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 am 6' 6" and 330 pounds. So, when Dave said that the extra large was big enough for trial lawyers and YETI, I knew he was talkin' to me! I own several Saddleback products so I'm no stranger to the over-engineering and overall quality and heft. I knew this bag was going to be big (which is what I wanted), and it is. I wanted something that I could use daily to carry my huge laptop, tablet, Bible, power cables, etc. This bag is absolutely perfect. It is generally large to look at, but it seems to hold even more than you would think. I previously was using a pretty large laptop backpack. My old bag held a ton, but when it was over my shoulder it stuck out a couple feet to the rear. It did the job, but not gracefully. My new Saddleback bag holds everything that my old pack did and still has a good bit of room to spare. The placement of the pockets on the bag are outstanding. The two "main" interior pockets easily hold my wireless mouse, tape measure, small "jewelry" box thing with earphones and jump drives, cigar cutter, torch lighter and a few other odds and ends. Even with the laptop, tablet, Bible in Saddleback cover, a novel, XL envelopes full of paperwork, Saddleback cable bag with laptop power supply and phone chargers and ethernet cable, extra handcuffs, shackles and impact weapons, portable radio (I'm a cop) and a bunch of other junk, I could still easily get a day or two worth of clothing in to make this bag the ultimate weekend bag. For those considering this purchase, I would say that if you ONLY want a briefcase to carry your gadgets and documents, the large size would likely be all you would ever need. If you want something that could double as a weekend duffel bag for clothing and such, go for the extra large. Unless, as Dave says, you are a trial lawyer or yeti, then just go XL and be happy. As usual, this bag is gorgeous, built like a tank and looks 100x better in person (not that it looks bad on the website). I believe everyone who has a use for a briefcase of sorts should own this bag. It is truly a classic. As expected, Saddleback customer service and packing/shipping were top notch.
I came on the site today to do some Christmas shopping and decided to write a review for my briefcase. I bought the CLASSIC XL from Dave's Deals. First off, I got the 10% discount - but I have yet to figure out what was "wrong" with the bag to warrant it being placed on special. I can recommend Dave's Deals based on my experience. I'm a records officer for a large cabinet-level agency in Washington. I carry A LOT of stuff around with me and spend a lot of time in DC on trains, taxis, and even on bicycles running the gauntlet between various offices. My briefcase is like my car. Since coming to DC I've gone through six bags in four years - this is the first one I've ever owned that holds up. First off, I put my bag through its paces - rain, snow, plane travel, etc, and it's TOUGH. The rivets are incredibly sturdy, the straps are strong, and the d and o rings will NEVER break. I pack the XL to bursting and still manage to hoist it on my back. The leather softens, but doesn't stretch - so the bag holds its shape. You can fill this bag up again and again and not have to worry about it breaking. The use of buckles instead of zippers and snaps is a HUGE plus for me as my load will never become unsecured as I cycle along. The drawbacks aren't drawbacks for me - but folks need to know about them. The bag is heavy - the XL weighs about 15 pounds empty. I wear mine as a backpack and that takes care of that issue. The bag has buckles. You have to buckle and unbuckle it. I use ALL THREE of mine to secure my large load - I prefer this security over the convenience of fast access. The bag is not "boardroom chic" - it's more "oil field chic." It's leather -it's saddle leather. It looks like something Indiana Jones would carry. That fits my personal image (my hobbies are travel and amateur archaeology.) The result is - if you want an amazing looking bag that reliably carries a ton of stuff - and your coffee Thermos and cigar cutter - get one of these. You will not be disappointed. It's the only bag I've had that gets better with age.
This is message to all of the people humming and hawing, desperately trying to justify spending this amount of money on a bag. I say DO IT! You will not regret it. The customer service was amazing, Great people to deal with. I ordered the Medium bag and when I recieved it, it was just to small, so a simple email back to them and they emailed me the appropriate paperwork and within minutes it was all takin care of and the new one was on its way to me. When I did finally recieve the Large bag, it was exactly what I was looking for. I have never been happier with a bag (which is a good thing because they last forever). And I would recomend Saddleback Leather Co. to anyone. 2 thumbs way way up!
As promised, this is an update to my first review. I have received the extra large briefcase and it is quite nice. It accepts legal sized pocket folders and expandable folders nicely. Quality is extraordinary. The bag is heavy and large, so if you are looking for a lightweight bag, this is not the bag for you. But if you want a quality case that can handle literally anything you can put in it, this is your bag. Just remember, as I stated in the first review, be sure you are getting a size that can accept what you want to put in it. I recommend this extra large bag (but when it is full, it is very heavy).
I have had my briefcase now for one year. I'm writing this review to let everyone know how happy I am. What an awesome product. I wanted it for 5 years and I finally got it December 2011. I use it everyday for my work. I carry my change fund ( I'm a bus driver ) my books, lunch , light jacket and a water bottle on the side. I carried it across my shoulder for a while but just switched to backpack mode. Wow, I still get compliments all the time. Don't wait any longer...just order the bag you really want. What item do you carry that makes you smile every time you see it ? Life is too short. Thomas Stewart
