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For Christmas what do you buy the man or woman who has everything?

Would they like a traditional British leather drinking vessel?

Historically, most people would have used leather, pewter or wooden drinking vessels, only the very wealthy could have afforded glass. Possibly even only Royalty. Even then sometimes a household would possibly only have owned one very special glass which would have been passed around the worthy members of the household, as it was so precious, and breakable. Maybe seven years of bad luck came about because glass (and therefore mirrors) really were luxury items only that could only be bought by the wealthy.

Leather was one of the alternatives to glass and has been used to make tankards, jacks, goblets………well drinking vessels of all types for a very very long time. Some of the oldest examples we have come across are Viking and Saxon and they have been used ever since. In fact the British Army only stopped issuing them as a piece of standard kit during the 19th Century.

I sometimes think it’s a shame that this is a family business. Because if it wasn’t, every member of my family would be getting a leather drinking vessel for Christmas…..well, except the dogs and cats.