Hide & Smile Imperial Premium Handmade Mate Kit, pumpkin and leather Cup And Bombilla Set, Authentic Argentine Mate Gourd Tea, Includes Straw, Souvenir from Argentina, Original Design (Brown)

Best one I’ve bought so far. Great quality and arrived on time :)

Only complaint it is too small inside respect to the overall size

I was really excited about this.The first time I used this cup and the last timeIf you can see in the picture moho

So, I don't think I am the right person for this mug, even though it is incredibly beautiful with exquisite craftsmanship. When it arrived, there was a little piece of paper that tells you how to prepare your new mate gourd and leather cup - fill it with yerba mate, add boiling water, let it sit for 12 hours, discard the brew and scrape the insides with a metal spoon. You do this three times. Somewhere along the way, I messed up because now my gourd has some mold so I have to start the process all over. I will probably have to watch some youtube videos as well to see where I failed and how much yerba to use, how much hot water, how much of the side is supposed to be scraped off, if it is supposed to be as difficult as it was, how hygienic is the mug or if this is a process that has to be repeated and if so, how often. Does it depend on usage? I just have so many questions before I feel confident in using a leather wrapped gourd as a mug, no matter how beautiful and well crafted said mug is.

First off, the dark coloration inside the gourd IS NOT MOLD. That's simply what happens when you use this kind of mate. Trust me, I've been drinking mate for years, and the photos from the other reviews are completely normal.The leather is good quality, and the metal ring is very securely fastened to the gourd which means water does not appear to be able to seep in and create rot. I like the "camionero" design as it makes it very sturdy on my desk at the office. The bombilla this comes with is the best I've ever had, so I use it all the time even if I'm drinking from a different mate.My only wish is that the interior were slightly more voluminous. I prefer medium-sized mates over very small or very large ones, and this one verges on being "small," meaning the yerba needs to be replaced sooner than I'd wish. However, if you know that before buying, this is a great addition to your mate collection. I may be buying more bombillas!