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 first learned of Saddleback Leather over at the Art of Manliness blog almost 2 years ago and fell in love instantly. After months and months of debating on whether to purchase a classic briefcase or not, I finally ordered mine. Upon my wife's encouragement, I ended up closing my old high school checking account (that I hadn't touched in years) and used the money to purchase the Classic Briefcase, Large, in Dark Coffee Brown. Boy, did I marry a good woman! My leather arrived today and I honestly could not be happier. Just like the vast majority of other reviewers, I am amazed at the craftsmanship, the rich aroma of the highest quality leather, and the rugged beauty of this bag. I am a young pastor, and I expect to use this bag for the rest of my life - transporting my laptop, bible, various books, and whatever else to and from the office and wherever else ministry takes me. At 6' 2" the bag fits me perfectly and is exactly the dimensions that I anticipated. I took a long time in making this decision and I'm 100% confident it was the right one. Mr. Dave Munson, thank you for this product. I love it and am proud to own it. As well, I appreciate your business card. God's very best to you.
This was my first purchase from Saddleback, along with a drybag. And it's awesome! I have searched high and low to find a bag that was of high quality and correct looks for me to purchase. And I wanted to purchase something for life! I find bags that I love, but they disintegrate after a few years. Backpacks mainly. So I found and desired this for years until my 40th birthday, and then knew I had to get it. Worth every penny. Yes, it's heavy, but if you can't handle a little weight on your shoulder, c'mon, get to the gym. It's big, more room to carry your belongings my dear. It's looks great no matter what. The style is simple and classic. I don't feel like it will get dated, and even if it does, I really don't care. It appeals to me and almost everyone I come into contact with. And this thing is bulletproof. It will never disintegrate, or hardly get damage. And the compliments! They are plentiful and common. What's also a surprise is to hear "Saddleback, right?" It's so distinctive, people know it by sight. My boys will be inheriting all my bags (need just one more to have enough for all four.) And I have no fear that their kids will inherit it too. I wish I would have discovered it 20 years earlier, so I could have had more stories and experiences with it by this point, but I'll just have to make a bunch from here forward. Dave, you knocked it out of the park. All the work and time spent in Mexico have absolutely paid off. And the staff of your wonderful company is AMAZING! They make me feel incredible with every contact, and have even given me information about where to visit when I mention where we are traveling. I wish I could remember her name, but she sent me a package of materials about Mount Rushmore and the surrounding areas, knowing we were going to be traveling there in the near future. We had to postpone our trip, but I feel more confident we will have that in hand when we do get there. And when I was trying to make the order for this and the drybag, I wanted to take advantage of the free shipping special you were running at that time. But one of them was out of stock until after the special finished. Your wonderful staff made sure my order went through, I got the shipping (not a lot, but still a good perk) and got me the bags, with hardly any delay. Making me feel like the most important customer in the world. I tell people about your company constantly, no only for the amazing products, but for the wonderful people too. Keep up the amazing work, Saddleback and Dave Munson! (I'm coveting the Beast Duffel and one of the suitcases now.) P.S. The warranty is real. Believe it and use it if you need to.
The title tells it how it is, this bag is phenomenal. This was my fourth purchase from SBL after first buying the medium bifold wallet in Chestnut and the Old Bull Belt. I had been on the fence about buying it but after realizing my backpack for college was starting to get old and fall apart I figured I would upgrade. Not a single regret. Be forewarned it is heavy and it has to be because of its construction and quality but nonetheless it's is the perfect bag for college. It's traveled with me to several places and makes the perfect carry-on. If you're iffy on whether or not to purchase this bag I say pull the trigger, you won't be disappointed.
I bought my bag in 2007 and it arrived damaged. I was serving in Baghdad at the time so following up repair inquiries was a challenge. I was told the damage (a large slice in a strap) was cosmetic and part of the character of the item, but for the hundreds of dollars paid I expected more. I may re-engage my attempts at satisfaction, but be aware of this experience as you contemplate these products.
I bought a large classic briefcase in chestnut leather quite a while ago and used it regularly for a mobile office. My 17" laptop and all the things I needed to continue my engineering work on the road fit and were protected. When my travels slowed down, the bag was a nice fixture in my workshop until I was packing for Las Vegas a week ago. I used it as my carry-on and received comment after comment. I even had a TSA security inspector and a pilot ask where I got it so they could look for one! Everywhere I went with the briefcase, I was told it was beautiful and asked where I got it. I was very happy to guide people to the saddleback website!!
