The Marlow — Chestnut Leather Tote Bag

Chestnut has a red cast that the other browns do not, and the grain shows through it more openly. In shade it looks like a deep tan; under a warm bulb it goes almost auburn. It is the most characterful Marlow in the range and the one that looks the least like something bought in a department store.

It comes in two sizes. The medium is 14.5″ (37 cm) wide, 11″ (28 cm) high and 5″ (13 cm) deep, with a 10.25″ (26 cm) handle drop, and takes up to a 13-inch laptop. The large is 17.25″ (44 cm) wide, 12.25″ (31 cm) high and 6″ (15 cm) deep, with a 10.75″ (27 cm) handle drop, and takes up to a 15-inch laptop. Pick the size in the menu above; the price changes with it.

It suits someone whose bag has to hold a working day and then some, and who would rather not think about a closure.

The leather

The red in chestnut is in the dye itself, not a tint sprayed over the top. The grain shows through it clearly, and it is the color that varies most between hides. We do not correct for that.

How it is made

Brass hardware throughout, unplated, because plating wears through to gray exactly where your hand goes. Load bearing seams are saddle stitched by hand, two needles through one hole, so a cut thread stays put instead of running. Heavy cotton twill inside, one zip pocket and two open ones, stitched in rather than glued so it can be replaced. Cut, stitched and finished to order in 3 to 5 working days.