The leather mouse pad is a long-selling item among Munekawa's leather stationery.
Originally, these products were often purchased for use in offices, but in recent years, with the spread of remote work, more and more people are choosing them for home use.
However, there are still many people who think, "I don't really need a mouse pad," or "I can just buy a new one when it stops working, so a cheap one is good enough."
In fact, it seems that while people are particular about their monitors, keyboards, and chairs, they often put off mouse pads or don't consider them important.
So, this time we will explain why leather mouse pads are such a rational and attractive product.
The leather of a mouse pad ages easily.
What comes to mind when you hear the term "leather accessories"?
For many people, this would be a wallet, business card holder, key case, etc., and not many people would associate it with a mouse pad.
However, genuine leather and mouse pads actually go very well together.
One of the reasons for this is aging .
The aging of leather occurs due to scratches and stains that appear on the surface of the leather through daily use.
Mouse pads, which are used by placing a mouse on them, are more likely to age than wallets or key cases, and you can enjoy watching the bold changes in the color and texture of the leather change over time.
Many PC peripherals are at their peak value when you buy them and will eventually need to be replaced, but with a leather mouse pad, the starting line is when you first start using it. It is a product whose value "grows" the more you use it .
At Munekawa's workshop, there is an MP500 that has been in use for years. Its appearance is completely different from a new one, with a deep color and a softness that feels familiar in the hand. There are not many tools that allow you to experience the "joy of growing".
A leather mouse pad is one such fun leather accessory.
The backing is made of toco wood, which provides a "natural anti-slip" effect.
A lightweight mouse pad shifts slightly with each operation. The unconscious movement of correcting the position each time creates a small interruption in thinking, which is one of the factors that disrupts the rhythm of concentration.
How much fatigue do the small stresses of "having to move again" cause by accumulating at the end of the day?
Munekawa's leather mouse pads use the original leather surface (underside) instead of anti-slip rubber on the underside. It has a rough texture, and the leather fibers naturally grip the desk surface, so it is designed to naturally function as an anti-slip surface for the mouse pad.
By thoroughly understanding the characteristics of leather and making the most of them, we are able to create simple yet long-lasting leather accessories.
The secret to its longevity is the "500 gram core material"
This is a video of leather mouse pads being made at Munekawa's workshop in Daikokucho, Osaka.
The biggest feature of Munekawa's mouse pad, the MP500, is the 500 gram steel plate that is used as the core material .
Its weight prevents the mouse pad from slipping due to its own weight, and there's no risk of the mouse pad warping.
The steel plate is sandwiched between leather, then pressed, cut, sewn, and the edge (cross-section of the leather) is polished to complete the mouse pad.
It is not technically difficult, but the appeal of the MP500 is that the texture of the leather is fully displayed.
This product embodies Munekawa's concept of making the most of the long-lasting characteristics of leather and creating leather products that people will want to use for a long time .
Mouse pads: an easy way to start making leather accessories
Mouse pads are popular not only for personal use but also as gifts.
Wallets and business card holders are likely to already be in use, and must be chosen to suit the recipient's lifestyle, but few people own genuine leather mouse pads, making them an easy choice for a gift, which is why they are so popular.
They are also popular as souvenirs or novelties, with company names or other information engraved on them.
Leather mouse pads are actually an easy leather product to start with and can be used in a variety of situations.
If you already have a wallet and card case but would like to have some genuine leather accessories, we recommend you give this a try.
