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.
Read More
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 bought my large sized bag five years ago. I use it to carry paper files and a MacBook Air, pen, pencil, occasional book etc. It is a beautiful bag. The craftsmanship is incredible. I get constant comments and inquiries about the bag when I travel with it. People actually stop me and ask where I got the bag. Everyone who sees it gushes. The bag is exactly what I need a briefcase to be..I would like to address the "heavy" issue that's going around the reviews. One thing the bag is not is a magic, nano-technological, transport device that folds into a one inch square. The bag is heavy and is advertised as such owing to it's herculean construction. I am by no means muscle bound. However, I don't have any problem lifting my (filled) bag into the car or off the floor or even onto my desk. I use one hand. The bag fits perfectly under an airplane seat. It is what it is, and what it is is fabulous.
I just came home to my unopened SBL medium DCB briefcase, and I can't tell you how excited I am to break it in and allow to age naturally. I am not fond of the smell, but the bag is beautiful. I have been sitting on it and kneeling on it so that it softens up. The bag (as I am typing to you) is VERY stiff, and if you have sensitive/ thin skin, like me, be prepared to get a few cuts. The medium is the perfect size for me, and because I am a student, it holds exactly what I need for the day; consisting of: my 13" MBP, multiple textbooks, a jacket for the cold weather here in Canada, my pencil case etc. I have nothing bad to say about this bag, other than if you live outside of the USA, be prepared to pay extra for shipping and handling.Furthermore, if you live in Canada, be prepared topaz duties and taxes (mine was 84$). YOU WILL NOT REGRET PURCHASING THIS BAG. ITS WORTH THE $$$. "Buy nice or buy twice" Dave Munson
On at least two previous occasions, I have bought briefcases or bags that I thought would meet my needs. Though they met my initial needs, they needed up being not big enough because I either underestimated what I needed to carry, or got additional responsibilities which required me to carry more stuff. As a result, I had to get another, larger bag. With such a big investment, I figured I should go big rather than be disappointed that it would be too small once I started using it and ended up getting the XL bag in Chestnut. While the medium might have served my needs, I saw some YouTube videos where the reviewers were saying that they probably should have gone up to the large. I was lucky because I found it on Dave's Deals (that particular weekend, the same bag in medium and large were also available). I just got it today and opened it up. To say I was shocked at the size would be an understatement. This thing "looks" about 20% bigger than I thought it would be. The amount of storage room is incredible. The product is extremely sturdy and well-crafted. The reason I bought this bag was because I will be attending a short-term, full-time professional program this Fall at a area university and felt that I needed to present a more "professional" look for the course. (That, and the time in the course will allow me to break it in before returning to work so the bag won't look like a "graduation present".) I can not only haul around my books and materials, but just figured out that I should have more than enough room to carry my lunch and snacks on a regular basis along with an umbrella, jacket, and gloves for those occasions that require it. The only real downside I can see of owning this bag is that it might aggravate my back issues because of how much it can hold (not to mention the 7+ pounds when it is empty.) I also don't think it would function well as a backpack, even for a short time, but I never seriously considered it a factor when making my decision anyway. It is a bag that will last me the rest of my life. I am looking forward to enjoying the journey.
I was on a flight and the person sitting next to me had one of these bags. I was impressed with how well made it was and how good it looked. When I found out it was 10 years old, I was hooked. I pulled out my phone and ordered the exact same bag he had before the plane took off. I like that the bag can sit open, keeping your stuff accessible on flights or in meetings. And it really holds a lot; I often bring several 3-ring binders with me to meetings and they fit just fine. My only complaint was that it has no mechanism for holding it to your rolling bag. I solved this with two carabiner clips, putting them through the ring on the back that you use when you convert this to a backpack (see picture). I love the bag and have been spreading the word. Thanks!
I have been an SB customer for several years. I absolutely have loved everything I have bought. Recently, I decided to buy the briefcase. Unfortunately the old Tobbaco Color has changed. I kept calling to see if SB had one that was returned or forgotten in stock, I even asked if they could custom make one for me. No such luck, I had to broaden my search. I eventually spent a few months watching eBay and finally I saw my bag! As with quality, you would expect it to hold its value. As a SB eBay expert, I can tell you a used Briefcase will go around $500, thats more than 3/4 of the cost of a new one! Well, mine arrived today, and I can assure you it is still worth every penny. Dave & Company....great job as always!
