Author: Tim McWhorter

Just trying to keep life simple and uncomplicated. I appreciate quality - in people and the products I purchase and use. I enjoy finding leather goods that complement my work, my passions, and my life. I'm a husband, father, fly fisherman, and more...
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Dr Martens Made in England Weaver Shoes Review – $350

It’s always fun to find a shoe that can easily pull double duty. With the new Dr. Martens Weaver Made in England shoe, you get just that dual feature. The Weaver can easily be worn as a casual shoe. In fact, it is a great warm weather shoe due to the woven style and you’re encouraged to wear them sans socks. But, for those times when you need to up your fashion game slightly above ‘casual’, the Weavers are an excellent choice.

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About

This is the second pair of Dr. Martens footwear that we’ve reviewed here. Read our review of their 1460 ForLife Boots here.

Dr. Martens is a cultural icon. They’ve been producing leather footwear for decades. Based in England, their impact on youth culture and beyond can be seen around the globe. They’re innovative, yet steeped in tradition – cutting edge but always paying tribute to their past. Dr. Martens is a brand that seems to cross multiple generations these days. You’re just as likely to see a 40 year old dude sporting a pair of Docs as you are an angst filled teen in one of their latest boot styles.

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Construction

This pair of Dr. Martens is part of their Made In England series of footwear, which is crafted in their original Northhamptonshire factory. It’s made with what they call “Beaumont” analine calfskin leather on the upper. It’s soft and supple. The upper and sole are sewn together, not merely glued. Combined with their unique Z welt-stitch and heat-sealing process, makes it a unique process to Dr. Martens. This is the only construction that is stitched on the outside and helps footwear take the shape to the foot. The Goodyear welt is chain stitched to the upper and insole. The outsole is then sewn to the welt around the edge and then heat sealed to create a very sturdy, long wearing shoe. The sole is the original Dr. Martens air-cushioned sole, providing underfoot comfort and durability since 1960. It is oil- and fat-resistant, tough, and offers good abrasion and slip resistance.

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Aesthetic

The Dr. Martens Weaver is a great looking shoe. The brogue inspired woven lacing is what really makes it a stand out shoe. It’s an attention getter and elicits comments and questions every time I step out in public with them.

The waxy black leather feels great to the touch. They feel great when wearing these barefoot too.

The contrast between the deep black color of the upper and the natural color of the welt sets the shoes off very nicely. Thin, waxed laces stay out of the way so as not to distract the eye from the unique laced/woven brogue patterns.

Not only is the lace pattern a nice feature on the top and sides of the shoe, but it does an excellent job of ventilation for your feet on those warmer days.

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Function

These shoes are comfortable. That should go without saying since they’re Dr. Martens. Their legendary air-cushioned sole provides a cushy, comfortable experience for your feet. It’s a long lasting sole too so don’t be concerned there.

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The only apparent drawback I can see with these shoes is they are limited to three seasons for me. Due to the lacing on the shoe, they will not perform well in cold, wet weather. If you live in Florida or California, you’ve got the ideal climate for year round usability with the Weavers.

I only point that out not to necessarily be a negative…just to say I won’t be wearing these again until next spring. And, that is unfortunate because these are some cool, stylish, comfortable shoes that give true all day comfort. But, I’ll be super excited to get them out when the seasons change again!

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Conclusion

At $350 the Weavers are somewhat expensive. But, they certainly meet the “you get what you pay for” adage. Attention to detail on these shoes is fantastic. The build quality is excellent. The styling and versatility make them unique standouts. You’ll wear them for many, many seasons. So, they’re definitely worth the initial investment. Your feet will be happy…and you’ll be happy because you’re going to like the way you look with the Weavers on your feet.

 

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Lewis Expedition Bag Giveaway Courtesy of Leather Built – $1600 Value!

Congratulations to Cade W of Olympia, WA!!!

He’s the winner of this amazing bag. Cade, we look forward to seeing a couple of pictures of you with this bag in some awesome Pacific Northwest scenery. Major thanks go out to Brett from Leather Built for sponsoring such a great giveaway!

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We’re pleased announce that our friends at Leather Built are giving away an amazing bag here on BestLeather – the Lewis Expedition Bag! Be sure to enter to win. This contest will run the length of October, so get your entry in now! We wish you the best in your chances of winning this fantastic bag!

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The Lewis Expedition Bag – built by The Leather Shop of Seattle, WA – Built like a tank, but with the touch of a fine craftsman, The Lewis Expedition Bag is made with the best leather and hardware available.  Simply put, it is built for some serious exploring. The Lewis is crafted from full grain, vegetable tanned leather and is taken from the bends of the hide, the densest and thickest section of the hide. The Lewis is crafted from one solid piece of leather, meaning fewer seams and more sturdy construction. A large, molded pocket on one side of the bag is perfect for a compass, phone, small knife or other accessory, and also stashes a chain linked medicine vial. The opposite side of the bag has a smaller, molded pocket perfect for keys or small goods and an ingenious tethering system for securing a stainless steel flask. Opening the bag you’ll find a large open space perfect for stowing all of your necessities, along with a small pocket for your Field Notes notebook.

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The Lewis is stitched with marine grade polyester thread, three times more durable than nylon thread. The stitching is done in grooved channels, making sure that the thread will never tear in heavy use. The Lewis is made for complete functionality and can be easily converted to a backpack, over the shoulder bag or handbag. It is the ultimate companion for your next adventure.

Leather Built Lewis Expedition Bag Giveaway – $1600 Value!

Giveaway is being graciously sponsored by Leather Built of Meridian, ID – Leather Built was founded upon the idea of showcasing the highest quality leather goods built in the U.S.A. We have scoured America in search of only the best leather goods and have found some amazing companies and products that are sure to surprise and delight. One of these is The Lewis Expedition Bag, made for us by The Leather Shop right in Seattle. We have yet to find a bag that is more rugged, beautiful and better equipped for adventure. We wanted to offer The Lewis Expedition Bag in this giveaway to highlight the commitment to highest quality that Leather Built adheres to and showcase one of our excellent products.

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Norman Cahn Leatherworks Cabrio Wallet Review – $99.99

It’s always a pleasure to get a second or third piece of stellar leather from a brand we’ve reviewed in the past. It’s an even greater pleasure when you’re receiving a piece from someone who is widely regarded as a true artisan in the leather craft world. I’m pleased to introduce you to the cleverly designed Cabrio Wallet from Norman Cahn Leatherworks.

About Norman Cahn Leatherworks

Norman Cahn is a self-taught leather artisan. He started designing and crafting leather products in 1976. And since that time, he’s refined his skills and continues to strive for perfection in his craft. His expert skills and dedication to creating high quality products is evident in every piece…large or small. We suggest that you visit Norm’s Etsy store in order to take a look at all of the fine leather products he creates. This is the third piece of Norm’s that we’ve had the pleasure to receive for review. Be sure to read our reviews on his Passport Case and Field Notes Cover. This time around, we’re checking out his Cabrio Wallet.

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Construction

The Horween Leather features a deep, rich burgundy color complimented with chestnut nylon stitching, which is impeccable. It also includes Norm’s signature polished and finished edges that look fantastic. The snap on my model has an antique brass finish. You can choose other snap finishes and thread colors when ordering from Norman Cahn Leatherworks.

Functionality

This has been a fun wallet to use. It has a non-traditional orientation that seems to instantly get noticed. Just about every time I use it, the clerk, barista, or server comments on it. It’s a noticeably different design…and I like it.

The inspiration behind the Cabrio wallet can be found in your favorite drop top automobile – taking cues from the way convertible top vehicles (aka Cabriolets) operate. When you open the Cabrio Wallet, you’ll notice that the functionality is similar to the way the convertible top on an automobile opens and tucks away back into itself.

This ingenious vertically oriented design only measures 3″W x 4 1/8″H when closed. Even when I have it loaded up with my license, debit card, three or 4 other cards and cash, it maintains a slim profile (less than ¾”). I’ve found it to be a great front pocket wallet option too. The slim nature of the wallet is perfect.

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Aesthetic

The design, the leather quality, the artisanal build quality all combine to create a very pleasing product. Norm’s logo is tastefully placed on the back of the wallet and, for those of you who are major Horween fans, their stamp is emblazoned prominently on the inside.

The Cabrio Wallet is simple yet sophisticated, minimal yet capable of satisfying most traditional bifold wallet carrying folks demands. I can’t decide whether I want to reserve this wallet as my “professional, dressier occasions wallet” or just use it all of the time. That is still to be determined (although it seems to be in my pocket most of the time now)…even when I’m in casual mode.

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Conclusion

The Norman Cahn Leatherworks Cabrio Wallet definitely maintains the superior quality of the pieces I’ve reviewed in the past. To that end, at $99.99, it definitely qualifies as a Buy It for Life item. Be sure to visit the Norman Cahn Leatherworks website – we’re confident you’ll find several must have items there!

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REVISIT Journal Review – $210

What’s your favorite National Park? Mine is Yosemite National Park, but it’s hard to choose given all the incredible places America’s park system has to offer. The U.S. National Parks Service has been caring for our park lands since 1916. Today they manage 401 separate parks, monuments, and preserves– over 84 million acres of some of America’s most beautiful and historic places.

REVISIT, a lifestyle brand out of Los Angeles, California, knows how to appreciate these parks. A quarter of their profit goes to directly supporting national parks preservation projects. Today I’ll be looking at the REVISIT Journal.

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About REVISIT

REVISIT’s founders were inspired by traveling in the National Parks and recognizing the need to preserve them for future generations. REVISIT operates on a quarter-back model, meaning they have pledged to donate a quarter of their profits to parks preservation in the U.S. National Parks system. Their goal is to both support our parks system and create a conversation about preserving the stories and places that are dear to us as a nation.

REVISIT partners directly with the national parks and their support organizations and currently contribute directly to specific projects occurring in three parks systems across the nation: Sequoia Parks Foundation in California, Olympic National Park in Washington, and Glacier National Park in Montana. In the past, they’ve supported other projects in Acadia National Park in Maine and Independence National Historical Park in Pennsylvania. Take a look at their Vision page to learn more about the specifics of these important projects.

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THE LEATHER

The Journal is part of the Founder’s Collection, for which REVISIT uses vegetable tanned leather that is hand treated with natural waxes, oils, and water based pigments during the finishing process. The cows are farm-raised and the hides are treated with mimosa tree extract and lime in order to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The process occurs at REVISIT’s leather finishing factory in Los Angeles, California, the only finishing plant on the West Coast.

The leather used for this journal cover is extremely soft and supple. It has a very smooth, luxurious feel. The brown has a reddish chestnut hue with a subtle sheen.

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Construction & Function

Each REVISIT product is designed and constructed entirely in the United States, at their factory in Los Angeles. You can read a bit about the process on their Artisans page. The journal cover is constructed of one solid, supple piece of leather, envelope style. The flap is secured with a small piece of leather threaded through a logo-emblazoned loop at the front, held together with small brass rivets.

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The journal is made to fit a 7″ x 9″ Shinola Journal, which is included. There is also a sleeve for an iPad Mini as well as three standard-sized card slots, a windowed business card holder, and a pen loop.

The supple leather means this journal cover opens easily and lays flat when writing in the notebook. The iPad is meant to slide into a pocket on the left side, however there is a bit of an issue with this. The rivets from the front of the journal also extend into this pocket, meaning there is a little piece of metal just waiting to scratch up your iPad. I’ve found that you can swap the position of the journal and the iPad, but this is a bit of an oversight. Hopefully this issue will be fixed in the next round of design.

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CONCLUSION

The REVISIT Journal is a very useful piece made of a gorgeous piece of leather, all crafted by American artisans. If you’re not planning on using it for an iPad, it would be a great piece for everyday use. $210 is a hefty price for a journal cover, but you are getting a beautiful Shinola Journal that retails for $14, as well as making a direct donation to our priceless National Parks. There’s also a 10% off coupon that pops up on their website for new customers, so be sure to grab that when you pick up your new product from REVISIT.

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LederMann Leather is Offering a 25% Discount to BestLeather Readers

Ledermann Sale

It’s always the right time to buy new leather products…right? But, it’s even nicer when you can save some money (or buy more leather with the same money). LederMann Leather has graciously offered to give BestLeather readers (that means all of y’all) a substantial discount on select items on their website. You can save 25% on the following items by using the discount code “Savings” during checkout (be sure to enter it before proceeding to checkout) to receive your exclusive discount.

And, let us know what you ordered from LederMann! They create some great leather products!

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Satchel & Page Belt Review – $95

If we have “one ring to rule them all” in The Lord of the Rings, surely we can have one belt? Personally, it would make wardrobe accessory choices much, much easier. The good news is that Satchel & Page is helping us out by launching the Belt and billing it as “Simply the highest quality belt. Guaranteed for life. A belt built to last forever. Leather, hardware, and width options for any occasion. Exceptional quality at every step of the process.”

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About Satchel & Page

We’ve had the privilege of working with Daniel and crew from Satchel & Page on several occasions now. We have reviewed their Bomber Jacket and Mailbag – both of which proved to be stellar pieces. And, we’ll be publishing a review of their Café Racer Jacket in the coming months too (along with some other yet to be announced pieces).

Based in Austin, TX Satchel & Page is dedicated to producing handmade, high quality leather products for you to enjoy and pass on to generations to come. They launched their business on Kickstarter with a few iconic bag designs: the Mailbag, Map Case, Gladstone, Briefcase, and Pilot’s Bag and have been expanding their product line with exciting designs – both new and well established.

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Construction

Over the course of six months, Satchel & Page tested natural vegetable tanned hides from 4 different suppliers. For production, they chose hides originating from within the USA, which aged with the richest patina. And, they are only using the Bend portion of each hide for their belts to ensure consistency in thickness through and through. The Belt is comprised of 10-12 ounce full grain, vegetable tanned leather. They’re thick!

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The hardware is military grade brass buckles and Chicago screws. Satchel & Page is using Chicago screws because unlike stitching, snap buttons, or rapid rivets to attach the buckle, Chicago screws will never break. And you can also unscrew them and easily swap out the buckle if you wish. In addition to the antique brass and silver matte finishes, they have developed two finishes that are hand aged by their team of craftsmen – Iron Rust and Copper Patina.

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Aesthetic & Function

The Belt is available in four leather colors, two widths, and your choice of 4 hardware colors. So many choices and possibilities… The Belt we received for this initial review is a beautiful Mahogany color and features their Iron Rust hardware (buckle and Chicago screws). **Note: Prior to receiving the Belt, it received a light coat of conditioner and now has a richer, darker tone to it. You can see the difference when looking at the image of the same belt (with different hardware) supplied from Satchel & Page below.**

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Due to short notice, we were only able to get a small version of the belt and consequently have not actually worn it (it’s too small for my no-petite-at-all-frame).

But, the Belt has made the rounds at home, in the office, and amongst several team members here at BestLeather. Everyone’s initial reaction and assessment has been overwhelmingly positive. “Thick leather”, “gorgeous hardware”, “I like the tapered tip of the belt”, “nice, robust belt keeper loop”, “subtle logo placement”, and more are the words I’ve heard spoken about the Belt.

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I have no doubt that this belt will perform its role superbly and admirably all while looking fantastic. And, since it’s vegetable tanned leather, it will get better looking as it ages and is used.

Conclusion

The Belt from Satchel & Page is no doubt a Buy It for Life piece. The quality of the leather coupled with the superior hardware ensures that you’ll be using this belt for a long, long time. Their Kickstarter has about 8 days left on it. They’ve blown past their goal, which is no surprise. There are still plenty of rewards and incentives left and you can still get this belt at the Kickstarter price of just $62 (will be $95 post-Kickstarter). The best option? Spend $275 to get all four belts with all four hardware options. Then you’ll truly “rule” in the belt kingdom.

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LederMann Rugged Leather Bag Giveaway – $475 Value!

Congratulation to Adam S. on winning the LederMann Rugger Leather Briefcase/Messenger Laptop Bag!

We hope it brings you many years of great service!

LederMann Leather & BestLeather have teamed up to offer this gorgeous Rugged Leather Briefcase/Messenger Laptop Bag. We’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two great LederMann products in the past and can attest to the high quality of their bags.

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The bag up for grabs is the LederMann Rugged Leather Briefcase/Messenger Laptop Bag. Here are some details for you:

“This bag has been designed to offer the flexibility of using it for a laptop bag, or to use as a bag in which to carry your everyday purse items, amongst many other things. It has two inner pockets to separate your possessions plus boasts of multiple outer pockets and smaller inner pockets in which to carry ink pens, glasses, electronics, and other items you may need. This bag not only allows you to carry it by a handle or shoulder strap it converts into a backpack to for even further convenience.”

Material:

  • Thick Full Grain Leather, 5 – 6 oz. (2 – 2.2 mm)
  • Suede Lining
  • Durable, Industrial Nylon Thread
  • Machine Pressed Heavy Duty Rivets at all stress points

The Design & Features:

  • Dimensions: 16″W X 12″H X 7″D and has two inside compartments that are 3.5″ inches each

Contest is open to contestants from United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and Germany.

LederMann Leather Messenger Bag Giveaway – $475 Value!

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HUSKK iPhone 6 Quick Draw Wallet Review – $59.99

If you’re a regular reader here at BestLeather you know we’re always on the hunt for unique designs or new applications for leather. If you’re new to BestLeather…now you know. ☺ There is a lot of tradition in the form and function of leather and we like that too. But, it’s just downright cool to see fresh, new approaches to integrating a timeless material like leather. This is one of the things that struck us first when we were introduced to HUSKK.

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About HUSKK