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 loved it at first. I wanted something heavy and sturdy that would not tip over. But now it slumps over and dumps out the contents. It can't stand up. I am no longer in love and use a reusable grocery bag instead for all my papers (I'm an English teacher). Any remedy? I am about to give it away.
Saw a guy at the airport with a great looking bag and here I am with my first SBL Classic Briefcase Medium size. Got it for two tasks - day to day use and those one night trips. I liked the idea that you could convert to a back back, but it's not easy and difficult to get your arms in without putting it up on a table and backing into it. But it works. I walk a mile+ to the train each day and it's comfortable even fully loaded. It's a little too big for day to day if you just have a laptop, some papers a book and some snacks. Enough pockets inside and out make it easy to organize. The medium bag alone is too small for those overnight trips. I carry a laptop, couple of chargers, iPad, book, notepaper, toothbrush and stuff, and a full change of clothes, and eyeglass case. It doesn't fit and wish I got the larger bag for those over night trips. But still, I love it. So many compliments.
I got my Large Classic Briefcase in Dark Coffee Brown a little over a year ago, and I absolutely love it. I use the bag primarily as a backpack. It took a small amount of ingenuity - and a few iterations of trial-and-error - to make it so the backpack straps both look amazing and do not slip. I ultimately accomplished this by buying a $7 pair of leather laces from amazon, cutting them to size, and tying it in a figure-8 fashion around the bend of the strap at the center ring. This anchors the strap securely in place, so it does not run through when I pick it up by one side. It keeps both sides even at all times. I used another piece of the leather lace to tie the bottom half of the shoulder pad so that it sits directly under the buckle in backpack mode. Soooooo comfortable now! The bag is roomy and spacious. The minimalist interior pocket design allowed me to use a few small bags (including my leather cable bag) to keep my cables and other accessories neat and tidy. After a year of constant use, the bag looks more beautiful than the day I got it, and it is beginning to soften beautifully.
This was my first Saddleback purchase, and it has not left me wanting! The quality of materials in the bag is obvious from the moment you see it, and its beauty is stunning. The wonderful thing is that it is as useful as it is gorgeous. The functionality of this bag is unparalleled in my experience and research (and I have used quite a few different bags). It holds all your stuff in an organized way and keeps it protected and available. It is built as sturdy as a tank, with rivets at every possible stress point. Also, the hardware is of the highest quality and strength, and is beautifully shiny. All around an awesome product and well worth the price!
I have been using my Chestnut Large Classic Briefcase daily for over 4 years. I take it to and from work, use it for travel, to carry books, really any excuse to carry it and look at it. It's in spectacular shape. I deeply love this bag. I am the type of person who does not have many possessions. I live in a 500 square foot apartment (by choice) and keep my belongings to a minimum. When I do buy things I am very picky, I research them and take my time, treat them well, and hopefully never have to replace them. In this case i didn't buy it. My girlfriend knew I wanted it and got our families to team up to buy it for me as a college graduation present. This bag will last longer than I will. I'm in love with it (I'm also in love with my girlfriend who is still around, so yes I do know how to pick em). The design is very thoughtful and functional: lots of pockets inside the bag, straps and d-rings are super handy, convertible to back pack mode is a plus. The large pocket on the back is amazing. I put the economist in it and love the feel of the leather. The size is great for me. I almost never totally fill it but have before and I found the weight / bulkiness to be manageable and as expected. I keep my lap top, papers, reports, and books in the back compartment and then use the pockets to carry power cords, adapters, and other dongle as well as pens, pencils, keys, and business cards. The materials and workmanship exceeded my expectations (still do). The leather is amazing; smells great, feels great, looks great, and ages beautifully. The attention to detail is impressive and unparalleled by any object that I've bought. My friends keep having to replace their bags, I don't. I can't emphasize enough how much I love this bag. If you're the type of person who buys for life you will not be disappointed. On the other hand if you're more about the fashion and don't care how long it lasts you should probably buy something else. The people who give bad reviews are mostly dissatisfied with the weight and heft of the bag. Know this. If that's not what you want then buy a different bag. I am a big guy. 6 fooot, 200 lbs. The size and weight are a perk in my opinion but I lift weights. I feel more secure about the safety of my objects inside the bag when I pick it up and it feels hefty, sturdy, and weighty--but that's just me. Make up your own mind before buying it and don't be one of those people who whines later because they didn't understand what they were buying.
