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
After months of looking at the bags on the website, I came across the Classic Briefcase in the Dave's Deals section. 25% off normal price was a deal I could not pass up, so I bought it. The bag arrived today and it is exactly what I was hoping for. Great design, great craftsmanship, and a ton of room for my everyday items. I've also been looking for the reason why it was discounted so heavily and admittedly, I still have yet to find anything. I liked the quality so much that I went ahead and bought the iPad sleeves as well..
I have been waiting for the opportunity to write this review. I initially ordered the Front Pocket Briefcase and it was quite nice. However, it was smaller than I wanted, so I returned it for the Classic Briefcase. When I received it, it seemed like it may have been returned, as it was not tight, did not have a tag and seemed a little used. I called Saddleback and they replaced the bag immediately. I have received my Classic Chestnut Large briefcase and I love it. However, If you're looking for perfection and have a high level attention to detail, you may notice some rivets that are not perfectly lined up. This initially bothered me, yet I've decided to just get over it. This is the only reason I gave it a 4 vs. a 5. Do know that it is a big briefcase. In other words, if you don't have a lot to carry around, it may be overkill. I love carrying it so much that I put stuff in it that I don't even need, just to fill it up and carry it around. That may sound funny, but I love carrying the case that much. And if you're worried about weight, yes, it is heavier than most other bags. However, don't be a weakling! Our kids carry back packs to school that are 10-20lbs...at least my daughter's is! So, if my daughter can carry the weight all over the college campus, surely I can handle this manly bag! Switch arms from time to time for a nice workout! Yet, if you want a light-weight girly bag, look elsewhere. I read every possible review you could imagine and it is clear that Saddleback leads the pack in quality for the price. I tried to find a better value, but simply could not. There were some high-end bags that I was not able to even find a review on. There's just something about Saddleback bags that have the attention and respect of leather makers around the world. So make the investment and don't look back. If for some reason you don't like it, Saddleback will take it back with no questions. I am quite pleased and look forward to carrying this briefcase for many years to come!
I just received my large classic briefcase in chestnut. I own 7 other SB products and am happy with each. The briefcase is lighter than I thought, considering some of the reviews. My large satchel weighs about the same. With the briefcase, I found the mix of copper rivets with the mat rivets rather odd. It makes the case look like it was repaired at some shoe shop as the copper rivets don't appear as robust and don't blend in with the leather as the others on the briefcase. I'm keeping the case and I guess I'll adapt.
I have had my large classic chestnut briefcase for over 2 years...I carry it every day...and it still looks absoultely greaty When I have to travel with colleages...they take bets on the over/under of postive comments I get in the airport about the bag. Usually it is about 4 per one way trip.
I own an X-Large version of this wonderful briefcase. I love it. I have clients, partners and family and friends express near awe over it with each sighting. It really is a pretty cool bag and the customer service I experienced returning another product for full credit against this bag was even better than Apple!
