Stitched in Yunnan, tested on the road
Procurement means more time in tea markets than in the Kunming office. On one procurement trip last spring, what was missing was a single case that could hold everything needed for a proper gongfu session — not just a gaiwan and cups, but a thermo jug for hot water in cold train stations, and a place for a pocket scale when buying mao cha direct from farmers. Most travel sets cut corners on leather quality or omit the extras. This set was built to change that.
The result is the leather deluxe: a full-grain, vegetable-tanned hide sourced from a small tannery outside Kunming, hand-stitched in a workshop that usually makes saddlery for the horse trails of northwest Yunnan. The case is stiff at first — it will mould to your gear and your hands over years of use. Inside, the same porcelain gaiwan and double-walled glass cups as our canvas set, but now with a dedicated sleeve for a 350 ml insulated thermos and a reinforced pocket for a jeweller’s scale. At 1.8 kg it’s the heaviest bag in the range, but it delivers the most complete mobile tea table we’ve ever built.
The first sample was tested on a three-week village-hopping circuit through Lincang. It survived rain, rattling minibus rides, and more than forty tea sessions. Afterwards, only the strap was changed — everything else was ready.