Litmus Test #4: Have we maintained our dedication to preserving what is valuable from the past while merging with the remarkable technology of the present?

 

There is something romantic about taking classic designs of the past and merging them with the daily needs of today. When we started Pad & Quill, our first product was designed to look like a handsome moleskin-style journal that hid and protected a brand-new first-generation iPad.

The key for us has always been how do you preserve the beautiful designs of the past while creating something new for today's technology and, equally important, something that will endure for years due to proper technique and materials.

A few examples of our preservation of the past and merging that with today's technology include:

-The Bomber Strap for Apple Watch Ultra

We designed a leather watch band that took its design cue from the pilots who flew in World War II. They used riveted watch bands called the B-Uhr wristwatch to ensure the timepiece never left the wrist. That’s how important a timepiece was to a pilot in the war theater.

An Original B-Uhr Antique Pilot Watch from WWII

Therefore for the larger-sized Apple Watch, we designed and crafted a band with pounded rivets and a larger footprint on the wrist to convey the strength and durability needed for any modern-day adventure. These all-leather straps are no joke either, as we mounted them on a stainless steel hardware set that will ensure years, if not decades, of use.

The Bomber Strap For Apple Watch Ultra

-The Gladstone Leather Backpack

One of the most iconic designs of the past 200 years in leather bags has been the Gladstone, or what some refer to as the Doctor’s bag closure.

An Early 1900's Gladstone Leather Bag

 

 

When we set out to design a laptop backpack for this historic design, we addressed not only the needs of a leather laptop bag but also one that wonderfully fits upon your back and includes a hidden folio cord organizer. This is a perfect fusion of preserving a past design and merging it with today’s needs.

The Gladstone Iconic Closure On Our Laptop Backpack

 

-The Oxford Slim leather case for iPad 

By far, our most popular case for iPads has been the Oxford. We took our first iPad case's classic journal and elastic strap design.

A classic Moleskine-style journal

 

Sometimes the value of the past is not just a notebook with an elastic band but the aesthetic beauty that is remembered in the design. There is something so lovely about a journal to wrap up all your thoughts, dreams, and inventions. We love that feeling of tying historic designs with modern technologies. Therefore in the Oxford case, we employed American full-grain leather and utilized a unique 3M clean-release adhesive to keep the case as slim and protective as possible. At Pad & Quill, we are taking the iPads of today and wrapping them with luxurious materials that harken to classic designs of the past. 

The Oxford  Slim iPad Pro Case

 

The beauty of past classics is they are truly never-ending. We are always searching for our next inspiration to tie together with the technology we love using today!

Brian

Mr. PQ