Harris Tweed Cigar Cases
It’s been around for years as a uniform for outdoorsmen and scholars. Now, Scotland’s most prized tweed fabric has made its way to the cigar world, covering a series of handsome cigar cases with a new sense of both fashion and history. Harris Tweed, the rugged woolen fabric, first woven into lively patterns by crafty crofters on remote islands, gained appreciation throughout the world and is now a coveted textile that’s as stylish as it is practical. Not that your cigars necessarily need warmth, but as the planet tilts away from the sun and winter looms, these cigar holders will be the perfect sartorial complement to your tweed jackets, coats and caps.
Showing a combination of both rusticity and urban chic, the Harris Tweed Cigar Case (shown opened and closed at right, $415) from the Cigar Holder London takes a classic houndstooth pattern and plies it onto (and into) a foldable cigar caddy. Smaller than a typical shaving kit, the case is equipped with pouches and pockets to hold lighters, cutters and up to six cigars. Tuscan vegetable-tanned leather trims the edges and lines the interior, providing both durability and sharp accents.
Casemaker Andre Garcia has joined the tweed clan as well, wrapping some of its standard models in a cozy herringbone weave. The Sleeves case (second from left, $179) assumes a Scottish identity with its woven exterior, though the company’s signature camel-bone cap still tops off this telescoping cigar holder, which holds three standard smokes. Andre Garcia’s Pack & Go case (far left, $330) holds eight cigars and stows a humidification device in its lower portion.
Keep in mind that provenance defines this product. Just as Scotch whisky can only be legally called Scotch if it was distilled in Scotland, Harris Tweed can only be designated as such if it’s made from pure virgin wool that was handwoven by the islanders of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, using locally dyed and spun wool. Otherwise, the material is just a run-of-the-mill tweed.
