Hermes MC² Euclide Card Holder Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather 37 Gold

Networking rooms are where this card holder earns its keep. Pulling out a slim slab of sandy-gold Epsom to offer a card looks composed in a way that flipping open a fat wallet never does, and it is light enough to hold in one hand while you shake hands with the other.

The design is deliberately plain: 10.5 by 7.5 cm, two stamped panels, no fittings, no visible clasp, just the construction detail where the faces meet. In this colour the stitching reads as a fine outline, since Epsom’s grain is regular enough to let a thread line show cleanly.

Six to eight cards sit in the slots and a folded note or a spare business card tucks into the centre. Gold-tone leather without hardware is a quieter combination than it sounds; there is nothing metallic for the eye to catch, so the colour reads as camel in low light and brighter gold outdoors.

A note of caution: a light, warm colour shows ink from business cards that rub against it, so I keep the holder itself free of loose paper. And, as with every piece in this material, Epsom will not soften; it stays crisp, which is either the point or a problem, depending on what you expect from leather.

Where I use it most: conferences, client lunches and any room where you meet twelve people in an hour. It comes out easily, offers a card smoothly and disappears again without a fuss, which is about as much as any card holder can do for your reputation.