Hello everyone,

Thank you for visiting Zambridgian Leather Company! This is our very first blog post, and we thought to share about the inspiration for the company.

About a year or so after taking a job at an international school in Zambia, I found myself at a pop up market near one of our favorite restaurants. As I browsed the crafts - handmade wooden figurines, soaps, jewelry, dresses, baskets, and more - I spotted a beautiful leather duffle bag.

The leather was a buttery tan with an unbelievable feel. You know, the tough but oh-so-soft tactile feeling of high quality leather. I had to have it, but it wasn't cheap. My wife saw how much I wanted this item, and got it for me as an early fathers day gift. As I chatted with the seller, she shared she was not the maker of the bag and didn't know who was. She was just the vendor.

I took (and still take) that bag everywhere - on safari's, on trips home, to work, to play basketball, on business trips. It only got better and softer and more mine. All the other duffles I had owned throughout my life were canvas or nylon. This leather one was in a whole other category. Every time I packed it, I really felt like I was going somewhere. Traveling around Southern Africa is exciting, and the duffle has been a perfect travel partner. It screams luxury, adventure, and style.

I decided I wanted to share those feeling with my family and friends. I also had a few ideas of how I would change the bag if I could: First and foremost, incorporate the beautiful and colorful Chitenge fabric that is ubiquitous here and make the bag more Zambian. But as an understated person, I thought to put the Chitenge on the inside and let the owners choose who get's to see it.

So I started the very long mission of tracking down the maker. After months of asking around at markets, following up on leads, and hitting dead ends, a friend of mine informed me that there is only one tannery in Zambia, owned by Zambeef. The leather must have come from the tannery and maybe they would have some information about the maker of the bag. I visited the tannery's shop and the leather salesperson took one look at the bag and said I know who made it. She put me in touch with the craftsman, and we were off!