I created this design for one simple reason: I was sick of walking around NYC with stuffed pockets. Combine this with the fact that I am always carrying a notebook (along with phone, keys, pens, wallet, etc), I wanted to make a design that was big enough to fit my everyday carrying essentials without looking too much like a “man purse.”

To help get started, I began collaborating with Erdem, the founder of POLT HANDCRAFTED in Brooklyn. Erdem and his wife have been handcrafting leather goods for some of NYC’s top brands for years so getting a chance to partner with them was a big success for me. (As an aside, Erdem also handcrafts our SLIM WALLETS and we have a couple of other leather designs currently in the works.)

When it came to designing the EDC Case, I had some specific non-negotiable in mind. First off, I wanted the design to be made from a single piece of vegetable tanned leather. Doing so makes the design more expensive but I think the price compromise is worth the quality tradeoff. 

Veg tanned leather (sourced from Chicago’s famous Horween Leather Co.) is made by tanning the hides in a natural solution. This takes a longer time to produce, but the result is a more handsome piece of leather.

As for the single piece element, because we are not stitching together various pieces of leather to construct the case, the overall structural integrity of the design remains intact. Whenever you stitch two pieces together, you are creating seams which can cause weak spots down the road. The other issue with the stitching is that doing so literally puts holes into the leather; this too can reduce designs structural integrity as the punctures can widen over time. This is a design that will last you for years if not decades.

I also wanted to make sure that whatever went into the case was easily retrievable. To accomplish this, the EDC Case has an “around the corner” zipper which allows you to easily insert or remove bigger objects like a notebook. I didn’t want it to be a struggle or feel like a jig saw puzzle to get items in and out and am happy with how the zipper design helps get this done.

Lastly, we decided to include a stitched-on handle to the side of the case to make more comfortable to carry when walking. Depending on what all you carry in the case, it can get heavy; having the handle available helps reduce some of the hand workload.

To date, I have used this case in a number of ways. On day-in, day-out basis, the case has been a great tool when running around NYC for meetings. When going on hiking trips in the White Mountains, the case has been the perfect “emergency kit,” fitting all of the “just in case” items that are necessary. The case has also proven to be ideal for gear and gadgets - fitting an i-Pad mini, GoPro, phone chargers, and more.

Let us know how you use the EDC Case along with what minimalist leather good designs you would like to see designed.

As always, thank you for the support.

-Rory