Monday, April 30, 2007

Calder laptop case #1 first photos

Here are some quick cell phone shots of the first Calder laptop case to be completed.

I'm very happy with the way this case has turned out - Marie Upshire, the leatherworker who made it has done a great job.

The next step is to cover the suspension system cream calfskin to match the interior.

We will be taking orders for this case in a couple of weeks - price approx GBP 2300 excluding taxes.

Calder laptop #1 profile 2

Calder laptop interior ws

Calder laptop lid curve

categories: laptop case

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Sunday, April 29, 2007

Marie Upshire - exceptional leather worker

I'm very glad to have discovered Marie Upshire - she is fun to be with and is a brilliant craftsperson. Marie trained with the legendary Finnegans of Bond Street - a great name in English leather luggage in the 60's.

This is Marie making a final check on the first Calder laptop case which she has just completed.

Marie Upshire 2 w Calder laptop

Marie Upshire 1 w Calder laptop

categories: laptop case

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Calder laptop case suspension system revision

My original design was a system of small foam blocks placed around the interior of the laptop case - the post on this is here.

Thanks to the suggestion of an associate I've revised this to a single foam block recessed to hold the laptop.
In the final product extra protection will be provided by a crumple zone of softer foam around the edge of the recess.

The whole thing will be covered with soft cream coloured calfskin to match the interior of the case. Straps will hold the laptop in place.

This is a mock up I made this morning.

Laptop suspension.jpg

categories: laptop case

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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Calder laptop case coming soon

We are working hard to get the laptop case completed and onto the website. I'm hoping the case will be ready by the first week in May.

We are also continually refining the main Calder site and will be adding new photos to show each stage in the construction process.

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Thoughts on minimalist design

I came across this elegant post The art of minimalist design.on Jonas Bonér's blog. Althought the central focus is software design the scope of his piece runs much wider.

I especially liked the clarity of this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry “Perfection (in design) is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there is nothing more to take away.”

There's also some good stuff about cohesion and integrity in design.

categories: thoughts on design

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Monday, April 09, 2007

Calder website up and running

The full version of the Calder website is now up and running and we are now taking orders for classical guitar and violin cases.

The laptop case and cases for electrical and acoustic guitars will be available later this spring.

After 3 years R&D this is a proud moment for myself and all the people who build our cases.

It is also a happy moment for Fergus Noble who has worked so hard to get every detail of the website working perfectly and has patiently dealt with my many last minute requests for changes.

The site is here.

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