Classic guitar case with Clayton leather

Here are first views of the Calder classic guitar case with leather over the carbon fiber shell - handle still to be fitted.

Another step towards our launch.







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Violin case on location

Here is a pre-production violin case on location - the shots give a general idea of how the completed case looks.

I take cases on trips to find out how they work in practice. Design is about how well things work and I can only tell if is the case is good to carry - the balance/handle etc comfortable - if I carry it myself. It's also useful for me to see how the design looks out in the real world rather than in the workshop.

The quality of the images is patchy as they were grabbed on my cell phone.







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CAD images of the full Calder case range

I've been told it is risky to show CAD images - that people will expect the final product to look exactly like the CAD version - and be disappointed if it doesn't.

I prefer to believe that the readers of this blog understand the difference between CAD and reality. Recent posts show pre-production cases with their dark chocolate brown leather outer covering.

The full line up is - acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar, violin, laptop.

Prices from approximately $3400 for the laptop to just under $5000 for the acoustic.





Categories: laptop case

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Calder violin case first leather outer fitted

This last week our chief of leather Johan Ulvede has been cutting, stitching and fitting the leather made Claytons to make the outer for the first violin case we have built.

This is one of those tense moments when something that we conceived months ago, have sketched, modelled and dreamt of for weeks takes a big step closer to the real thing.

Here it is on Johan's workbench.





This is the first piece we've made up with the Clayton leather (the pre-production cases we made earlier used leather we'd sourced from France). And also this is the first time we've seen the new high performance zip from the Swiss company Riri actually on a case.



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Johan Ulvede master of leather

I was very very lucky that my design engineer associate Barry Noble introduced me to Johan Ulvede the owner of the Viking Saddlery.

Fitting leather precisely over a hard shell is a challenge. Johan was one of the few people with the skills and creativity to work out how to do it and then do it - really beautifully.

A Swede by birth Johan trained at the Cordwainers College in London. As well as holding the Royal Warrant to make saddles for the Queen, Johan's clients include some of the most prestigious yacht builders in Europe.

Here's Johan (on the right) in his lair talking with Barry Noble



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Joseph Clayton - tanners of distinction

Finding the right leather for Calder cases was not easy. I wanted leather that was supple enough to hug the carbon fibre shell, would take years of use and still look handsome.

Months of research finally led to my being introduced to Joseph Clayton of Chesterfield. Clayton are one of the last tanners in Europe still using the painstaking pit-tanning method.

A small company with a worldwide reputation Clayton's clients range from blue chip Italian and American designers to the heavy industry.

Claytons specialise in making leather to their clients' exact specification - and that is what they have done for us.

Hides for Calder go through a vegetable die process taking 3 months from start to the rough-tanned 'crust' stage. After careful selection of hides of the right quality the bespoke dyeing & finishing takes a further 4-5weeks.

To achieve the exact look we wanted our leather is finished by 'tipping' a hand application of a contrasting dye that makes the peaks of the embossed print stand out.

John Avery and Barry Knight at Claytons are both deeply knowledgeable and passionate about creating great leather. They took me round the works - a truly extraordinary place steeped in history.

Hides coming out of the first stage of the process


Moving a hide through the pits


Checking the thickness of leather


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