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 wanted a XL dark coffee brown classic briefcase, but they were out of stock. Just for the heck of it, I checked Dave's deals out and there was just what I wanted for $100 bucks off. Now I'm just the kind of person that never buys anything used or damaged, but for some reason I took a chance and ordered the case that was supposed to have some imperfections. About three days later, there is my Dave's deal case and I have not been able to find anything wrong with the briefcase. I am happy as a clam with the entire purchase experience. I have read some people mention the weight, but the case is constructed out of thick high grade leather...it's going to be heavy compared to thin, lightweight leather or vinyl. The heaviness helps to protect what you put in the bag, and helps the bag keep its shape when it's full of books and papers. I can't say enough good things about the construction and quality of this briefcase. It is well worth the money. The service was impeccable also, as they send you an email when the order is received and when it is shipped with tracking information so you know when to expect it at your front door. I wish all my shopping experiences went this smoothly. I recommend this product without any reservations.
I loved my bag from the moment I received it. Apparently someone else liked it more than me and it was stolen. The contents of the bag (which were worth more than the bag) were dumped but the bag was long gone. Now I just ordered another one because I won't even consider another. Need I say anymore?
"I've owned many a bag - Tumi are top among them. But I expect a lot from my luggage and briefcases. When I work, I work and when I go - well, you get the idea. I've had my Large Classic Briefcase (Chestnut color) for over a year now. It's still solid and rigid. Probably won't be bending anytime soon. And yes, many a folk will complement me on my briefcase. But frankly, I don't care as the bag is for me as I didn't buy the damned thing to impress anyone. Still, it's a nice effect whenever you met up with strangers sizing you up. They see that bag and they know. I bought a bag to carry my laptop, notebook, various sundry adapters, pens, medicine (Advil and I are good friends) cigars (gotta have them; end of story), sometimes even a flask (brokered many a deal and mended a lot of fences over some nice aged Bourbon) along with my checkbook(s), an energy bar (or two) and the usual paperwork (and sometimes even an iPad). And just for kicks (well, not really) I'll attached my pouch carrying other items (clips on real nice and easy and looks good). And for those rare moments, I'll clip on my map/engineering plan carrier under my bag to the a couple of the multitude of nice, good, solid clips. It's heavy alright. You'll get a workout. The 'backpack' routine has come in handy a number of times and the shoulder strap is a must. But until now I have found no equivalent to my Saddleback bag. Yeah, I tried them all and again, Tumi (along with a few others) are very good, but it's not the same for the simple reason that after using my Saddleback I found myself having to keep myself in check going 'gentle' on the other bags. And the moment came when the dime fell was just the other month. Out in a wide open farm field in the cold of winter with the wind blowing and the snow falling, I stood there with my colleague Big Mike as we conducted a sales routine to an ambassador from the nation of Sierra Leone on the merits of our gasoline system which converts pond scum into gasoline (for more on this, go to www.duckweedusa.com. Yes, it's for real). When the time came to go, we realized that it was best if Mike and I went in his pick up truck, leaving little room for our cases. I said I'll just throw my briefcase in the back of the pick up, exposed to the snow, wind and cold. Mike asked me, ""you sure about that?"" ""Yep; it can handle it."" Long story short: we rode to the restaurant, made the deal and rode back, with me secure knowing that my laptop and paperwork was well protected. I reminded myself that back in the days, when the riders when out on the open plains, this was the very kind of bag they relied on to live and work. It worked for them, it works for me - and it'll work for you. Maybe you won't be bugging about with some high level ambassador in some cold, open field in a beat pick up truck with practically no room inside, but there will come a day when something similar will happen and you can ride on knowing your stuff is good inside your Saddleback bag, regardless of what type or style it is. My Saddleback bag isn't just any bag: it's my Battle Bag. And when folks see me coming with my Battle Bag, they know I mean business. And btw to the folks at Saddleback: expect to see an order from the Ambassador of Sierra Leone at some time in the future, if not the President of Sierra Leone. We plan on throwing in a Saddleback bag for the good ambassador to help clinch the deal. Thanks to everyone at Saddleback: keep on making that magic! It's great to see that crasftmanship and the joy of making something good is still around! PS: a slight disclaimer. I also own a number of other Saddleback products. Gotta check out their wallets, They do indeed keep their shape! Best damned wallet I've ever owned! Ditto for their belts!"
I bought my extra large bag in 2007 and am still loving it. I still get compliments on it now! It has aged beautifully and requires little care. I haven't used the two side straps for a number of years now - they have been removed. I have also modified the shoulder strap as I found the buckle sat exactly on my shoulder which made carrying the substantial weight when fully loaded very painful. I use the longer part of the strap only, the other part stays at home. In hindsight I would have preferred the large as the extra large is exactly that - extra large!!! Go ahead and buy this classic masterpiece, you deserve it and you will not regret it, nor will your grandchildren ;)
I am not a small man. I measure 6'4"-6'5", largely depending on how short the nurse is who is jumping to see the tape and ~300 lbs depending on how close I am to prime rib night. I ordered the briefcase in Dark Coffee Brown and debated between the large and XL. I went with the latter. Oh my hell, it's a big bag. I stuck my kid in it to take a picture but I don't think she liked the smell. There goes my father of the year award. My EDC is the medium thin briefcase in chestnut. I wanted a bigger bag for travel and I certainly got that. I quickly loaded it up for a 4 day trip with room to spare. It dwarfs my 13" MBA and has plenty of room for everything else that I need. I think I could pack everything for a 5 day trip in casual clothes, maybe a 3 day trip if I'm in a suit. I'm generally of the opinion that the pockets are more of a nuisance than a help. Neither of my bags, however, have broken in pockets so that may change with time. The leather is awesome, beautiful, and smells wonderful. I'm very pleased. These comments aren't that uncommon from the other reviews but the point that I want to emphasize is the size. It works for me but I'm a large man. Just be prepared. I took a tape and cut out a piece of cardboard the size of the bag before I ordered it but it still catches me off guard. It's bigger than you think. But I love it. Can't wait to get some wear on it.
