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.
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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 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I've had this bag for exactly a week. I got the large in coffee. I was excited for the quality of the bag but I had no idea what was in store. In the last seven days I have received a minimum of 10 compliments per day about it. Today the bag sparked a thirty minute conversation with the president of a university in Iraq. My bosses and coworkers have been stopping by my desk just to chat about it. It literally turns heads (and feet) in my direction. I've never purchased a product that made such an immediate and profound difference in my quality of life (i'm not exaggerating). The quality, smell, and appearance are phenomenal. Just make sure you're ready for the boost in visibility.
This website and anything remotely related to Saddleback Leather products has been my obsession for the past 2 months. For close to 60 days, I trawled through many pages of reviews, pictures & youtube videos to help me find my perfect bag... And after that monstrous research effort, I ordered a Large Classic Briefcase in dark coffee brown. Now, living in Sydney, Australia, didn't make things easy. My suggestion to those who are purchasing from overseas, is to choose the postage option that costs the least. I chose the express post delivery - delivered within 5 to 10 business days. After all, how could I possibly wait any longer? Well, what was meant to be 2 weeks was drawn out over 3 long weeks. I called Australia Post, and they said I might as well have chosen the cheapest delivery option, because anything else would get here just as fast. Anyway, on receiving my bag, I am now a happy chappy. First impressions are that the bag is of superior quality. The leather is thick. The bag is adequately weighted. The threads are perfect, not frayed. The aroma is intoxicating, and yes, it does indeed fill the room, a constant reminder that you have made a wise decision. I have read and viewed a lot of complaints about the bag being too heavy. Well, I'm 5 foot 7 & the large classic briefcase is not heavy for me, weighing in at 154 pounds. With my 13 inch MacBook Air, it's sleeve, keys, books, etc, the bag still feels relatively light to me. While it isn't heavy, it is bulky. But that doesn't matter to me, as I believe it will wear in with time. 3 negatives thus far: - I notice that the 2 outside straps are of different lengths. I'm not sure why that is. - There is a minor scratch on the leather that appears unnatural. I'm not too fussed about it, as it is hardly noticeable & I'm sure I'll add more scratches to it as time goes on. - There are copper-coloured rivets on the top of the bag that are not in keeping with the other rivets. This is not evident in the pictures on the SB website. I would rate the bag 4-and-a-half stars for now... I will use it on a daily basis for work - where I will have to carry my laptop, an iPad mini, at least 2-3 reference books & my notepads - and I will return to review the bag after say, 30 days of use. I hope this helps with your purchase.
I have always love quality leather products but they are hard to find, I like to pay more and only buy once. When I would look to see what grain of leather was on the product I was researching, I could'nt find it until I found Saddlebackleather company. Dave tells you Full-grain and seeing the tanning process I knew I had found my leather source. I bought the large briefcase in Tobacco and I could'nt be happier, it holds my lunch, 2 water bottles, surefire flashlights, leatherman, knife, spare phone, bible, kindle, cords, pens, ipod, earbuds, GPS, camera, cords, notepad, glasses, sunglasses. I use it everyday for work and I enjoy it very much, the price is not much when you consider you will have it for a lifetime and look for a Dave's deal, it helps. Its thick, sturdy and built well and you will know your hard earned money was well spent. I have bought 4 other products and they are all superb!! built to last and take a beating if they have to, or take a lifetime of use, just get one and you will be happy you did. Most like good quality, well it comes with a price. Love my Bag!!!
I bought the large in tobacco and it is hands down the most well constructed bag I've ever seen. The leather is obscenely thick, the stitching is doubled everywhere and rivets are used in every critical stress point. I can't imagine the thing will fail, but if it does I know the warranty has me covered. It is a little on the heavy side for a briefcase, but that comes with the territory. If your on the fence, jump on over - the grass is greener over here.
I've had the large classic briefcase (Tobacco) for about 9 months now, and figured it deserved a review. I agonized over which size and color to get and am very happy with both. I'm 5'10, 170 and the large works perfectly for me. I can fit my 15 inch macbook pro (in saddleback computer case), lunch and workout clothes with some room to spare. I've also crammed 3 6-packs and a few loose beverages in there, carefully (without anything else taking up space). Like some of the other reviewers here, I did youtube searches, google searches, read every review and talked incessantly to my wife about what color and size to get. Now with my experience, I hope to answer some of the questions I initially had in the event that it will help some others who are wondering the same things. Color: The color is pretty spot on with the pictures on the website. However, it will "scuff" and get marked up if you use it hard. Most of these light markings will rub out. When you open and close the bag often, the thread on the top of the "lid" will leave these scuff marks on the front of the bag as it brushes against it. These aren't permanent, but if you are super particular, be aware. I personally like the worn look, but this my preference. Also, if you use the shoulder strap a lot, the side of the bag that rubs against your leg will get smoother and darken in the process. Feel: The bag has a nice soft broken-in feel to it. Even the sides and top that are lined with pigskin are pretty malleable. My friend has had the medium briefcase in Chestnut for years, and when he felt my 6-month old Tobacco briefcase, he immediately asked how I got it broken in so quickly! I think it has to do with the color, but my explanation is long winded: SO- I also have the side pocket duffel in Chestnut and the iPad case in Charcoal. I don't know if this is widespread, but my duffel is MUCH stiffer than the briefcase. I believe this is because of the color treatment, but am purely speculating. The charcoal iPad case is also soft and malleable like the briefcase, but seems to lighten at the creases where it is bent (if you bend it). The Chestnut colored duffel doesn't seem to scuff as much as the Tobacco, but when it does, it looks more out of place to me. This might be because the pristine brand-new chestnut looks fancier. Use: I attach the briefcase to the side of my V-rod in place of traditional saddlebags, and it holds up nicely. It's been down-poured on and while the outside looks soaked, the inside stayed nice and dry. Overall, the bag is awesome. Holds up great to all the abuse I've given it. I'm most impressed with the feel and look of the bag. This color is versatile enough to be casual, but I think would work great in a very professional setting. Absolutely worth the money and will be the last bag you ever buy.
