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 purchased the SBL large chestnut classic briefcase about five years. Leading up to my purchase I had gone through about five briefcases in ten years at about a $100 a bag. I carry around a computer and at least four books, as well as sundry items, on almost a daily basis. This amount of weight puts a lot of strain on bags, as evidenced by so many bags in ten years. Then I sat down at the computer to search for an all leather bag, thinking it would be more durable. And that is when I came across SBL. I was hooked at first sight. The price at first seemed high, but I had spent that amount of money over ten years and doomed to do so again if a remained on the same track. If this were the last bag for me to buy, then I would actually save money over the long run. After five years I have no regrets. In fact, I am only more pleased that I purchased it year after year. In the back section of the large I am able to fit a 17" MacBook Pro, a small bag with the cables, and an iPad. In front section I able to fit up to six books two wide (depending on size), a small bag with sundry items, pens in the side pockets, and small notebooks in the big inside pockets. I have solved the problem of my children fighting over it when I die. I purchased a large satchel (chestnut, of course).
I will try to be brief but I am too excited. I have been looking at purchasing the classic briefcase for over a year now. I read all the reviews and watched numerous video reviews to narrow down my decision of size and color. To also assit I bought a tobacco ID wallet and med. notepad holder, a chestnut laptop case and a dark coffee pouch. Seeing the colors confirmed what I had known. For me I went with the tobacco brown large briefcase and the coffee colored pouch looks great hanging off of the front. Size was another concern. I felt I probably needed the large but did more research on the size of the things I need to carry. The extra 2 inches made the difference from a medium to the large. The extra large seemed too big to carry everyday. I just received my bag about a week ago and now have it filled. Here is what I have in it so far: DSLR camera with 2 lenses, A light for video shoots, 8 rechargeable batteries and 2 chargers for the light, extra battery and charger for the camera, macbook pro and sleeve, Apple charging equipment, med. note holder, legal pad (no cover), 2 small towels, the strap to the pouch(pouch hangs off the front of bag-with business cards, USB drive and documents like passports and travel documents), pens and of course a few snacks and breath mints. The bag is heavy to start but not as bad loaded as I would think. The shoulder strap really balances the load and the pads are comfortable. I had also read from some people that the leather was very stiff. This was true of my pouch but not the briefcase. The other thing about leather is it will get softer over time so be patient and the bag will become more pliable. This is a beautiful bag and my brother-n-law, who is in the Army, and I believe it would stop a 50 cal. bullet from 100 yards, that is how durable it feels. Quality does not come cheap but if you want the best and want something to last then this bag might be the least expensive of the options on the market. I hope this helps those of you who are taking time to read this. Take your time and do your own homework. Just be prepared, when you finally pull the trigger you will never look back and you will wonder why you hadn't made this decision sooner. Thanks Dave! Keep up the quality work as I have my eye on a duffle bag and my Brother-n-law has the front pocket backpack on his wish list. Rex
....... and all that it throws at you - awesome
I FINALLY got the large classic briefcase in the "new" tobacco brown. It is my fourth SBL purchase. The tobacco brown is awesome (everything else I have purchased in DCB). Let me tell you, this bag is ALL that I expected and more. I have used it daily for about six weeks now and it is fantastic. If you are debating between the medium and large (like I was), go ahead and get the large. I use it for daily business commutes with a portfolio, folders/paperwork, pens, business cards, digital camera, phone, small flashlight, snacks/water, and it is a good size. There is room for plenty more if needed for travel; but it is good for the daily essentials too. It is NOT too heavy or too big (I'm 6", 190ish). Thanks again SBL team for a great product!
Several months ago I purchased the medium classic briefcase in tobacco brown and each day I grow more and more fond of it. The briefcase is built to last. I received several compliments on it and will continue to refer others to the Saddleback website. The medium size works well for me. I am 5'10" and weigh about 165lbs. I am not an academic but rather work in a hospital. Subsequently, I don't need room to carry large textbooks everyday but rather carry my iPad, a notebook for notes, and assorted other knick-knacks like a point and shoot camera. The medium size is sufficiently large enough to accommodate everything I need to carry on a daily basis without being too heavy. As the website recommends I too would suggest a medium for someone equal to my size who doesn't need to carry around their office. I went with the tobacco brown color because I believe it will show the marks of use over time and in doing so it will acquire more character. I highly recommend this product and company for anyone looking for a quality briefcase that is capable of lasting a long, long, long time.
