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
Being 6'0, 180 lbs I was unsure of what size to get; ultimately based on the limited videos on youtube (at the time) I went ahead and ordered a large in chestnut. great choice! I love the snug fit for the medium notepad holder and the medium MacBook sleeve in the back compartment, lots of room for a kindle, passport, pens, and thumb drives in the remaining internal pockets and a generous front compartment for cables, cameras, etc. It's a heavy bag, it's not a flaw - it's a characteristic. My advice, just because there's room, don't feel compelled to fill it with unnecessary items just for the sake of filling it. The space is there when you need it and things aren't just flopping around when it isn't packed to the brim. Love my bag, and it's only getting better! Thanks SBL!
I originally purchased the large thin briefcase, and loved the look of it, but it isn't deep enough for my needs. I ordered the Medium Classic in Chestnut, and before it even arrived I thought I had made a mistake again. I watched many reviews saying the medium is too small, and "purse" like. Well, I can tell all of you that is not the case. I am 6'0, 250lbs, and if it doesn't look tiny on me, it wont look tiny on you. I can fit the medium notepad holder, a 13in MBP Retina in the 13in MB Air sleeve, and my 14in dell laptop in the back , and all the cables, chargers, pens, office needs in the front with room to spare for a medium bible with the closure. If you have a 15in laptop or bigger, then you need the bigger bag, but if not, the medium will more than meet your needs. Unless you just like the look of carrying a large bag with you, the medium classic briefcase is perfect.
I just received my Classic Briefcase in Dark Coffee Brown and it is GORGEOUS! It is going to be exactly the work bag I have been looking for. I saw someone at the airport recently after I ordered mine who has obviously had theirs for some time. It looked great with a little worn-in characteristics that I look forward to mine having. Everyone from start to finish in the order process couldn't have been more friendly and more responsive. I would and will recommend their products to everyone I know. Thank you! Jeffrey
I am a Business Development Manager in a place they call Silicon Valley. I often travel and would consider myself as well versed with the current fashion. I am the type of person that subscribes to GQ and Details... I would prefer to wear monk strap shoes rather than the traditional shoes. In one of my business trips, while I was waiting at LAX airport, I saw another passenger carry Saddleback Chestnut Briefcase and Chestnut Duffel Bag. I was so attracted to the bags that I stared at it for a long time. The kind of attraction that I had with my wife when I saw her for the first time. (Just in case my wife reads this review..) I felt attached to the bag even if it was not mine, so I looked for it. Searched for it in different websites: Nordstrom, Saks, Gucci, Ferragamo,etc. but to no avail. Finally, I was able to find Saddleback through Amazon. Then, I went to the website to order my own Chestnut Briefcase, Chestnut Duffel, Chestnut name tags, Chestnut slim wallet. I also bought my wife her Dark Coffee Brown Pouch and Dark Coffee Brown Slim Wallet. I did not think twice.. Got my credit card and ordered it right away.
I was looking for an iPad sleeve and was thinking of the classic look. That soon brought me here. While I was browsing through, I saw the nice looking briefcase which can be converted into a backpack. Reminds me a lot of the Hobbit traveller. I could not decide to choose between Tobacco Brown or Chestnut. Later decided to get three items with three different colours as shown in the photo. These would be a good companion as I embark on my PhD study adventure later this year. The smell of the leather is so nice. I'm very used to it from having chestnut leather shoes, wallet and carbon black leather belt. I will soon order a small suitcase and small satchel. Many thanks to Tim and Jodie for helping me with the orders.
