Hand-stitched leather case is as classy as the MacBook it protects

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Sharp looks. Photos Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Castello Davarg's leather York case offers sharp looks. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I’ve tried a lot of cases for my Mac notebooks over the years, from a dorky aluminum briefcase for my white “icebook” iBook through cheap, zip-up neoprene sleeves and on to bulky, custom-fitted, shock-absorbing monsters. But the elegant, simple and beautiful Castello Davarg York, cut from a single piece of leather, is the only one that makes any sense for my MacBook Air.

Like the MacBook Air inside, you can’t help but finger and fiddle with the York case. It’s cut from 5-ounce, full-grain leather that’s folded and then hand-stitched along two sides before finishing the edges and … well, that’s almost it. The case has no fastening or closure, and lacks a lining or padded interior, but it is shaped perfectly to fit the MacBook Air. (I tested the 13-inch size, but it also comes for the 11-incher.) It even has a little cutout on the top edge that mimics the one found on the lid of the MacBook itself.

Hand-stitched and beautifully finished.
Hand-stitched and beautifully finished. Every scratch or dent adds character.

The leather that Castello Davarg uses for its cases sometimes seems like overkill for small gadgets like the iPhone and iPad mini, but for a notebook it’s ideal. It’s also gorgeous. Soon enough, it takes on the shape of your Mac, with the little feet creating bumps in the leather. As you slip it into bags and bump it on desktops, the leather’s low-gloss sheen takes on character from the dings and scratches it suffers.

It is, then, the perfect companion for the MacBook: Like the laptop, it is cut from a single piece of raw material and finished to perfection; unlike the pristine computer it protects, the York looks better the more you dent it up. It gets even more beautiful as it takes a beating, while the computer inside stays unspoiled.

The only downside is that your case will be reaching perfection just as Apple redesigns the Air.

York by Castello Davarg ($78/$88 list)
The good: Simple, beautiful, surprisingly protective.
The bad: Nothing.
The verdict: For me, it’s the perfect MacBook case. If this is your style, then you can buy it safe in the knowledge that it’s insanely well-built.
Buy from Castello Davarg

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