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
What a great bag...I use this for everything. Work, travel, biking, pool, beach, kid stuff, you name it. Absolutely the must durable, utilitarian bag I own.
My wife bought me the medium Classic Briefcase, tobacco, for my 50th birthday. I was thrilled with the quality workmanship, smell, and color. It is hard to find this much quality in the USA today. It is refreshing to know there are places like Saddleback Leather. I used the medium for a week and it quickly became clear the medium was too small for me. I have a 13" MacBook Air and a regular size notepad that fit too snug and not much else would fit. I returned the medium and couldn't decide on a large or an x-large. It came down to the weight. For just an extra .4 oz I could have the x-large. Harvey arrived yesterday (I named him Harvey). Compared to the medium, it is big. Everything fit well in this briefcase and I am glad I was able to switch these out without too much difficulty. The hardest part was the wait between sending the medium back and getting the x-large which took a full two weeks. I found a surprise gift hidden in the case.
Wow. Time does fly. I originally meant to write this a year ago. I've had the tobacco large classic for just over two years now. I knew I wanted one the first time I laid eyes on it several years ago. First of all it's big. I'm 6' and about 195, give or take. I was considering the XL but let me tell ya I'm glad I didn't. It's just right and has more than enough room to carry my 15" laptop and various other items. It's not lite by any stretch but it's not heavy either. I had one of those canvas bags that a Government agent might carry in a 24 hour period, him being a Jack of all things (wink, wink) but after offloading all my stuff my bag weighed only 2 pounds more (no longer need a laptop sleeve due to the protection the classic gives). It goes well with business casual as well as jeans. It's John Wayne pretty and tougher than a 2:00 am steak at Denny's. I don't travel the world or go to exotic places. I travel public rail to work everyday and see some fairly interesting things and feel I could defend myself with it if need be. I also carry some stuff from my peace office days in case bad happens. After two years it's got scuffs and scratches and has a nicely worn, smooth area on the back. It tends to sit soft on the front unless I push the soft side in (think of sucking in your gut) and then it sits like it was brand new. It did transfer some of the color to my lighter khakis early on and now only when it gets rained on (it washes off). The pigskin lining looks almost yellow in some pics I've seen but mine is more of an olive tan. Don't get this bag if you get something new every so often. Don't get this bag if you get bored with what you have after a while. Don't get this bag if you care about what PETA folks might say about you carrying leather. Don't get this bag if a 25 pound bag of dog food is heavy for you. Don't get this bag if you want strangers to leave you be. Don't get this bag if you think it's easier to buy cheap every so often. Otherwise treat yourself and get this bag. Also, once you start buying Saddleback Leather, you can't stop. You have been warned. Thank you for your time.
We all love this briefcase. It is amazingly well made and Dave's videos can show you that. You can also read the next ten reviews and see that it is highly praised. What I haven't seen in these reviews is good breakdown on the sizes, so for those of you that are stuck on which size to get, and if you aren't sure of which model, a few notes on why I chose my particular model (Large Classic in Tobacco). Medium: The original! This is a piece of Saddleback history and for that alone it is awesome. It is basically an epic messenger bag stitched to another messenger bag to create a timeless work of art that can work to carry a small laptop and you're everyday needs. The width of these briefcases is great because you can stuff so many things into them. That is also why I chose the Classic Briefcase as opposed to the Front Pocket or Thin. Keep in mind, though, that the Medium will have the boxiest shape of all the models. At 14"x11" it can have a bit of a square shape when loaded top to bottom. For the smaller guys and the ladies reading this, I think that this is the bag for you. If you don't think that you need as much capacity as the Classic Briefcase, check out the Large Satchel or any of the other Medium Briefcases. If you're really worried about the weight, get a canvas, nylon, or lower quality leather bag. The Medium bag is not really that much lighter than the other two sizes, so don't get a smaller bag because it is lighter than the larger sizes, 0.5-1.5 pounds isn't that much of a difference. Large: My favorite! This bag is great because it is a true briefcase size. It will hold a large laptop and Redwells. For outside the office, it will stow 10 cans of your favorite beverage, two tall and five across- and that is just in the back section. It will fit snugly under the seat in front of you on an airplane and fits perfectly behind my body (width wise). I can fit just about anything is this bag and have wanted more capacity a couple of times. Get this size if you are unsure, it balances the Medium-sized big satchel purposes, and the Extra-Large sized small travel bag purposes extremely well. After this bag initially breaks in (about 2 months for mine), it will really mold to what's inside of it. So if you aren't carrying much, it will be smaller and sleek; if it is stuffed, it will be a beefy sucker! And yes, after putting an old MacBook Pro inside as well as a Saddleback Medium Notepad Holder, it made my back sore for the first week or so. But don't be discouraged you will get used to it! Extra Large: The monster! Although I slightly disagree with Dave on this one, I don't think I would quite call it a monster. I have, in fact, wished I had this thing on occasion. You will never be left wanting more room with this one. If so, I think you may need to look at the Waterbag or a one of the other duffels. This bag would be hard to fit under a seat on an airplane and would be just a bit bulky on a big guy. I'm 6'2", 200 lbs. and this thing is a little big for my daily use. However, the capacity makes it so attractive. If you are a bigger guy, you really need the space, or you do overnight business trips, this thing should work great for you. Remember, at around $600 for one of these bags, it really isn't a big price jump to add a few extra inches to your bag, it may save you some grief later on to go for a bigger size than you thought. A note about the colors: Tobacco will show the most scratches. It will develop a rich patina more quickly and show the most variation. That is why it's my favorite for the Classic Briefcase. Dark Coffee Brown will be the next to develop a patina and show richness. A great color for trial lawyers and professionals, it is a truly Classic color. My favorite for the Old Bull Belt. Chestnut is so beautiful. It will take even longer to patina and will show less scratches. This color is extremely classy and I love it with the dark pigskin liner. My favorite for the Waterbag. Black is very simple and elegant. Longest to patina and doesn't show many scratches (it depends on what you're scratching it with!). If you want a simple bag for a briefcase go with the Thin or Thin Front Pocket. If you want more capacity, check out the Front Pocket, my brother's favorite, it has capacity and an understated elegance. If you want a bag that will surprise you again and again with it's versatility, go ahead and click Add to Cart above! I hope this helps those of you that have decided for a Saddleback but are still on the fence about the particulars of this lifelong purchase. Cheers! P.S. Go ahead and grab an ID Wallet too, you won't regret it!
I've carried this bag every day for three years now and taken it on hundreds of flights all over the world and abused it the entire time. This bag gets better with age. I have the older version with the dark pig skin. I've had sodas explode in the bag and was able to just wipe it out with a damp cloth. I have the extra large bag. I fly lots for work I live in a small city and have to fly regional jets in and out to the major cities. This bag is big enough to fit everything I need for a carry on. But will still fit in the over head on the regional jets. It fills the space completely but fits every time. I've taken the bag camping and to the board room. And it always impresses. Plenty of people complain about the weight. If it's to heavy get the smaller bag. This bag will carry what ever you put in it no problem so less space less junk lighter. The weight of the bag becomes negligible compared to what you have in it. I looked for a long time when I purchased this bag. I can afford any bag I want essently. But wanted something that represented me more then the traditional briefcase my dad carried every day. I wanted something that expressed my military back ground I.e. Rugged as well as my current position a professional who has worked hard to accomplish a coveted status. A pinch of camping and my Eagle Scout roots. Simple rugged and built for the long haul but imaculent in my presentation. This bag by no means was the most expensive one I looked at. But by far was the best made bag I've ever seen. I've had professionals in manufacturing look the bag over and gush with envy at how every stich is perfect every cut precise every demention exact. How the leather and thread are far above grade and imaculent. I've since purchased from the ugly page for unique branded leather gifts but I have probably a dozen bags from saddle back and each product the leather is imaculent and the craftmanship is unsurpassed. I hate reviews from people that have just opened the bag or have only had it a day or two. They tells me nothing of how it will wear and hold up. I waited 3 years to see if this bag would live up to the hype. There is no hype. This bag is all it promises to be not one stich not one fray not one defect has shown up and I have abused this bag by any standard. At first it was to find a defect then it was to see how good the bag is. I figured if I did break it I'd be willing to get another to replace it just because of how good the bag has been. Now I'm interested to see just how long this bag will last but at this point I don't anticipate having to ever replace it. I believe thy will fight over it when I'm dead my kids are already laying claim to their fav saddle back bags. I don't write reviews I "vote" with my dollars and I've found most times they are less then useful I spend more time on negative reviews then positive ones but there is nothing I can complain of about this bag. I feel that as a solid Texas company with an eye to quality and a spirt of adventure and a soul of perfection I have always been impressed with every product I have and have no qualms about recommending this company to anyone.
