provided contact form.

Your precious Apple Macbook is a fine piece of mobile equipment and as such it needs a Macbook Pro sleeve that is specifically designed to give it the required protection, while making a bold style statement as well.

Macbooks are slim and nimble little machines, which is all the more reason to protect them from dust, scuff marks and other unpleasant mishaps.

 

Leather Macbook Covers – An Ode to Your Exquisite Manliness

Whether you’re a Macbook Pro or a Macbook Air admirer, you will surely appreciate the look and feel of a leather Macbook pro cover that is just simple enough to wholeheartedly give your laptop ample protection, yet feels really sleek and plain luxurious to the touch.

Leather Macbook covers built to last will only have Full grain Vegetable Tanned Leather which forms a unique patina over time, ageing gracefully. Look closely and you should see finely stitched and finished edges that never fray. If you think about it, there really isn’t a more aesthetically pleasing way to protect your Macbook.

Harber London’s envelop laptop sleeves are designed to match the tapered design of the Macbook, Macbook Pro and Macbook Air. Open the flap and you’re greeted with a lighter brown, almost brownish-orange Wool Felt material that is just beautifully soft to the touch; this eco-friendly and renewable material is a natural fiber harvested from sheep and is considered a highly saturated non-woven material that simply cannot be pulled apart. In addition, it is self-extinguishing, anti-static, moisture-resistant and repels soiling.  

The inside felt feels just as soft and plush, and offers complete protection against scratches or scuff marks. Even if you accidently drop the Macbook envelop sleeve with the Macbook inside, your laptop will remain free of marks.

Another noteworthy and stylish yet minimalistic design detail is the single snap button – a rather elegant enclosure solution which helps maintain the compact and minimal appearance of this protective leather Macbook cover. Just the heavy-duty sound of the snap opening and closing gives you an excuse to use the envelope case sleeve more often than necessary!    

Slide your Macbook in and out of the envelop sleeve with no issues at all – the leather is soft and flexible and just large enough to allow you to slip your fingers inside with ease, every time you want to snugly park or retrieve your laptop.

 

You Just Have to Have it

The Harber Leather Macbook Envelope Case Sleeve has been specifically tailored to snugly fit your Macbook, giving it the protection it needs from everyday bumps and scratches, thanks to the dense wool felt body. The leather flap stays secure at all times, and allows for easy access and simple closure.

The minimal stitching coupled with dense wool felt and leather cover provides for a sporty yet elegant look, without compromising any functionality or usability. A front leather pocket makes for a nice addition as you can store a small notepad, cords, pens or even your phone. Whatever you need to go with your laptop, Harber has you covered.

Experience the finest in Macbook pro cases with Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Leather and rich 100% Wool Felt made by the finest craftsmen in Spain.

When it comes to sleek and luxurious looking accessories, style truly counts. However, when you are on the hunt for the perfect Macbook Pro cover, style should never compromise protecting your precious machine from even the lightest scuffs or grits.

The right Macbook Pro Case should not only boast a slim and stylish leather finish, but also have sleeves that effortlessly protect every side and corner of your laptop when closed. What’s more, you should be able to easily slide your laptop into the sleeve. The ideal Macbook Pro sleeve would easily allow you to glide the zippers back and forth and keep moisture out, should you accidently spill any water or coffee over it.

 

Give That Macbook of Yours the Protection it Deserves

You probably know how light the Macbook Air is – you might even accidently throw it out in the trash in case it gets mixed up with old books or paper dinner plates. And just because it’s an Apple product layered with the best-quality aluminium does not mean that it’s not subject to any kind of damage; it is, after all, made to travel.

Be it a Macbook Pro or a Macbook Air, the kind of protection it needs depends a lot on where you are taking it. A leather Macbook cover can give your laptop more than ample protection, especially if you’re in the habit of jamming your computer into overhead compartments in airplanes. And no matter what kind of Macbook Pro case you choose, you definitely want to make a personal style statement while it does its job.

In fact, a brand new Macbook Pro sleeve can also act as the perfect boardroom companion – why not impress that new client with your sleek Macbook cover as you exchange business cards?

Now, it’s understandable that as a proud Macbook Pro owner, you may be tempted to show the world that flagship Apple logo. However, this isn’t the most practical thing to do as you need to protect your laptop from undue wear and tear; even if you keep it in a bag, chances are it may get scuffed due to being exposed to elements within that bag.

Invest in a leather Macbook sleeve now and enjoy superb protection no matter where your Macbook goes with you. If you’re looking for laptop sleeves that are as stylish as your shiny Macbook Pro, Harber London has you covered.

 

Safe, Sleek and Just Plain Sexy

Picture a Macbook Pro case that’s made from Full Grain vegetable tanned leather made by the finest craftsmen in Spain. Or, perhaps the 100% Wool Felt, a natural fiber harvested from sheep. The highly saturated non-woven material in your Harber Macbook cover can never be pulled apart, naturally repels soiling and is static as well as moisture resistant.

Enjoy the super-slim design and minimalistic look that’s perfect for the standard Macbook, Macbook Air and the new Macbook Pro lineup. Harber also offers the latest Macbook Pro retina case to complement your sporty yet elegant taste in Macbook covers.

How many a times has it happened that you’re all set for a weekend with the boys and are left confused about which bag to take- well wonder no more. We, at Harber London pride ourselves in providing quality products to suit your everyday needs whilst staying true to our unique and innovative designs.

The men’s leather weekend bag is a luxurious looking, handcrafted timepiece made by expert craftsmen in Spain, with Full Grain Vegetable tanned cowhide leather and a German Microsuede lining which is sure to fulfil all your expectations associated with travel bags.

 

Travelling and moving

Fully aware of the fact that travelling and moving around can get messy and awkward, what with the plethora of things to handle from the small items to the larger carry on items; we have designed the weekender keeping all these aspects in mind.

With the pockets seamlessly merged with the bag lines, we aim to provide our customers with a better experience, with the motto of ‘carry more, carry better’. Thus accordingly, this leather weekender bag comes with front zippered pockets, which can be used to carry the smaller items which need to be carried further including seven outer pockets in total; perfect for you to store those items which you will require through your travel.

Along with this, the inner zippered pocket along with the inner large double pocket ensures that you are able to stow away your belongings and zip the bag for good measure especially in the case of valuables and such. Furthermore, the mega comfortable handles are an added advantage, so as to provide convenience and ease for carrying the weekend bag around.

In addition to this, a comfortable leather carry on strap is also provided to allow the user to hoist the bag on their shoulder, if carrying it around through the handles is not suitable or desired.

 

In relation to the size

The men’s travel bag fits most cabin size requirements with approximate dimensions being 50 (L) x 26 (H) x 27 (W) cm | 19.68" (L) x 10.23" (H) x 10.62" (W). Further to this, to cater to the requirement of our customers the men’s leather weekender bag is available in two colours including chestnut and black.

In case of regular and/or long term usage, the leather of the man bag will age beautifully as they form a patina or a gloss or sheen produced by age and/or polishing, over time. In case if you’re wondering about the delivery, it can be dispatched on the same day as it is ordered or on the next working day, thereby freeing you of the worry of inquiring about its delivery or other related matters.

For a full feature of all the benefits that this ‘new-look’ has to offer along with all of our other products available on offer, head on to our website where we aim to re-think and re-design the concept of the travel bad along with the products which are available on offer.

This drill as we know it has become all too common these days: no matter how neatly we fold up our cables, they somehow manage to transform themselves into a labyrinth of tangled wires. An elegant looking leather cable pack organiser is exactly what you need to organise everything from USB wires, iPhone chargers and earbud wires.

Simplify and Organise Better

A stylish leather handmade cable ties pack organiser accomplishes a lot of things. Apart from keeping your cables from becoming a jumbled mess, it can keep them safe and secure, and even protect them from water damage.

Even if you don’t carry too many cords with yourself at any given time, you certainly do not want to deal with the awkwardness and frustration of trying to find the right cable on a busy commute or in the middle of a ground-breaking meeting.

Why Choose a Leather Cable Organiser?

A minimalist leather cable organiser that comes in a pack of three to accommodate all your cables is the perfect way to compliment a busy and organised on-the-go lifestyle. When buying a cable organiser, make sure you settle for one that is only made with Full Grain Vegetable tanned cowhide leather, crafted by Spain’s finest leather craftsmen.

Harber’s leather cable ties pack organiser is ideal for home or office use and comes in three elegant colours – tan, black and navy. Each pack size has been carefully designed to satisfy different cable storage needs. While the small and medium sized one is ideal for earbuds and USB cables, the large one works well to store thicker cables such as your phone or laptop charger.

Leather desk pads with padded felt are a great way to spice up your workspace and even protect your desk or laptop from everyday wear and tear. You would be surprised what kind of beating a desk can take over the years, owing to all the wires and laptops that are moved around. Why not add a little luxury, comfort and appeal to your desk space by adding a cosy leather desk pad?

After all, some of the top executives and freelancers alike make better use of their workspace with this great office accessory to add an extra touch of personal style and panache.

 

You Need a Desk Pad, Period

If you have not already had the chance to own a desk pad or see how it can add flair and comfort to a desk, you are seriously missing out. Think of it as a mouse pad but only bigger – big enough to fit your keyboard or laptop. Desk pads not only add a certain professional touch of luxury to your desk, but also help you be more productive by providing a comfortable surface to rest your palms on, as you enjoy hour upon hour of productive work.

If this were not enough, desk mats also provide practical benefits such as protecting your desk. We rarely pay attention to how our keyboards or laptops slide around throughout the day. Protect the finish of your desk and use a leather mat that’s thoughtfully designed with padded felt for extra comfort and even a cable cut to keep those cables untangled. Now that is convenience and comfort in one luxurious package.    

 

Save Cash on Desk Surface Maintenance by Adding a Leather Desk Pad

Over the course of everyday use, your desk might become the sight of spills, scratches and wear and tear that can be a direct result of using a mouse and keyboard or laptop with no protective desk pad.

While we use a mouse pad to ensure that our desk surface stays nice and smooth while offering adequate protection to the mouse, we might also use a desk pad for the same purpose when using a keyboard.

As time moves on, you will start to see scuffs, even discolouration due to the keyboard or laptop sitting in one place for too long. Your keyboard may be sliding around only a few millimetres but that is enough to ruin a smooth and elegant-looking desk surface. Desk pads, especially leather ones, offer enough surface protection so that keyboard/laptop use or even paper drawings do not leave any marks on your desk or cause unnecessary wear and tear.

Many well-made leather desk pads are slim enough to make for a good blotter substitute, allowing for smooth writing.

Buy the right leather desk pad, and it can greatly reduce writing and typing fatigue, not to mention the additional protection your desk gets. Harber London’s leather and felt desk mats are ideal for keeping your desk neat and tidy, while providing your desk surface with more than adequate protection. Available in a variety of colours, all leather desk mats are made from 100% Spanish wool felt and premium Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Leather.

Who doesn’t love technology, right? The technological innovations we have enjoyed over the last few decades can be described as memorable, mesmerising and unforgettable – that is, until it starts to work against us such as RFID scanning technology.

In case you are wondering, RFID is an abbreviation for radio-frequency identification – radio waves that can be used to capture information from the tag on an object, including driver’s licence, social security card, credit cards etc.

Many passports are now coming with the same embedded RFID chips as credit cards, and if there is an “unsuspecting individual” within range, he/she can easily capture highly sensitive information from the cards snugly tucked away in your leather wallet.

 

Your Credit Card Numbers are Yours Alone

Credit card numbers are some of the most sacred pieces of information one might have access to. However, all it takes is one mistake, and the person standing next to you might have access to highly sensitive information within seconds.

Most people today carry RFID-ready credit cards with them – after all, convenience and ease-of-use does not get better than making a payment simply by touching the card up against a scanner. Now, imagine if you lose your attention for just a second or two, while an individual with malicious intent stands next to you, pretends to look busy, and scans the content of your wallet without you ever noticing.

Simply put, this really is a concern worth paying attention to. So the question is how do you protect yourself?

 

Enter RFID-blocking Leather Wallets

It has been just over a decade since RFID chips starting popping up left and right. For instance, passports have embedded chips that allow for scanning your photo and other relevant information. Apart from the common credit card application, even dogs are implanted with these chips for tracking purposes. We are surrounded by them.

It pays to understand a little background on RFID chips – they work through radio waves. As long as somebody has a scanner that can pick up these radio waves, all they need to do is stand (or sit) within proximity, and they can access sensitive information right off your wallet.

Lucky for us, the radio waves emitted by RFID chips can be easily blocked; a leather wallet with RFID-blocking capability encases your credit cards and other cards with sensitive data by introducing a protective material which disrupts radio waves. A well-constructed wallet that uses high-quality premium leather materials will effectively block all radio waves and prevent communication between an RFID chip and scanner.

Leather Bifold Zip Wallets With RFID Protection by Harber London boast a super-slim leather bi-fold material that comes ready with RFID blocking protection. Keep all your credit cards and ID cards safe from skimming.

Handcrafted using the finest Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Leather from Spain, the Harber London slim design leather wallet can easily fit 4-8 cards in the front pockets, along with hidden compartments inside to it comfortably tucked away in your clothes.

In today’s corporate culture, the last thing any man wants is to give the impression that he is easily-replaceable. This is where the need for a good wardrobe selection comes in, one that strikes the right balance between style and your workplace dress code, making you stand out from your peers.

To compliment that slick style and panache of yours, here are top accessories we feel are absolutely essential to nailing that high-flying executive look:

 

A Watch to Impress 

Although expensive watches reveal that you are no slouch when it comes to spending big, they also point to the fact that you have a penchant for appreciating the long-lasting and finer things in life.

Business and corporate insiders suggest investing in top world-class brands like Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer and Hublot; time-pieces which are likely to last you throughout your entire career, and might just might leave your boss speechless.  

 

Command Class and Elegance in Your Writing

When it comes to the modern working man, finer men’s accessories like bow ties, cufflinks, and pocket squares are appreciated in every corner of the business world. You might want to add a classy-looking pen to the list too, perhaps along the lines of a Mont Blanc, Parker or Sheaffer.

Whether they are branded fountain pens or the latest new ballpoint pen craze, keen business executives have an observant eye that can pick up the little details on your pen’s writing tip or pocket clip.

You could also get one of those personalised engraved pens with your name on it; perhaps, something you might want to present to someone special when the time is right.

 

A Cologne to Enchant

 Besides the clothes or sleek accessories you wear, colognes play a crucial role in defining your persona and character. People remember you better, based on the colours and particularly, the cologne you wear. Choose a cologne that speaks to your personality; go with either a bold, sporty, cool or mild fragrance, depending on your workplace aesthetics.

 

Walk the Walk             

Ever heard “Shoes make the man”?

Of all the items in men’s wardrobe, shoes are the most important element of style through which people form an impression about you.

Get yourself a pair of nice leather shoes with a neutral tone that matches up seamlessly with any kind of formal business wear.

 

A Wallet that Bears Testament to Good Taste

We have seen many men suck the last ounce of life out of wallets they have been using for years on end; some, in fact, do not even bother throwing away the useless muddle that has been stored inside for God knows how long. We understand that you men develop a unique attachment to your daily-use accessories over time, but do consider the fact that a proper, nice-looking wallet is essential to round off that classy executive appearance.

Do not wait for your current wallet to tear apart on its own. Give your hard earned cash a facelift by getting a stylish wallet. Leather wallets are really the way to go since no artificial material can compete with genuine leather’s durability and style.

Check out the best collection leather wallets at Harber London, handcrafted with Full Grain Vegetable tanned cowhide leather and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) protection.