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
After stalking this bag for months, I finally made the plunge and bought it. I love the craftsmanship, looks and the smell of the leather. I've been carrying it everyday and enjoy the quality of the product. In my opinion, well worth the money. It is a little heavy, but anything worth having takes effort:) It's not as difficult to get in and out of as some have said once you get the hang of it. I'm done with zippers and breakable parts. WARNING: these products are addictive, you are forewarned. Ordered the water bag to go with it, can't wait to get it. Thanks Saddleback for the beautiful products!!
I bought the Classic Briefcase in large/tobacco and waited until taking a few trips overseas before reviewing. I won't waste time talking about the quality of the bag as there are plenty of testaments to the quality already here. But this bag is incredible. I put camera and lens inserts to make it into a briefcase and camera bag. I carry a large pro DSLR Nikon and 3 or 4 fairly large lenses along with a 13" Macbook Air, camera batteries, Mac power cord and a leather journal. I travel all the time overseas and this dog hunts like no other bag I have ever owned. It may be on the heavy side but it can go from a safari or week in the woods straight to the boardroom and hold its' own the whole way. I just bought my niece one for her college graduation and plan to buy a few more for partners and associates. I am 6' 3" and weigh 195 lbs. and the large is perfect for me.
I have been a Saddleback fan from afar for a decade. Recently I went a little nuts. In the last 3 months I've purchased a Classic Briefcase in Tobacco brown, my hearts desire, a Thin Front Pocket Briefcase in Dark coffee and a Tobacco desk pad set. I got the classic for myself and a few weeks later, on our anniversary, I gave my wife the thin front pocket. Initially she was really not into it. Just a pleasant smile and placateing gratitude. I insisted she carry it a few days. Now she's know at her office as the hardcore chic with the badass bag, and she cares for it menically. Yep. I was right again honey. The pad set gets compliments from all who enter my office. I work in the car business and trust me, a ton of people darken my door on a daily basis. Next on the list are the 13" Mac air sleave, cable ties and pouches. Here's the skinny. Dave does not mess around. He's not kidding about quality. He's not kidding about durability. If you want trendy crap with a silly logo on it then move on. If you want true beauty and last a lifetime quality then push the add to cart button without trepidation. Like I am, you will become a Saddleback fan for life. Keep it up Dave!!!
Yes, I can fit all my stuff into it. I also understand the need for strength training as I age. Cardio is only one part. Carrying the bag is my upper body training. I do not mind, I know it will outlive me. So what? I don't take it on airplane trips, I may be charged for excess weight. People always comment on the bag. (there's the ego). It's made well, but so was Rome. I am looking forward to the day I am stranded, so I can chew on the leather for sustenance.
I have both a large & xtra-large. The large will hold a 15" laptop, and the xtra-large will hold a 17" laptop. The large (pictured, hopefully) is just about a year old now, and has been on about 110 plane rides. It's the one I use every day. With everything in it that I carry, it weighs about 24 pounds (according to the scales at airports). I use a caribiner to carry water hanging off the D-ring. The front flap isn't even broken in yet; at least it doesn't feel like it is. This bag took the place of a high-end rolling laptop case, and I wouldn't switch back to it. I believe it states on one of the videos not to overpack this bag. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It gets mighty heavy walking from terminal C to terminal A west in PHL. I have absolutely no complaints about this bag.
