How good things last - Featuring my first leather briefcase

The leather briefcase you see here is something that has been in the family for over twenty years. My mum bought it sometime in the early 1990s on a working trip to Germany. It was then used for a while by my dad. He then needed a bigger briefcase as this was relegated to occasional use. And When I started workin in 1997 I was a lowly legal executive in one of those large companies. Work was like any other corporate setup and I was at the beck and call of my superiors. At their mercy...... I was also paid quite little then. But at least I had a nice bag. 

Patina & Why Cheap Italian Shoes Are Useful: Part II

I wrote an article awhile back about Patina or shoes and why cheap shoes are good as practice for home made shoe patina. Anyway, according to the webpage analytics, it is one of the most popular posts in here. Not that this blog is popular in the first place but it does get a majority of the hits herein. That article is here.

Anyway, the shoe is still alive and kicking even after being used for almost a decade at almost once a week (7-8 years old shoes). Why so? Because it isn't blake stitched or goodyear welted but only stuck together with glue. Of course occasional gluing of its sole helped. But it has lasted this long. So much for those that say glued shoes do not last. 

The tale of two wholecut shoes

Wholecut shoes are something that I have a soft spot for. It comes in strongly behind my desire for double monk straps. Of course I do not rush out and buy every nice pair I see as that would be unhealthy. Anyway, wholecut shoes are shoes that are constructed using a single piece of leather for the uppers and only the tongue is a separate piece of leather. The great thing about wholecuts is that it shows off the shoes and the leather itself and not any fancy patterns or cuts. In terms for use in formal situations a plaintoe balmoral or even a captoe balmoral is more formal than these. But there is a simple elegance to them and I do believe that one could wear a black pair to a formal event without much fuss. Anyway........

The two pairs shown are quite unique in my opinion. The one to the left is the one I commissioned from a shop right here in Kuala Lumpur. It is bespoke as my feet were measured for its fit. It has been mentioned in an earlier posting and to answer a reader's question on its durability it is doing fine. I have been wearing them at least once in every three weeks and it is fine. The usage of the very very traditional nail construction instead of the usual sewn or glued method seems to have no detriment at the moment with the exception of the stiffness of its sole. It takes awhile longer than usual to break in. So aside from the leather quality I am extremely pleased with this pair made especially for me. Bespoke can be very affordable in these parts of the world.

The pair to the right and pictured above of it is an Italian wholecut marked as Jobson's. It has been with me for about twelve years and gets used about once every two months or so. This pair is in one of those that sits on  a wider than usual shoe rotation of mine. The leather feels good after all these years and takes up a decent shine even with not much work put into it. The best. Thing about decade old shoes that have regular maintenance is that there is a beautiful natural patina built into it due to years of polishing. It still looks marvelous and should last for years. It has only gotten a new vibram heel and is still on its original sole. 

Rotation does wonders to longevity of shoes.