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 my large Dark Coffee briefcase for about 8 months now. I need to get some leather milk and buff some of the scratches, but I'm loving how it's breaking in, much less stiff then it was new (not that that was a bad thing), and starting to show some character. Surprised it took me this long to figure this out, but I just switched the orientation on the two end straps, so the buckles hand down over the top of the flap, rather than pointing up. I hardly ever buckle them, and this gives it a cleaner line without so much clanking. Loving it more each day!
Dont listen to anyones eles's great reviews on this bag or any other SBL Bag. THERE TOO HEAVY!. I used it one time on a business trip. I Carried a 17" laptop, video camera, SBL Large Wallet and a Few wires, Gum, SBL Straps, SBL Small wallet, weight about 21 lbs. In backpack mode, Looped the straps through the "Welded" ring, Why i say "Welded" Ring? because its not a complete circle, its a poorly welded incomplete ring that eventually, the weld broke, 1st trip in backpack mode- but anyways.. the thick leather straps and adjustable "shoulder pads" put too much strain on your shoulders. NOT ergonomic at all. Not Comfortable. Kept tring to adjust the shoulder pads to keep it from digging into my shoulders. Its a hassel taking it on and off, expecially with the weight, and make leather strap makes marks on your arms. When in the other backpack mode, where you pass the shoulder pad through the "Welded " ring, the weight of the bag causes the strap to shift and its hard to keep the bag properly aligned. UHH!! When worn over a single shoulder, or across your body, forget about it!! its too heavy, clunky, bulky & awkward to walk while your hip bangs into it. I was forced to use the top handle to keep it steady.ANNND to keep the stress off my shoulder, UHHH! FORGET about carrying it for a daypack on a hot day, you would have to be out of your mind!! its definatly not a bad recommened by the A.C.A- american chiropractic association- like THE NORTH FACE bags are, so i got rid of it. and im going back to THE NORTH FACE for accessories. which i never had issues with there products and offer a lifetime warrenty. Sorry SBL.. Its not even a conversation piece, you'd have to be out of your mind to tell someone you paid over $600.00 bucks on a bag!
I absolutely, hands down, LOVE my SBL Limited Edition Small Briefcase!! I got so lucky to get my hands on one of them! Frist off, the customer service, WOW I spoke with one of the ladies on the saddleback leather team and she answered all my questions about the color, the size, & the suede lining, the works! We even talked about bag charms! I couldn't thank SBL enough for their help; she literally went above and beyond! They really are a GREAT example of what customer service really means. Next I *HOPE* Dave will come back with the small briefcase! I??????m about 5??????3 and weigh about 110lbs, so I??????m on the small side, with that being said, the small briefcase is perfect for petite women. Although this is known to be a ??????man bag?????? women can pull it off just as well, that was one concern of mine. I get tons of compliments non-stop and often get sad to tell them it was limited edition (the size). I love the durability and the sturdiness of the bag. The bag is so beautiful and the quality craftsmanship is to be treasured! I feel like Indiana Jones, literally every time I walk out the door! All the men in my family are planning to invest in SBL products! Thank you so much SBL! You??????ve made one happy lass!
How often does a product exceed your expectations? This SB briefcase is awesome and will do just that even if you are tough to please! I have had this briefcase about a month (my 2nd SB product) and it rocks. I ordered the medium because I was concerned about the weight once I got it loaded down. I can carry my 15 inch laptop, an iPad, several files, and only have one of the two internal sides full. Yet, it is not the weight that sticks out in your mind when carrying it but the solidness of the product. It is built to last and a by-product is that it will get noticed by your peers and fellow travelers. It is a significant upgrade from the standard black nylon computer bag that the IT guys seem to love to issue everyone. I carry it for work and travel and it delivers!!! I had one person I was working with insist that I place it in his car trunk when on a call because he did not want to deal with the hassle of a police report when someone broke into the car to steal my SB briefcase!! The toughest part of the choice to buy this bag for me was I wanted the suede lining but I did not want to wait the extra time to get my bag. Buy this briefcase today!!! Youwill not be disappointed.
I'd been obsessing over the website for about a week or so trying to figure out which bag I'd buy at some point in the future and I'd narrowed it down to a Large Classic Briefcase in Dark Coffee Brown. The bag is very different from any other briefcase I've ever owned and ultimately that's why I chose it. I had no intention of buying it in the short term but I happened to look at the Dave's Deals page and there it was so I grabbed it and I am so glad I did. The leather quality is stunning and the workmanship precise. The fact that Saddleback considers a bag this fine to be flawed in some way amazes me because I can find no flaws and I've been staring at it for a week. It's almost three pounds heavier than the bag that I'm replacing but it carries light due to the wide, thick pads on the strap. I feared it would be too big based on some of the reviews that I read but it's perfect and I'm glad to have some room to spare. One thing that I really appreciate about the bag is that it's so stiff; it holds its shape and when I set it down it stands up instead of falling over or crumpling like lesser bags. The "complexion" of the leather, for lack of a better word, is flawless and the smell divine. I love opening the door to my truck or my office if it's been in there for awhile. Coworkers have complimented me on it and my wife approves. It's a tool after all, and a fine one. I carry a bag every day and at fifty years old this is the last one I'll ever need.
