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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
There is no manual to convert to backpack? Please help, bought one last year. [email protected]
Absolutely love this bag! Super sturdy and very well built. The patina that this bag has developed over the years makes the bag a real eye catcher and compliment getter. The most important things to consider are; 1) its weight when full is heavy, as this bag it's over-engineered in almost every aspect. 2) it's color is contingent on your care and upkeep and can slightly vary from bag to bag and person to person. All-in-all, I have ZERO buyers remorse and I’m considering buying a different bag of their's now in another color, as this one has a really rugged look and is rather large. I also want something in either brown or chestnut.
So this is a weird deal. I originally bought the large front pocket breifcase on Amazon. Got the bag and loved it. After a week I was rearranging the bag and noticed that the side rivets were popping out as if they were never fully fastened. I was able to easily pull them apart, and obviously the side pocket separated without rivets to hold it in place. I contacted Saddleback and the outstanding customer service took care of me immediatly. They informed me that they have recently had similar issues with bags ordered from Amazon. They believe that Amazon somehow got their hands on bags that didn't make it through Saddle back Q.C. I had a new bag in my hands in under 24 hrs. I was able to send the defective bag back to Amazon without a hitch (at least as of yet, haven't been refunded yet). So moral of the story is just buy directly from SBL. Caveat emptor with Amazon. 5 star for SBL customer service and the bag.
Love this briefcase. Craftsmanship, beauty, feel, smell, even the sound it makes when you set it down. This is the real deal. Simply a joy to use everyday.
Now that I've had this briefcase for 8 months, I can confidently say I made a great choice. The leather has held up all the way around and is seemingly breaking in well. The main compartment was originally a very tight squeeze with my 17.3" widescreen laptop workstation, but it has stretched out just enough to allow it to slide in easily. No signs of this creasing the bag which is what I was worried about. The straps are all holding up well, however I wish the main flap were cut a bit shorter. Unless you fully loaded both pockets with as much as they can carry, you can't necessarily snug the flap down as tight as I'd like. I got the Chestnut color which has darkened up beautifully. Used conditioner on it a few weeks ago and it did not ruin the color. Great work, Saddleback team!
