And that would make today different how? Your loss. There are a lot of fine leather workers in the arts & crafts type industry -- I saw two just a couple weekends ago at a thing called Sugarloaf.
Not whatever dirty gutter your mind went. Although they can do some good work, too. How about some nice PVC?
No, I haven't yet tried the penny/nickel/quarter/dime suggestion yet, myself, but that's what I would have suggested. But now that you mention it, I can see why they might be a problem.
Personally, I buy marble and/or granite samples from the local hardware store (Home Depot/Lowe's).
Another thought -- sow two pieces of leather together big enough to hold the Nano and stick your finger in to control it -- is that even remotely a possibility?
Those Sonus Fabers are supposed to be pretty good, too. Don't know anything about the amps, but if they are anywhere near on par with Sonus Faber and dCS, then that's a pretty high-falutin' system.
I have the M-Audio Sonica -- the Transit's predecessor, and it's surprisingly good. Certainly a step up from your typical OEM soundcard. I've actually traveled with a laptop, M-Audio Sonica, and Sony MDR-7506/-V6, and've been perfectly happy with that setup.
Rush and Yes are in my top 10 favourite acts of all time.
See, there's another one. And how anyone can perceive Rush as any more wankfestive than Yes is purely beyond me.