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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 have lusted after your briefcases for years, (which is a sad commentary on a guy in his 50's). I spent years looking for the right briefcase to replace my 1981 model Samsonite. When I found Saddleback my search was over. However, the classic briefcase just wasn't quite right so I waited a couple more years. Then you introduced the Front Pocket Briefcase...Exactly what I have been looking for!! But I still waited... Until a guy in a hotel lobby commented on my Samsonite, "Its just like what my dad carries"....I almost beat him with it. Went on your website that night and it was out of stock....Checked back daily for three weeks and ordered the Chestnutt as soon as it was in stock. It is perfect!...the quality is impeccable...Holds my Macbook Air, iPad in Saddleback case, scanner, old school leather notebook and files along with assorted chargers perfectly. Worth every minute of the wait. My kids won't fight over it when it when I'm dead because I'm taking it to the grave!
This briefcase is perfect. I'm 6'/ 190. I've bought more than my share of saddleback products in general, but a practical work briefcase was tough for me to find. The classic briefcase was too big for me; the thin briefcase was too small. This one is just right. Holds the perfect amount of stuff. Much lighter than the classic briefcase. Much easier to stuff with files than the thin briefcase. A daily companion for sure.
I love this briefcase! Easily the best purchase I've made all year. Great craftsmanship and quality material. In the last 4 years I had a nylon computer briefcase for my work computer and files for work, and 1 very good back pack for my school books. On the nights I had class, I had to lug both bags with me (big pain in the neck). Well, when my computer briefcase finally gave out, I had the perfect excuse to buy my SLB Front Pocket Briefcase. I couldn't be happier. I can fit my work laptop and my personal mac along with a work note pad, binder, 2 textbooks, a school notebook, and 2 laptop chargers with room to spare. It does get heavy but the shoulder strap is very comfortable. I'm looking forward to see how the bag breaks in.
The bag itself was very nice- well made and sturdy. Customer service was helpful as well. Unfortunately, the reason I had to contact customer service is that the pictures online of the tobacco color are quite misleading. The bag looks nothing like the pics. The color is actually something like dark coffee brown or chestnut (WAY darker than the pics). I initially thought I was sent the wrong color but was told 'tobacco is running really dark now.' I understand that this is natural leather, and colors and markings can change slightly cow-to-cow. This, however, seems to be a real quality control issue. I have had no similar problems with high-end leather bags I have purchased from other companies. The colors are not even close- certainly not just a bad picture. It may seem petty, but if I'm going to pay $600 for a bag, I want it to at least somewhat resemble to pictures online that I agreed to buy the bag based on. It was so different I just ended up returning it. A shame, because I liked the bag (just really not the color).
First, a few notes about the bag that I could not glean from the description and pics. - The front pockets are not lined with pigskin - The external side pocket is cut so there is no hole in bottom the pocket. It is intricately/expertly cut to fit around the center divider. - The internal pen pockets are more like the Thin Briefcase than the Classic Briefcase. If you are unfamiliar with these, it means you can only fit pens in them. Your iPhone will not fit in them, likely even when the bag is broken in. They are small. - There is no hidden compartment at the bottom of the bag. - The pics you may have seen of a concealed firearm sticking out of the top of the front pocket is pretty realistic for how far the firearm will fit behind the front pocket. My Springfield XD40 Compact still has the whole grip sticking out. But, it fits perfectly in the actual front pocket. Unless you have a tiny firearm (smaller than normal Glock or Springfield compact firearms), it will likely not fit completely behind one of the front pockets. Comparison with other bags: So, this is my 4th SBL bag (XL Classic BC, Front Pocket BC, L Round Satchel*, L Thin BC* ). The Front Pocket BC is a good middle-sized bag between these. I listed the bags in order of what I can fit in them. The Satchel is awesome for a day bag for travel and outtings, but I like the divider and front pocket options for daily carry to work. The XL BC is too large for daily carry, but is awesome when you need more space and perfect for trips. The Thin BC is my least favorite, and I sold it after a couple of weeks because it was just too small. If it didn't have the divider in it, it would have been useful, but no different from the Satchel, really. Other notes: This is typical SBL quality. This is my first Black SBL bag, which I needed because of dress code requirements (only black bags). The leather is much like recent DCB leather. It feels a bit stiff out of the box, but will surely break in like the other bags. My 3 year old DCB XL BC is like butter, now. It's actually less stiff than the last DCB bag I bought new. This is my first experience with the lighter pigskin lining. It feels more like leather than the tough and smooth dark pigskin in my DCB bags. I like it. I was concerned that you'd be able to see the layer of light leather on the seams, but they do not show up. Moreover, the light pigskin makes it easier to see things in the bag. This lighter pigskin feels a bit like the new Tobacco leather. The main closure on the front appears a little awkward being on an unlined flimsy cigar pocket. If there is an issue with that, I will come back and update my review. I was very glad that my HP Pavilion DV6 laptop (15.6" 16:9 HD screen laptop) just fits in the back divider of this bag. It will not fit in the front without cramming it into the front because of the pen pockets. Overall, I am very pleased with the bag design and the leather quality. Another great Saddleback Leather product! * I have since sold these bags. I kept the Satchel for 2 years and hated selling it, but I needed $$ for this work bag. The Thin BC was quickly sold, as it was much too small for me. No keyring in this one (no big deal for me, since I have a two from previous purchases.) Also, there was not a copy of John's Gospel in this bag. I encourage SBL to keep sharing John with new customers, as it is a great testimony for why they do what they do.
