• Brown leather briefcase on a workbench
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Ashley Clarke England

Heritage Leather Briefcase: Pittards Moorland Edition

Heritage Leather Briefcase: Pittards Moorland Edition

£975.00 GBP
£975.00 GBP
Sale Sold out
Taxes included.

A heritage-style briefcase, handmade in Lincolnshire, using traditional leatherworking techniques and the highest quality British materials. Durable and dependable for the rigours of everyday life. A limited piece, made to order – I will be producing only three.

Premium features

  • 100% leather throughout
  • Custom shoulder strap length – choose from S,M, L
  • Two full width external pockets
  • One 36cm x 20cm internal pocket
  • 4mm thick bridle leather handles, shoulder strap and base
  • Solid brass hardware throughout
  • Internal accessory tabs with eyelets to keep valuables safe
  • Designed to carry a 17” laptop, A4 notebook, plus your everyday essentials

Dimensions

Briefcase:

  • Width 40cm (15.7”)
  • Height 31cm (12.2”)
  • Depth 10cm (3.9”)

Shoulder strap custom lengths:

  • Small 120 – 135cm (47” – 53”) (standard briefcase strap length)
  • Medium 135 – 150cm (53” – 59”)
  • Large 150 – 165cm (59” – 65”)

Product care

I make my products to stand the test of time. This briefcase is crafted from a durable, natural leather which will only look better with age.

However, you can give your briefcase some extra TLC by:

  • Wiping any dirt from the surface of the leather with a damp cloth.
  • Buffing out small scruffs or scratches from wear using a cotton cloth. This brings the natural oils to the surface of the leather.
  • Feeding the leather with Original Sedgwick Leathercare to protect and replenish the natural oils in the hide. Please note that this product will slightly darken the colour of the leather permanently.

Made to order

Each leather briefcase is handmade to order in my workshop, using traditional techniques. It takes three weeks to craft a briefcase, from the point of order to shipping.

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Closeup of Ashley Clarke Briefcase

More information

A redesign of my timeless briefcase style, made to order in a limited quantity from Pittards "Moorland" leather. Customise yours by selecting the shoulder strap length that suits you, at no extra cost.

Created with attention to every fine detail. The Heritage briefcase features hand dyed edge finishings, fully leather-bound seams, logo embossed zip tabs and a base inspired by the shape of a falconry lure, a nod to my leatherworking roots.

The Heritage briefcase is large enough to carry a 17” laptop, an A4 notebook or folder and all of your everyday essentials. Mine is packed with notebooks and pens, I carry four or five notebooks for when inspiration strikes.

This bag is built to last, it’s suitably smart to accompany you to the office, yet adventure-ready for a day outdoors. My designs marry heavy duty functionality with a classic aesthetic.

Designed, cut and sewn in my Lincolnshire workshop using traditional techniques.

Closeup image of pittards moorland leather

Crafted from the finest materials

I handpicked this "Moorland" leather, a rugged and natural cowhide, from the historic Pittards tannery in Yeovil. It’s full grain so you can see traces of the animal’s history, such as a scratches from a barbed wire fence.

This leather also has a slight pull-up effect, which means that it’s full of character. As I craft with this type of leather, it takes on a unique patina. I like to think it has a life of its own, no two pieces of this leather are the same.

Pittards was established in 1826 and sadly closed its doors in 2023 so this world-renowned leather is now in limited supply.

The briefcase handles, strap and fine details are cut from J & E Sedgwick bridle leather. Based in Walsall, the tannery is famous for its superior quality leather, which was traditionally used for horse tack due to its strength and durability.

I’ve finished the Heritage briefcase with solid brass hardware, produced by Abbey England, the last remaining traditional brass foundry in Britain.

Leather on a manual folding machine

Designed to last a lifetime

I’ve selected a really tough hide for this briefcase. In my opinion, a leather should hold its own so I choose a thickness that will support itself.

My rule of thumb is: does it look good? Yes. Could it be thrown in the back of a Land Rover to go out shooting? Yes. This standard of leather makes the cut for an Ashley Clarke England original.

When I pick materials, I carefully consider durability as well as aesthetics. I design my pieces to perform and to look better with age.

Over time, your briefcase will take on its own story. I encourage you to embrace scuffs and scratches from everyday use. Your bag is designed so that one day it might be used by another generation of your family, who will cherish those signs of your journey through life.

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Ashley Clarke sewing on a sewing machine

Made in England

Each briefcase is made from start to finish in my workshop in Grantham, England. I design my patterns using an age-old method, drawn by hand with pencil and pattern card, and cut with a scalpel.

I physically mock up each new design in leather, there’s no use of CAD in this process, everything is done by hand.

My cutting knives are made bespoke for each product that I produce. Workshop visitors are often surprised that some of these knives look a bit like pastry cutters.

Every briefcase is sewn using my trusty sewing machines and finished with my own two hands, whether that’s hand dying an edging detail or constructing a zip fastening. This is how leather has been worked for centuries.

I make limited ranges of premium leather goods, using trustworthy, traditional techniques.

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