The Art of the Journey: Ghurka’s Luxury Luggage and Leather Goods.
Ghurka: A Tradition of American Luxury in Leather
At Waring Tuxedos, the brands we carry are curated to reflect our passion for timeless style, quality craftsmanship, and a perfect blend of form and function.
I am tremendously excited to offer luxury luggage and leather goods from Ghurka, a brand I have personally owned and admired for over 25 years.
Originally founded by Marley Hodgson in 1975, the company quickly gained a cult following for its timeless style rooted in the rugged campaign luggage of the British Raj. The name is a deliberate misspelling of the Gurkhas, an elite group of Nepalese warriors known for their military prowess, who have formed regiments of the British army for over 200 years. Despite several ownership changes, the company continues to produce almost all of its products in the United States, with a few smaller leather-goods made in England.
The current Ghurka collection includes a number of iconic pieces such as the Express No. 2, an early Marley Hodgson design featuring sturdy construction and two large front pockets. Available in all-leather or leather-trimmed khaki twill (our favorite), this is the perfect bag to toss in the truck for a weekend at the ranch. Effortless yet very elegant, it would be equally at home on a private jet.
The Express No. 2:
A highly functional yet elegant bag to take you from the ranch to Rome.
A few years ago, I was in need of a new briefcase and I must have looked at a thousand different designs from all the best firms - Asprey, Ettinger, Swaine, Frank Clegg, Smythson, and Satchel and Page. I finally came back to the Ghurka Scout No. 295 I now carry every day. It is the perfect size for a MacBook, some chargers, a book, and a few legal pads. Beautifully constructed of English leather with solid brass components, it is masculine yet refined, a perfect example of our quest for form and function.
My personal Scout No. 295 briefcase:
In vintage chestnut and embossed with my initials - my daily companion and the reason we carry Ghurka.
For a weekend out of town, I pair it with the Cavalier II No. 97, a simple yet elegant duffel bag. I personally tend to use the khaki-twill version, but the full vintage chestnut is very handsome. For an overnight trip, or even occasional use as a gym bag, I opt for it’s smaller brother, the Cavalier I No. 96. The larger Cavalier III No. 98 completes the size range, but I tend to use the small and medium bags more often.
The Cavalier I No. 96 and Cavalier II No. 97 beside my Scout No. 295:
The classic duffel bags in Vintage Chestnut and Khaki Twill and Vintage Walnut English Leather.
What I love most about Ghurka’s bags are their superior construction - full grain English leather, solid brass details, and a rugged style that is perfectly at home in Texas yet refined enough to carry to New York or the capitals of Europe. At Waring Tuxedos, we stock a selection of styles, sizes, and colors - perfect for the last minute graduation, birthday, or father’s day gift. In a world where everyone’s luggage looks the same and feels disposable, Ghurka offers something different. It’s not inexpensive, but when you know you’ll have it for 35 years or more, it is worth the investment. Life is too short to have ugly luggage anyway.