... to fill a writing case like this one: six Monolith graphite pencils (all gradations), a Koh-i-Noor lead holder with twelve spare graphite leads (Ø 2 mm), a Granate pencil sharpener with three spare blades, a small Rumold ruler (10 cm scale) made of hornbeam and pear wood, an eraser, a pencil extender and a pencil cap. The case is made of hand-flattering pit-tanned Allgäu cowhide and is carefully stitched and will take on an individual patina with time and use.

Sonnenleder in Bodman-Ludwigshafen on Lake Constance in the Hegau region stands for consistently purposeful, pure design. The meticulously working company maintains the most traditional method of leather production: pit tanning. Solely hides from southern German cattle find their way into the pits of the company. The tanning agents used by Sonnenleder contain, for the most part, decoctions from bark, roots and fruits. The hides undergo the tanning process in twelve pits with tanning broths slightly rising in concentration; the tanning agents transform the protein fibres of the hides into leather fibres in six to twelve weeks. In the next step, the tanned, then air-dried hides get a fatliquoring finish in a rotating barrel; the composition of the high-quality grease is a well-kept secret recipe. The finished leather thus has a characteristic, slightly light brown-reddish hue (hence the term “red-tanned”), which looks different in each piece. Day-to-day use and exposure to the elements change the shade and result in a patina, a form of natural protection on the surface. Eventually, the leather gains an unmistakable appearance over time. Even the thoroughly imbued leather acquires a shiny patina with use.