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Most of our leather briefcases convert into backpacks, including this one. Run the adjustable shoulder strap through the o-ring on the back of the briefcase, and clip it to the d-rings on the bottom. Now your hands are free to carry more luggage through the airport. This leather briefcase has a false bottom to hide your passport, spare cash, and other secret things. The d-rings are great for strapping on blankets, jackets, and wet sandals. And the main strap has a hole at the very tip, just in case you overstuff your bag or want to put an umbrella under the flap. The two front pockets actually have hidden pockets behind them too.
This leather briefcase is made of full grain leather, which is the strongest there is. And then, we line the leather with pigskin, which is more durable than cow skin. Our thread is some of the best in the world. The strong industrial marine-grade polyester thread doesn't deteriorate like Nylon when the sun touches it. Our custom hardware is 316 Stainless Steel which means our clasps can hold up to a 750 lb. bag of cats. It's the metal of choice for when your life depends on it.
We only use full grain leather. Sure, we pay a higher price to purchase full grain leather to make our bags. And we pay more by using traditional craftsmanship. To us, these are essentials to offering a leather briefcase with a 100 year warranty. Leather is like a roof. First, there is plywood, tar paper, and then shingles. The grain is like shingles. It's the toughest and most water-resistant part of the leather. A lot of companies shave off that grain to get rid of scars or blemishes so they can use more of the hide, but by doing so, they get rid of the toughest part. We don't do that.
Did you know pigskin is actually stronger than cowhide? It is, and that's what we line our leather briefcases with. Not only is it stronger, but it is also more flexible and has a nice feel. We could have left it with just thick full grain leather, but we wanted to give you the best of the best. By using both, you get the best for the inside and the outside of this large leather briefcase.
The hardware on this backpack briefcase is all 316 Surgical Grade Stainless Steel. That's the good stuff. The kind that doesn't corrode, pit, or rust like other metals. It's the best for when your life depends on it, and it's what we use because your life could depend on this briefcase (ya never know, right?).
Polyester is awful for underwear or sheets, but it is the best for thread. We found the strongest polyester thread and used it in our leather bags. It's a marine-grade, UV resistent polyester thread that doesn't deteriorate when sun hits it.
Two small internal pockets are located in the main compartment, which is great for holding things such as pens, pencils, and other things that you might put in small pockets. The internal compartment is split into two main areas with a large capacity to hold a large laptop or two. So you can fit that huge 17" laptop in here without a problem.
The two front pockets on this briefcase are large and ideal for holding chargers and cables, passports and travel docs, phones, glasses, and a multitool. And behind each external pocket, you've got a hidden pocket. These pockets are great for things you might access more often, such as a cell phone or a USB hub, depending on how secure you need it to be and your own packing method.
Yes, this briefcase has a hidden compartment that is large enough to fit a passport. It is located on the bottom of the leather bag and can be easily accessed by lifting a strip of leather. You will see it right away. The false bottom is great for hiding things such as money, your passport, or anything else you might not want anyone to find.
When I tell you we thought of everything, we did. In between the front pockets is a pocket that is good for carrying a cigar, a flashlight, pens or pencils, or Epi pens.
Not everyone wants a shoulder strap; they might prefer the hand strap or the backpack feature, so we made it removable. The durable shoulder strap is also made of full grain leather, just like our leather bags, and has the same quality stainless steel hardware.
It is also functional as a great carry-on for short trips or long trips. You can fit your large laptop and maybe even a change of clothes and other gear. For example, you might not want to put your suit jacket inside, but an extra t-shirt and shorts to wear. The Front Pocket Leather Briefcase fits nicely under seats on the airplane.
Front Pocket Briefcase Explained by Dave
Front Pocket Briefcase & Thin Front Pocket Briefcase Comparison
Large Sized Briefcase Comparison
Front Pocket Leather Briefcase in depth explanation of the design
How to Knock Off a Saddleback Leather Co. Briefcase
I've had the briefcase for about 2.5 years. This is a 3 rated or 5 rated briefcase, depending on what you're looking for. If you want a polished office briefcase that's good for travel, less casual, and more towards professional in the office, then it's a 3. If you just want to buy something that will last forever and looks sharp, then it's a 5. For durability, which is their claim to fame, then I can confidently say it will outlast a full career if at least minimally maintained; it is certainly built to last. It has beautiful and durable leather that does age very well. It is softer then when I first purchased it, but still looks about the same. More than enough room and i don't use the back 1/2 of the case so it's just collapsed down really and I just use it to hold docs at this point. After two years of use, I couldn't stand all the jingling D rings and the "bull ring" hanging off of it anymore, and using "backpack mode" is the modern version of a fanny pack, so I cut that stuff off and hammered down the rivet on top. The modifications resulted in a more professional and streamline looking bag which I like even more. Also needed to trim down the strap as it was way to long for my use. Likes: I like that it is a beautiful case that ages very well and it will last as long as I'm willing to carry it and beyond (it truly will outlive me). I also like the attention to detail, everything just comes together nicely. Dislikes (which are mostly self evident): I don't like that it's not well balanced and it doesn't have any interior liner/finishing. It's a little big for a standard office bag and a bit bulky/clunky. Not much for pen holders, no liner really, no padding on the bottom. It's just the backside of the leather you see. The pigskin doesn't really qualify as a full interior liner like you'd expect with most cases but I do like it a lot and would prefer it be used to make a full liner. Overall, the pics do it justice, what you see is what you get, and is of top quality materials and workmanship. I would buy it again.
Love mine, dont settle for a cheap one. I'll be buying a front pocket backpack soon too. I bought my saddleback, because the company's from Texas (I'm a native Tejano) and I KNOW the quality leather craftsman in Mexico. I wasn't disappointed. Saddleback brought the quality leather crafted products, a secret only us natives used to know about ;), to everyone.
Photos do NOT do this justice -- this is a gorgeous, very sturdy briefcase. I ordered it in dark coffee brown to match the rest of my Saddleback purchases. I was originally hesitant about the prior reviews of the pigskin lining maybe being "too thin". If the pigskin lining were thicker, it would make for a much stiffer bag. Inside and out, this bag is perfection and I cannot say enough about it. DEFINITELY worth the price. The pockets are generously sized, the carry-strap is thick (although I have not tried converting the bag to backpack-style yet). I love the fact that the inside of the bag is "divided" -- it keeps all of my stuff neatly separated.
I have had my briefcase for close to 3 years. It continues to show nicely and most don’t notice it is that old. Is it heavy? Yes, it is heavy. That is expected in an overbuilt bag like this. I don’t use as a backpack. I carry with a suit and just found it works better for me as a briefcase. I saved for a long time to get this bag. It was worth the wait. My bag has visited several countries and numerous states. It fits under the seat as a carry on for larger jets. Regional planes it is tight and has to lay down more than I would like. Only other thing I would like to do to it is to burnish the edges. That will come with age, but I like the look and I may help the process along. I now have a few items from Saddleback and enjoy my routine of conditioning all of them once every six months. It takes a few hours to clean and condition the leather, but man is it worth it!
I received this bag a year ago for Christmas and wanted to wait awhile before reviewing it to see if everything people say about these bags is true. Honestly, after almost 15 months with the bag I can say that the thing is indestructible. I have had it on multiple trips (I travel a lot for work), and it has never let me down. On top of that, the thing still looks like new. I see some people complaining that the bag is too heavy. Indeed, it does have a lot of capacity and depending upon how you fill it, can weigh a lot. I appreciate that flexibility for when I travel—I can put a set of clothes in it along with my laptop in case my luggage gets lost. Pragmatically, if you don’t want such a heavy bag...don’t put so much in it..or buy a smaller bag. Expensive, but the quality shows...it is worth it, and based on what I see so far, the tag line of “they’ll fight over it when you’re dead” is true.
