Leather & Canvas Holdalls

Holdalls for the journey that is too long for a rucksack and too short for a suitcase. The formula is unchanged across the range: a waxed canvas body that stands up to British weather, full-grain leather handles and trim that darken and soften with use, and a shape that travels well by train, by car or as a soft bag in the overhead locker. One night or three, this is the bag you live out of.

What a holdall does well

A holdall opens along its whole length, which means you see everything at once instead of digging to the bottom. It stands up to being thrown in the boot, slung over a shoulder at the station and set down on wet platforms. And because it is soft-sided, it squeezes into gaps a suitcase cannot. For a weekend away it is the difference between travelling with a bag and travelling with luggage.

Named after the map

The named holdalls take their titles from British ground: the Dartmoor, the Malvern, the Penrith, the Kendal, the Fenwick and the Ashdown. They share the same recipe, so the choice comes down to proportion and character rather than quality. Where the leather sits, how the bag carries, which trim colour suits you: the product pages show each one in detail, with measurements to match against your own packing habits.

The softer end of the range

If you want the least structured bag in the collection, the Canvas Travel Duffle is the lightest, softest take on the same idea. It packs down smaller when empty, carries more forgivingly over the shoulder and suits the trips where a formal holdall feels like too much bag.

Holdall, weekender or rucksack?

The holdall is the most practical choice for one to three nights, especially when you are travelling by car or train. For gym kit and short hops where you may want to fold the bag away, a canvas weekender bag does the lighter work. When the journey involves walking any distance with the bag on your back, a waxed canvas rucksack earns its keep instead.

Looking after the leather and the canvas

The leather handles take the most punishment on a holdall, which is why they are cut from full-grain hide in the first place. Clean and condition them a couple of times a year, re-wax the canvas when it starts to look dry, and the bag outlasts the decade. Both routines are short: our full-grain leather care guide and waxed canvas care guide walk through them step by step.

Holdall FAQs

Can I take it as hand luggage?

Most of the time, yes, because the bag is soft-sided and will compress to fit where a hard case will not. Every airline sets its own cabin-size limits though, so measure the bag against the carrier's rules before you fly. For rail travel and driving it is a non-issue: this is exactly the bag those journeys were made for.

What is the difference between a holdall and a duffle bag?

In practice the words overlap, and both appear in this collection. A duffle is usually the softer, rounder, more casual shape, which is what the Canvas Travel Duffle is. A holdall tends to be a little more structured and more formal, which is where the named holdall styles sit. Same materials, same weatherproofing, different manners.

How do I stop the leather handles wearing out?

Keep them clean and conditioned, and let the bag rest between trips rather than living permanently stuffed. Full-grain leather is chosen because it wears gradually and gracefully. When the time eventually comes, a decent repair shop can re-stitch or replace handles on a bag like this, which is not something you can say about most luggage.

How many days of clothes will it take?

A holdall this size is built for one to three nights: a couple of shirts, a change of trousers and your wash kit, packed the way you actually pack. The honest answer is that it depends on the size of your boots and the thickness of your jumpers, so run your own list against the measurements on the product page before ordering.

Waxed canvas or full-grain leather: which is the better buy?

Both outlast the sort of luggage that gets thrown away after a few years. Waxed canvas is lighter, sheds rain without attention and softens as it breaks in. Full-grain leather is heavier, dressier and develops a patina that records the trips. This collection pairs the two on purpose: canvas where the weather hits, leather where your hand lands.