Horween Duffel - Natural Essex

The design of the bag is clean, functional and classic. There’s a single zipper compartment with two solid-brass YKK #10 pulls. In lieu of the standard brass pulls, we’re making our own from the same Horween leather as the bag, and riveting them. The handles are made of a burnished Horween latigo leather in a matching color. They are riveted and sewn to the sides of the duffel for an extra-durable connection. An adjustable shoulder strap is also made of this latigo leather, and provides additional carrying options for your travels. The interior is simple and open, and the seams are finished cleanly with binding. Finally, we've finished these duffels with three leather feet on the bottom for extra durability.

These bags are made in California by craftsmen who have been making bags longer than we’ve been alive. It’s in their blood. Yes, it’s their job, but it’s also their hobby and passion. They eat, breathe and live making some of the finest bags in the country.

For the leather, we went to The Horween Leather Company in Chicago. They have been in the leather game since 1905, and have developed some of the most durable and beautiful leathers on the market (from Shell Cordovan to the leather used for NFL footballs). For these duffels, we selected their Essex line. Essex is the result of an experiment where Horween asked themselves - “what if we take a top quality cowhide and tan it with the same liquor we use to tan shell cordovan?". The result is a beautiful, durable leather that has a particularly rich coloring. We're using their natural color - it starts off as a light brown, and will darken and age beautifully with time.

Horween duffels usually retail for $600-$1200. As always, at Gustin we've worked hard to bring you a much better value.