Sena

Created in 1999 by gadget enthusiasts, Sena Cases aims to produce cases that are trendy, sleek, and completely function-accessible and customized entirely by the customer. Sena cases are handcrafted by leather artisans in Turkey using full grain genuine Italian and Turkish calfskin Napa leathers. Sena cases are offered in classic smooth leather or patterned leather such as croco, pebble, perforated or vincado in a variety of colors. Since Sena cases are made from full grain genuine leather, the cases adjust and soften to develop a perfect fit to the device after a short break-in period. The leather is unique as it begins to form and customize to the owner’s individual usage habits. Sena knows good leather, and believes in the variations of markings that come with their leather, considering marks and scars a necessity in distinguishing real, quality leather from imitation, and deems these “imperfections” as genuine properties of the leather that enhances the overall quality aesthetic of their cases. Offering a large variety of case designs for their vast selection of devices, Sena allows unique customization options so that each case is crafted just as their customers wish.

To read this full article, click “read more” to learn about Piel Frama, Krusell, Vaja, Noreve, OtterBox, and Fortte’s manufacturing process!

Piel Frama

The kind of leather Piel Frama uses to make their PDAs cases is cow skin 1ª quality. This leather comes from Piel Frama’s country of Spain, which allows them the opportunity to select the highest quality leather offered. The leather Piel Frama uses is from veal (young cows) due to their clean, undamaged skin. Additionally, Piel Frama´s leathers are environmentally safe, or “green”, because the leathers are tanned and finished with natural products and biodegradable organic substances, which avoids impact on natural systems. All of Piel Frama’s products are hand-made through an “elaboration process,” which maintains that each piece has a strict quality control. This elaboration process includes creating different molds in hard cartons, then cutting the different parts of the case (the leather, interior lining, etc.) and assembling each part together like puzzle pieces with glue that is not environmentally harmful. Piel Frama also uses a raw material called “viledón” which is a highly resistant synthetic cloth, located between the leather and the lining, adding consistency and resistance to the cover. The leather cover is then sewn together by 100% polyester thread (stronger and more durable than cotton), and a conveniently removable rotating clip is added to the case.

Krusell

Krusell, a Swedish company founded in 1991, makes a great deal of their products primarily with superior and medium nappa leather, a full-grain dyed and tanned leather known for its soft feel and durability, as well as cow skin for the interior of the case. Krusell offers seven different collections of cases labeled by different colors for a variety of customers (business [blue], active users on the job [red], sporty [green], “cool”/hip [orange], glamorous [purple], luxurious [Grand Kru], and a separate collection for accessory packs [black]). Because of this, leather is not the only material Krusell uses to craft their cases. For instance, their Green Label collection is made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) rubber for shock-absorption and durability for their sporty customers. As well, PU imitation leather is used for their Orange Label, quilted leather, micro fiber lining, and piping is used alongside nappa and PU leather in the Purple Label, and Polyamide plastic is used for the accessory packs in the Black Label. For more information on the manufacturing of Krusell’s products, watch the video below:

Vaja

All leather used in Vaja products is full grain cowhide. These hides are from the top ten percent of Argentina’s leather and are selected for quality, strength, character and grain. They have not been altered in any way thereby allowing the natural markings and character to show through. Full Grain cowhide is generally much cleaner and has minimal scarring and insect bites. This results in a more expensive product than other altered grain leathers, but Vaja feels this is warranted in order to produce a product of extremely high quality. Vaja’s products are made one at a time in their own factories by skilled craftmen who maintain the highest quality standards in the leather industry. According to Vaja’s online FAQ, “Each customized product is specially handcrafted for the customer who requires it. All of [Vaja's] products are handmade by a group of craftsmen specially selected for this purpose. There are many stages involved in the customization process: leather selection and special arrangement according to the model and features selected, case molding and assembling, finishing, quality and functionality testing. Attention to even the smallest details is always present in each of these steps.”

Noreve

This French (St. Tropez) manufacturer has conquered the international market through a network of specialized resellers across the globe since 2004, and continues to become more accessible to customers all over the world. Noreve specializes in the manufacturing of high-quality, individually hand-crafted leather cases for the most up-to-date devices by offering a large variety of color options as well as four selections of leather: Perpetual, Ambition, Exceptional, and the recently-released Illumination Selection. All four selections differ greatly between texture and style, and each leather type is unique and offers something a little different from the next. All leather used by Noreve production teams is premium cow leather that goes through a different treatment process depending on the custom-ordered case. In the Perpetual Selection of leather, full grain calf leather is used to create a smooth feel with a matte finish. The Ambition Selection of leather is pebble-grained and has a polymer to protect against scratches. This selection is also weather-resistant and fights discoloration. The Exceptional Selection is suede-like leather that goes through a strict weathering process to highlight the natural quality of the leather and make it unique from every other case manufactured by Noreve. Finally, the new Illumination Selection of leather is glossy and smooth to the touch and is finished with a layer of varnish that is applied during the last stages of the tanning process to obtain a shiny effect.

OtterBox

Dedicated to the “klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals,” OtterBox (located in Fort Collins, Colorado) was created in 1996 to protect devices for customers with an active lifestyle. Their original line of cases are waterproof (like that of an otter’s fur… get the connection?), which has since expanded into four lines of device-specific cases for the most up-to-date gadgets on the market.

The four lines include:

1)      Defender Series:

http://www.otterbox.com/defender-series-cases

2)      Commuter Series:

http://www.otterbox.com/commuter-series-cases

3)      Impact Series:

http://www.otterbox.com/impact-series-cases

4)      Tandem Series:

http://www.otterbox.com/new-case-series/

As a company that has been continuously evolving, their cases are crafted primarily with polycarbonate and silicone components to withstand water, sand, dust, and klutziness in practically any situation. Additionally, silicone materials maintain good electrical insulation to resist the flow of electrical currents while polycarbonate components are easily molded and are impact-resistant. Both polycarbonate and silicone components maintain thermal stability and are temperature-resistant which is ideal for OtterBox’s active customers looking to keep their devices insulated and protected from UV light.

Fortte

Known as one of the leading leather case manufacturers, Fortte specializes in the creation of sleek, customizable leather cases for mobile devices popular in today’s market. They only use quality hides and inner materials that guarantee to maintain long-lasting durability. Fortte additionally manufactures in Biodegradable Plastic in an effort to help environmental practices, and part of sale is reinvested in Sustainable Forestry in the Amazonian basin. A focus of Fortte’s is guaranteeing that their brand is manufactured with only selected material under the ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Assurance), ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Practices) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Safety and Labor protection).  This also means that the suppliers of the materials also comply with the regulations.

Fortte cases are designed both to custom fit every specific device (they even offer a universal collection) and maintain a high level of functionality without compromising style. They offer high quality leather cases at decent prices in a variety of colors with a choice of belt clips and customization options. Fortte only brings their best cases to the market with a strict focus on quality standards and customer satisfaction.

This article includes:

Vaja’s ivolution Top Crystal 2 Series for the Apple iPhone 3G/3GS & BlackBerry Tour 9630

Sena’s UltraSlim case for the BlackBerry Tour 9630

Krusell’s ENCORE Label for the Apple iPod Nano 5^th gen.

Piel Frama’s Leather Goods Collection, “The Pearl”

Fortte’s upcoming cases

OtterBox’s New Tandem Series

Proporta’s Shine Case for the Apple iPhone 3GS

Noreve’s Motorola Droid – Milestone Tradition Leather Case

Follow the link below to read the full article.

Vaja’s ivolution Top Crystal 2 Series for Apple iPhone 3G/3GS & BlackBerry Tour 9630

This feminine series of cases is just about as girly as it gets, as encrusted Swarovski crystals sparkle around a vine-like design that borders both the front and back of the Caterina leather case, and a variety of color-scheme options are offered to allow the crystals to stand out as their own. The customization options are pretty nifty, as you’re able to choose from a few different “art” (design) options and can even personalize the back of your case (in about ten characters or less) with their laser-engraving option for an extra $10, as if the already-$220 case wasn’t expensive enough. Additionally, Vaja is offering the convenience of a leather wrist strap for a “secure attachment” for an extra $30. (To note: the strap is made of the same color and Caterina leather used for the rest of the case). Also for your convenience, with your purchase Vaja will include a leather bag with a drawstring, presumably used for carrying the case. (It’s like its own case for the case!)

This case allows access to just about everything, as you can see for yourself below:

Though we doubt Vaja will want to donate a potentially $260 case (personalization option and leather strap included), this is a case we’d like to get our hands on just to see if it really is worth the big bucks. Vaja is known as one of the leading case manufacturers, so the case is undoubtedly of high quality, especially including the Swarovski crystal glass beads, but it’s hard to really believe any small case could really be worth spending $260 on. Though maybe it is worth it, since it’ll take well over a month to craft. Let’s hope their female customers think so!

To purchase this case visit: www.vajacases.com where you can find the ivolution Top Crystal 2 Series under both the iPhone 3G/3Gs and BlackBerry Tour 9630 tabs.

Minimum price: $220.

(View image gallery below for additional ivolution photos).

The Sena UltraSlim case for the BlackBerry Tour 9630

This slender case is one of the thinnest leather cases ever designed for any mobile device (according to Sena), and has absolutely “zero bulk” as it is the leanest case Sena offers. The UltraSlim case is handcrafted from high-quality pebble textured Italian leather, and contains a soft, micro velvet lining with stitching along the opening of the case. While this case is merely a pouch to hold the BlackBerry Tour 9630, Sena has allowed cutouts in the leather for the speaker and microphone, and even offers an energy-saving sleep function activator. Though you aren’t offered the beautiful colors around the color wheel, Sena does offer five (somewhat bland, but sufficient) color options: White, black, brown, tan, and red.

The pebbled leather was a smart design choice for this UltraSlim case because it looks just as elegant as the next Sena case. Though the BlackBerry Tour won’t function while inside the case, this “slim” pouch option is a nice choice for protection while inside pockets and purses, and will protect the device while inside the Sena case. Plus, who wouldn’t want to be able to tell their friends that they have the slimmest case designed for any mobile device?!

To purchase this case visit: http://www.senacases.com/blackberry-cases/blackberry-tour-cases/ultra-slim-pouch-sleeve/.

Minimum price: $29.99

(View image gallery below for additional UltraSlim photos).

Krusell ENCORE Label for the Apple iPod Nano 5^th gen.

Following Krusell’s release of the ENCORE collection of cases for the Apple iPod Nano 4^th gen, Krusell has released the same label for the Nano’s 5^th generation iPod. It’s a stylish design offering a variety of fun metallic color choices (blue, silver, pink, yellow, orange, purple, red… to name a few), all to match the Nano unit, with a focus on functionality. There are openings in the small case for the screen, click wheel, and camera lens. The design is simple as you just slide the Nano into position in the case, but the real beauty of the case lies in the eye-catching metallic glimmer that radiates from this Krusell label.

To purchase this case visit: http://www.krusellcases.com/uk/p_krusell_product.aspx?i=189717.

Minimum price: £9.99

(View image gallery below for additional ENCORE photos).

The Leather Goods Collection “The Pearl” by Piel Frama

As difficult as Piel Frama’s website is to navigate around, the little information we can give you about this new Leather Goods collection is that the variety of cases offered range from men and women’s wallets, glasses cases, handbags and laptop and travel bags. These handmade cases are crafted using high quality Cowskin and a smooth finish. This series is very elegant and is distinguishable by its unique design.

To purchase products in “The Pearl” selection visit: http://www.pielframa.net/leathergoods/

Minimum price: Prices vary per product

(View image gallery below for additional “Pearl” photos).

Coming Soon to Fortte!

A long list of Fortte’s upcoming leather cases are as follows:

IPod Nano shoots video Chromatic, Sprint Samsung Instinct S30, Thuraya Satellite Phone, Samsung Rant M540, HP iPAQ 210, HTC Imagio, Sony Ericsson Satio, Sony Ericsson W595a, Google Nexus One.

To check back for availability visit: http://fortte.com/

OtterBox’s New Tandem Series Revealed

OtterBox’s now-fourth series has finally been announced: The Tandem Series for the Palm® Pre™. Featuring an overmolded design, this series incorporates TPR (a plastic material used in the injection molding process) into the polycarbonate shell for device protection. According to OtterBox, the first shell attaches to the front of the smartphone and the second shell attaches to the back. TPR lines the outside edges of the case and combines with polycarbonate to offer extra stability. Once the case is assembled, it allows for complete functionality, even when sliding the screen.

(This series was designed to complement the Palm® Pre™).

It’s an interesting design idea using two shells, even if it seems a little bulky.

To view this series and a chance to be notified when the Tandem Series is released for purchase visit: http://www.otterbox.com/new-case-series/

(View image gallery below for additional “Tandem” photos).

The Proporta Shine Case for the Apple iPhone 3GS

This case is one for the girls out there with its soft feel interior zebra print lining and high gloss patent leather exterior. If that wasn’t enough, Proporta has included an interior compact mirror for those high-maintenance women who are desperate for a quick peek while browsing their iPhone apps. There’s even a magnetic closure system that enables you to flip the cover of the case over and position in place for easy phone use.

This stylish case isn’t for the modest shopper, so all you girls out there who want a stylish case (and a compact mirror!), this one’s for you.

To purchase this case visit: http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=4886&t_mode=des

Minimum price: £ 24.95

(View image gallery below for additional “Shine” photos).

Noreve Motorola Droid – Milestone Tradition Leather Case

Released earlier this month, the Noreve Motorola Droid & Milestone case is hand-crafted and slim with a top flap that snaps into a magnetic closure at the back of the case. Similar to most Noreve cases, this case allows openings in the leather for access to the basic functions of the two devices, and includes a stainless steel mesh speaker protector. It’s an elegant case like the rest offered by Noreve, but there’s nothing new to speak of in terms of design so if you know Noreve, you know what to expect. The usual color options are offered with this case (including the new Illumination Selection of leather), as well as a removable plastic belt clip. It’s protective and function-accessible while maintaining a level of elegance with its simple and direct design.

To purchase this case visit: http://www.noreveusa.com/product_info.php?products_id=2342

Minimum price: $51.00

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