The Classic Cardholder

Handcrafted in Spain

Amidst the spectacular Serrania de Ronda mountains of the southern Cadiz province of Spain lies the beautiful and unassumingly important town of Ubrique. For more than a century Ubrique has been quietly operating a leather crafting industry that supplies labels such as Loewe, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Within the town walls we came across the small family-owned concern that is universally recognised as being the best in the business. These people, we discovered, have been secretly working on pieces and special projects for the world's most prestigious luxury brands since the '40s. And now, we were thrilled to hear them confirm, they were going to do the same for Archibald.

Visit the workshop in Ubrique, Spain

##The craftsmen we work with have been instructed to avoid compromise and use only the very best full-grain Spanish calfskin. This is not as simple as it sounds, because the first pick of the best leather from each of Europe's top tanneries is reserved for the established luxury houses. We circumvented the challenge by persuading our newfound friends in Ubrique to purchase our leather alongside what they would normally purchase for the traditional retail clientele. This sometimes limits the colours that are available to us, but it does ensure that we only provide you with the very best. A $3,000 Men’s Scarf for $575? A New Kind of Bargain by S. Christian (03/05/2017), The Wall Street Journal.

##The kind of slow and precise artisanship found in Ubrique is dying out and is increasingly hard to find. Although technology has been embraced by some of the craftsmen, most have rejected it and carry on in the revered, time-honoured way that has been passed down from generation to generation. The established luxury industry has long strived to keep the work and proud heritage of Ubrique to itself, but now you can discover it too.