After my experience with the awful plastic leather on the first sample, I set out to find the best leather for a phone case. I wanted something durable, soft, and American. Unfortunately, the cost to manufacture these cases in America is prohibitive, but I wanted to source as much as possible from here.
After doing some research, I came across Horween, a Chicago tannery that has been around since 1905. It is one of the last remaining tanneries in the US, and they supply the leather for both NFL footballs and NBA basketballs. I figured if the leather could take a beating on an NFL field and an NBA court every single week, it could probably handle the wear and tear of a phone case.
I ordered some samples and when they arrived, the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was exactly like an old leather chair at your grandfather's house. It felt soft and warm to the touch, not slippery like the cheap plastic stuff. I tested the swatches by bending, stomping on, and scratching them. After all that abuse, they still looked great and were exactly what I was looking for.
The thing about Horween that really sold me is what happens over time. Most phone cases look decent on day one and get worse from there. Horween does the opposite. It develops a patina the more you carry it, so it actually looks better six months in than it did the day you got it. The case becomes yours in a way that no plastic case ever could. I took mine to Guatemala recently and dropped it a few times hiking up a volcano. It came back looking worn in, not worn out.
So I placed an order of 1,000 sq ft to build out the first 200 Horween leather iPhone needlepoint cases. The needlepoint is currently getting affixed to the leather in China, and the cases should be back in the States soon. Sign up at beau-point.com, and we will notify you the moment they are available.