null

Classic Briefcase

Large Classic Leather Briefcase

10.00 lb

16.00

16.00

10.00

$689.00
(428 reviews) Write a Review
SKU: 01-10-0001
100 Year Warranty
  • 16"X12"X9"
  • Weight: 7 lbs

Full grain leather briefcase by Saddleback Leather.

Materials in Our Leather Briefcases

The materials in our leather briefcase are full grain leather, pigskin lining, 316 stainless steel hardware, and German industrial marine-grade polyester thread. Our leather is tough and resilient, and our pigskin lining is super strong. Our hardware is 316 stainless steel and is rated to hold up to 750 lbs. Our thread is UV-resistant and German industrial marine-grade polyester thread. In addition, our hidden reinforcing straps ensure that the bag will never stretch and those straps will never deteriorate. This is over-engineering.

Full Grain Leather is the Key to a Good Bag

Full Grain Leather is the key to a quality leather briefcase. If you take off the top part of the leather (grain) it's like taking the shingles off of the roof. They get rid of the toughest and most resistant layer of the hide. When tanneries get a leather hide from the slaughterhouse, it's really thick. So, the tannery splits the top half with the grain from the bottom half. Now they have two hides to sell. The tough and beasty hide that still has the full amount of grain (full grain) is expensive, and that's what we buy. The bottom half is great for making low quality budget leather briefcases or laptop bags that will dry out and fall apart in a short time.

Full grain leather briefcase in front of camel roadkill.

Lining in Our Leather Briefcases

We glue and sew tough, strong pigskin leather to the cow leather. And the pigskin is even stronger than the cowskin. We've chosen this instead of using a shiny pretty fabric lining. We want all of our real leather bags to be durable, rugged, and sturdy.

Natural leather briefcase with patina.

The Best Hardware for Leather Briefcases

Our custom hardware is 316 Stainless Steel. If you are a metallurgist, then I'm sure you just gasped. It's the metal you want to be used when your life depends on it. The testing laboratory told us that our clips were rated to hold up to a 750 lbs. bag of cats.

Thread That Doesn't Fall Apart

Our thread is unbelievably strong and UV resistant German industrial marine-grade polyester thread. It doesn't deteriorate when the sun hits it like nylon thread does. And we use the thick double ought version of it. It's the same thread used on ship sails and parachutes (things your life depends on).

Hidden Reinforcing Straps

Polyester is good and bad. The good is that it doesn't stretch and never deteriorates. The bad is that it never deteriorates. When it comes to polyester in your sheets and blankets, you won't sleep as well. But, when it comes to polyester straps sewn into the stress points of a bag, it's the best there is to get that extra strength.

Backpack Feature

The classic leather briefcase converts into a laptop backpack with a shoulder strap with two shoulder pads. Clip one end of the strap onto a d-ring on the bottom, run the strap through the o-ring, and clip it to the opposite side and you've got yourself a backpack. Now your hands are free to carry the wife and kid's luggage.

Leather briefcase that converts to backpack mode.

Removable Side Straps

You can remove the side straps to use as an emergency size 36 full grain leather belt, tie-down, or tourniquet (hopefully you won't need that). But on the bag, they are great for holding wet umbrellas and blueprint tubes to the top of the flap.

Leather briefcase with removable straps, in front of a male kangaroo.

D-Rings on the Bottom and Side

The d-rings on the bottom are designed to strap on blankets, dirty boots, fly rod tubes, or blueprints. And you'll use these d-rings to convert your leather briefcase into backpack mode. The d-rings up top are great for clipping keychains, carabiners, or extra gear too.

Saddleback Leather Classic Briefcase in Chestnut leather.

Removable, Adjustable Shoulder Strap

The shoulder strap is adjustable (40" - 65") and it's removable. You can take it off to tie down the Christmas tree to the roof of your car. The shoulder strap comes with two strap pads for backpack mode.

Saddleback Leather briefcase at the South Pole.

False Bottom Secret Compartment

There is a hidden flap on the bottom of this leather briefcase for hiding passports, extra cash, your collection of rubies, or whatever else you don't want anyone to know about. This false bottom can be a lifesaver in itself.

Extra Hole for Just in Case

A small detail, but the main center strap has a hole all the way at the tip for closing when your laptop bag is really overstuffed. This gives you that much extra space in your leather briefcase, for "just in case." Comes in handy when you need it.

Pockets in the Classic Leather Briefcase

There is a pocket on the side, a pocket on the back, and pockets on the inside. From a place for your pens to a spot for your wallet in case you lose your pants. With two main compartments inside, you can take two laptops if need be, with room for chargers and accessories. These quality leather briefcases will protect your belongings and your reputation.

Videos

Classic Leather Briefcase Explained by Dave

Large Sized Briefcase Comparison

The Classic Briefcase in depth description and explanation on design

How to Knock Off a Saddleback Leather Co. Briefcase

(428)
5 Stars Write a Review
  • 1
    Not recommended

    bought the briefcase a few years back, it just broke while i was abroad, and i couldn't do anything, i bought a new one on the airport, different brand but it suit my needs, i cant believe i wasted this much money on a briefcase. se la vie

  • 4
    Great bag , lots of comments

    Took my bag for a one day trip to NYC. Had lunch with Steve Forbes and he commented on it. Great item to own. Maybe he bought one!

  • 5
    Two extra straps have saved my bacon

    This bag is perfect as a professional briefcase and for travel. The two extra straps have saved me on more than one occasion: When I overpack, girlfriend buys too many souvenirs, or need a place to store my heavy coat - boom! Stick the extra stuff under the flap, secure it down with two leather straps, and I'm ready to go. It's like having an extra 16 in.³ on a moments notice. When I first bought the bag, I never imagined how versatile the extra two straps make it If I have one regret, it's that I didn't buy it sooner. Thanks, Dave!

  • 5
    Great Bag

    Got my large classic briefcase last year for father's day...I absolutely love it. I have tended to overstuff my previous bags (non-SBL) over the years and all have broken/ wore out in a similar fashion. I researched many other bags that could withstand a beating and were of good quality and kept coming back to this one. Bottom line is that it is a great bag that you can put a lot of stuff in and is very durable. I have received numerous compliments about it; I think what makes it stand out from the rest is its conservative design...it is just a simple looking bag and is nice because of that. While I know many criticize the products because they are on the pricey side, I really invite you to navigate the website to the "rivals" section...many of the competitor bags are at the the same price point and I would question whether they are of the same quality (just watch a few of Dave's videos and you will start to learn a little about leather products). As for the features of the bag, I will be honest and say that I don't use the strap features often and use it mostly as a traditional "briefcase". While it is nice to know that it doubles as a backpack, I am not sure I will use it that way...If I had to walk with it over a distance, I would probably just use it as a shoulder strap. About the only thing that I would agree with on the negative side is the fact that there aren't a lot of extra compartments/zipper/pockets etc. I carry a ton of junk in my bag and had some trouble deciding how to arrange things given the equipped pockets. I ended up purchasing some cheap pencil cases at an "office" big box store, and they work just fine supplementing the bag. To that end, I understand why there aren't more zipper pockets, etc., because they are the parts of the bag that fail the quickest. I will say one final word, and if that doesn't convince you to buy your next bag from them, nothing will. They have outstanding customer service. I recently got a water bag from them, and had to exchange it for the larger size. The representative "William" was extremely helpful and accommodating in a very complex set of circumstances involving the exchange (won't bore you with the details but SBL ended up getting me the specific bag I wanted after a promotion had ended and did not have to do it)...I have no doubts that they value every customer they have. Hope that helps you with your purchase.

  • 5
    Three year review

    Just wanted to add an updated review for those considering a classic briefcase. I have now had my large classic (in tobacco) for three years. I LOVE IT! It is easily one of the most valuable things that I own. It's been great and just looks better and better. The ONLY suggestion I might have is - if you carry just general business items (like I do) - you may want to look hard at the THIN briefcase. The classic is rather large and is sometimes TOO much room for day to day use... That being said, get you some Saddleback! You won't regret it.