Our hope is that you’ll be proud of your bag because of the compliments you get and how long it lasts. But our deeper hope is that you join our community of those nurturing the vulnerable and loving the unloved. We do more than just quality leather bags; we do quality in all areas of our business.
Our purpose is not to change the world by loving orphans, single moms and ex-prisoners one at a time. It’s to work with a Love 41 community/family of loving and nurturing people to do it. If you want to but you’re not sure how, then join us on Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to learn more. We’ll help you get plugged in.
Read More
SHOP ALL
MENS
WOMENS - LOVE 41
FOOTWEAR
DEALS
(817) 402-4550
Our leather is the strongest we can find (full-grain boot leather, but thicker). The top layer of a leather hide has all of the grain in it, and the grain is the toughest, most protective and longest lasting part of the hide. The grain is like the shingles on a roof. Most companies shave off the top layer (grain) of the hide to get rid of scars so they can use almost every inch of the hide in production and therefore save money. But in doing so, it's like they're shaving the shingles off of your roof. Kind of insane.
The thread is unbelievably strong industrial marine grade UV resistant polyester thread. It's what they use on sails and parachutes (things your life depends on). We use it to hold together leather briefcases.
This mid-1800's English style Gladstone Bag closure is just plain cool on this leather briefcase. It opens wide and stays open until you say otherwise. Pilots love this feature to put next to their seat. For closure, I chose a single leather strap with holes punched all the way out to the very tip, just in case your bag is way overstuffed or you want to stick your umbrella or blueprints under the strap horizontally or leave the laptop bag open to stick your stuff out vertically. The front pockets are built and then sewn on, so there are hidden pockets behind the pockets.
We use tough, but soft pigskin lining, which is stronger than the cow leather, instead of some pretty shiny fabric with a world map on it. There's also a false bottom inside that serves two purposes: First, it adds an extra layer of reinforcement. Secondly, you can hide cash, passports, etc. under there, but please don't hide drugs. Drugs are bad.
Our custom hardware is the amazing 316 Stainless Steel (please please google it). A metallergist told me that it was way overkill and that I really didn't need it to be so strong. I guess it's like killing a fly with a shotgun for a leather briefcase, but we NEVER have problems with our hardware.
The removable, adjustable shoulder strap is a handy feature. You can take it off your briefcase to tie the Christmas tree to the rack of your car. The strap on this briefcase is as tough and durable as our quality full grain leather belts.
This is more than a leather laptop bag or briefcase for pilots — it’s a legacy piece designed to be fought over long after you’re gone. We believe your bag should outlast your career, your travel miles, and your wildest adventures. Buy it once. Break it in. Pass it down.
If something does go wrong, we’ll fix it under our 100-year warranty — because your leather bag shouldn’t give out before you do.
The last small plane we were on was from Nairobi to Lamu. From there we took a 2 hour small boat ride to an island off the Northern Coast of Kenya, next to Somalia where a Kenyan friend of ours told us was a really super cool place for holiday. We didn't know about all of the Al-Shabaab terrorist activity and kidnappings in the area or we probably wouldn't have chosen it for our family vacation, but ignorance is bliss? The last night there was a little freaky. Okay, a lot freaky hanging out and discussing theology with the witchcraft practicing angel prophet of Islam, but that's for another place and time (or bag description).
So we finally get to our destination called Mike's Camp, run and owned by a British Kenyan named Mike. A charming chap who had made a barefoot luxury Gilligan's Island resort built almost entirely from woven reeds. The walls and floors were 100% woven and the ceilings were thatched. All of it was supported by branches and sticks.
It was SUPER COOL. Unbelievable. And that's why billionaires fly in to stay there all the time. Since we're not billionaires, we flew into Lamu and then took the little skiff to the island, but there are people who fly in at low tide, land on the beach and walk up the sand dunes to the camp. It's where you completely unplug. No laptop bags allowed. To read about the Angel prophet of Islam and our walk through the terrorists, go to the Slim Leather Briefcase page.
Anyways, each of those small plane bush pilots that land on the beach or take people to Lamu, have a smaller flight bag briefcase next to their seat. It's just what you do when you need all of your things in one small cramped place.
Walking with Lions and Leather Flight Bag in Africa
Flight Bag Leather Briefcase Explained by Dave
Flight Bag Briefcase - What it Fits | Saddleback Leather Co.
How to Knock Off a Saddleback Leather Co. Briefcase
I decided to level up my flight bag game at work, and the design of this bag delivers on its promises to me as a pilot. It's not too big which has me carefully choose what I really need with me all the time, and it is not too small to hold those essentials stylishly. Thank you Saddleback!
Absolutely love this bag! Great companion to my classic briefcase! I get so many complements on how it looks. Envious family members went and grabbed themselves one once they got to carry it around the office. I have loved every product from Saddleback, totally worth every penny.
Very nice bag, made with outstanding quality. Limited storage options/pockets is the only reason I won’t give it 5 stars. It could really use pen holders; it’s a pilot bag after all. The two outside pockets are useful and secure. The leather is thick, but the straps are still easy to open and close. The top opening is really nice and stays open. This makes it easy to access items while seated in the flight deck. Going back to my issue with the bag, it has one internal divider. I carry a headset, two iPads, spare battery pack, small sun shades, a book, and a few loose items like pens, ear plugs, AirPods, ibuprofen, spare batteries, and charging cables/bricks. With only two compartments, the loose items end up at the bottom. This requires a little fishing around when trying to find things. An extra pocket inside the main compartment would be helpful. Overall, very happy with the bag. I get compliments from other pilots. I leave the shoulder strap at home and carry it by the handles on my roller board J-hook. When I’m lucky enough to fly locals, I just carry it as it is not too heavy.
I am huge fan of handmade products. I have been using a backpack for years and inevitably I am forced to replace a $200 bag every couple of years. I was looking for a briefcase made with care and quality in mind and was very happy to discover Saddleback Bags! I went through the internal debate of value vs. quality and in the end I am ecstatic that I made the wise decision to order the Flight Bag in black. Saddleback bags live up to the old saying you get what you pay for; and with them, I would say you get more than you pay for. This bag is killer, I love it. I am looking forward to the time when I need to order another piece of functional art from Saddleback bags! I sincerely hope they are open and prosperous for very long time to come.
Love it!!!
