J Washburn, Author at BestLeather.org

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020

Waterfield FIELD Leather Backpack Review — $249

Phone reviews always talk about the screen-to-body ratio. This metric isn’t about how big or small your phone is. Instead, it’s about how much of the thing you’re carrying is actually useful. You want many pixels, not many bezels.

For a bag aficionado, it’s the same: You want a high contents-to-bag ratio. I have backpacks that I use and love, but they’re for carrying a lot of stuff, and that means I’d be carrying them mostly empty on most days. And this is why I love Waterfield’s new FIELD BACKPACK. It’s not too much bag. In fact, it’s just right for a photo shoot, a day hike, or a trip to campus.

Along with being purposefully small, it’s also designed deliberately for the digital lifestyle and has stylish looks to boot. It’s my favorite backpack by a long ways.

THE LOOK

Most backpacks have excess pockets all over the place so you never know where you put your chapstick. And they have straps hanging off everywhere so you can adjust the storage volume. You end up with something that is anything but sleek and simple.

Not so with the Field Backpack.

It’s the exact opposite of the average bag you see on campus. The design is very intentional. And very simple. It has one main outer pocket, two side cases, and the main compartment.

There’s a trend for hipster backpacks to be, in my opinion, too rudimentary and too square shaped, which makes them awkward looking. (It’s NOT hip to be square.) The Field Backpack has a really nice, round shape. It’s simple but refined.

When you order, the backpack can be customized in two ways: First, instead of the brown with grizzly leather like I have, you can get an all-black version with ballistic nylon and black leather. It’s a little more professional looking. Second, you can get it as a sling. This means that, instead of two shoulder straps, it just has a single strap that can switch sides based on your preference. Check out their video here to see how this works.

BUILD QUALITY

While the leather on the main outside pocket gives the backpack a lot of style, the leather on the base gives it a lot of structure. In fact, the backpack stands upright on the floor quite easily. It’s actually surprisingly convenient to not have to find a desk leg to lean it against like I do with many of my other bags.

When I get home, I hang the backpack on a hook from the loop up top. This loop is sturdy and has a bit of full-grain leather rounding it off. Makes it comfortable in the hand. The canvas of the whole bag is sturdy too, and I imagine it will hold up well on outdoor adventures, although it’s clearly designed for a more digital lifestyle.

The buckle on the outside flap has a nice click. And I mean nice. Like it could easily replace your fidget spinner. And it’s super durable too.

The back is made of a mesh designed to provide more airflow and keep you cool.

Oh, and all the zippers are water resistant, so you can carry your tech in the rain and not have to worry!

LESS UI; MORE UX

For you digitalphiles, the Field Backpack upholds the moto “less UI; more UX” really well. (If you’re not a software designer: Less user interface means less clutter. More user experience means you’re happy with what the product does for you.)

Some bags I’ve had will zip open all the way down to the base, making it so your stuff can press against the open zipper and eventually fall out. But this bag can’t be opened very far, so you can wear it around and have lots of heavy stuff in it and not even need to zip it closed. Nothing’s going anywhere. I love that.

One frustration I had was that the clasps for the adjustable shoulder straps would slide. (It’s the photo above that looks like a Batman mask.) This never happened while I was wearing it and the straps were taut, but while they were loose. I ended up tying knots to keep them in place. That was a little disappointing for a bag that is so elegantly designed in every other detail. Honestly, I think you won’t have this problem if you opt for the Sling, which seems to be the primary version from Waterfield’s perspective.

The side cases are the highlight of the design. The zippers are tilted so that you can conveniently access them while the bag is still strapped to one shoulder as the picture shows. Talk about good UX! As the sales page shows, these pockets do expand into the inside of the backpack slightly. Personally, I wish they were even deeper so that they could hold more because they’re just so easy to access that I use them all the time.

The backpack also has a plush lining for the laptop slot. Its softness has surprised me over and over when my hand brushes against it. By the way, this slot is sized for 13″ and smaller devices (and so probably won’t fit a monster laptop if that’s what you own). In the big outside pocket, there’s another plush slot for your phone. That pocket also contains a narrow slot to hold your digital pencil. That’s essential for my workflow.

As with all Waterfield products, this has the gold interior lining, which reflects light really well so you can actually find your chapstick when you’re looking inside. Don’t settle for a bag with a dark interior!

CONCLUSION

I love Waterfield’s FIELD BACKPACK. I threw it on while driving my daughter to school, ostensibly to show solidarity with the kindergartners but really because I wanted to keep using it. I even wore it to bed once. I love it that much.

The quality is top notch. It’s designed deliberately for human use, made to be easy and simple and to accommodate your digital lifestyle. It’s purposefully small—that’s key. And it looks great: the wonderful result of tech meets leather.

March 17, 2019March 16, 2019

Waterfield ZIP Laptop Briefcase Review — $219

UX (user experience) is a big topic in the Bay Area. And it’s not only important with software, but also with the briefcase that carries your hardware. It’s real meta. I like that.

This briefcase I’m about to tell you about has the perfect UX.

It’s the second iteration of Waterfield’s ZIP Laptop Brief, and it’s clear they paid close attention to the smallest details. In fact, my first draft of this review began with, “Wow, wow, wow. This bag is amazing!”

I still feel that way.

Deciding to Buy

The positive user experience started even before I made the purchase. When you’re buying online, it’s often hard to get a sense of the spatial aspect of products, but Gary, the founder of Waterfield, makes hands-on videos of everything they sell. His video overview gave me the sense of the size and dimensions, and I felt like this was the right product before I’d ever handled it myself.

I wanted a briefcase for my laptop and tablet and a few extras, but I didn’t want a bunch of unnecessary pockets that would complicate storing and finding things. The ZIP matches those criteria perfectly. It’s super sleek, just the right amount of bag and nothing extra.

Now I carry it when I travel, and I put my most valuable things inside. There’s not a bit of waste in the design, which might be a problem if you’re hoping to carry a lot, but it works great for my style.

Materials

I’ve ordered and used a lot of Waterfield bags, and this is the first time I’ve strayed from the waxed canvas with grizzly leather (which I’ve loved, and which is still an option for you, but this time I wanted a change).

The ballistic black is a cool synthetic textile. It’s clean but also sturdy and feels like it could take a lot of wear (though admittedly I haven’t had it long enough to verify that). It’s also incredibly water resistant. The leather accents look great with the black, giving it a bit more class. Personally, I like the look, but you can make that call yourself from the pictures.

The front pocket is hidden. The back looks super sleek–all black without significant seams. I just like the visual appeal overall.

Traveling with It

The grip on the inside of the shoulder pad clings, so it stays on well. If you want extra security, it’s comfortable wearing across your chest with the brief at your back. And the whole strap is removable, for when you want to be more streamlined. Oh, and it has a strap designed to slide over your luggage handle, making it an easy extra.

The zipper has a watershed design so you can carry your electronics in the rain without worry. I even tested this out: I put a tissue on the inside and then drenched the zipper with my water bottle, but nothing got through. I was surprised and impressed.

When the briefcase is zipped up, it’s thin and doesn’t take up much space. And it’ll even stand up on its own, though not too stably (depending on the weight and position of what’s inside).

The zipper also lets you open the briefcase 180 degrees, so it’ll lie flat on a table. This makes it TSA friendly, ideal for getting quickly through airport security. I’ve found this to be helpful when using the bag as a workstation too. It makes it easier to access things when you can lay it all the way open like that. And when you’re ready to go, you just grab the handles and everything folds to the inside. I love how simple and functional it is.

Delightful Details

This second iteration of Waterfield’s ZIP has only gotten more refined. For example, the zipper is positioned to one side, directly above the laptop slot, making it easier to access your primary item.

Another of my favorite UX design features is that you can charge your laptop while it’s still in the bag! They cut out a little notch to accommodate the power cord even while the bag is zipped up. What a clever thing to think of!

Oh, and as usual, Waterfield uses a gold inner liner, which not only looks good but also reflects light really well, making it easier to see your things (unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to the padded parts, which are the hardest places to see things).

Where to Put Stuff

On the inside, it has a couple padded pockets for power cords or a mouse. Next to these is another of my favorite features–a dedicated spot for your digital pen, where it won’t get lost.

On the opposite side are two additional padded slots, a larger one for a laptop, and a smaller one for a tablet. There’s also a velcro strap to keep them in place, but that’s a feature I generally don’t bother to use.

Between these two halves, there’s enough room to squeeze an extra shirt or other odds and ends.

The outside has a zipper guarding a pocket that rests flush with the side, but it’s designed to expand to accommodate more stuff if need be. It’s a good spot for your keys, wallet, or emergency floss.

The zippers on both this compartment and the larger one give me confidence that my stuff will never fall out, no matter what kind of turbulence we go through.

Conclusion

I’ve gone through several laptop bags, always looking for the optimal solution. The Waterfield ZIP Laptop Brief has been my favorite of the lot, and I’m grateful to have found it.

It’s thin and sleek, has sufficient pockets for what I need, but doesn’t go overboard like a lot of its competitors. It’s simple, functional, and looks great.

Most of all, it’s a bag I love using.

February 20, 2019

Ace Marks Wingtip Oxford Cuoio Antique Leather Shoe Review — $320

I had to wait a year for these shoes.

First, I measured my feet with the charts from the site. Then I made my purchase. Ace Marks has a unique business model, which I’ll explain below, but the bottom line is that they don’t warehouse their shoes, so it took a few months before my order was fulfilled.

When the shoes arrived, they fit on my feet, but they felt too snug. Fortunately, Ace Marks has a no-hassle return policy, and they even covered the return shipping. (Just make sure you only walk on carpet during your trial run.) Unfortunately, that meant I had to wait a few more months.

When the second pair arrived, half a size larger, they also felt too snug! I was shooting for the Goldilocks zone—I wanted these to be the perfect fit! So I bit the bullet and returned that pair too.

Fortunately, when there third pair arrived, now a full year from when I began, they fit perfectly. What’s more, my Ace Marks Wingtip Oxfords turned out to be well worth the wait.

Breaking in the Leather Soles

This is the first pair of leather-soled shoes I’ve owned.

When I finally walked out the front door, the tiny rocks on the sidewalk pressed into the leather. I could hear the crunch as they ground into the soles. I actually cringed when I felt the micro-tearing. It felt like walking on stained glass, crushing a work of art with each step. (That’s how beautiful the leather is.)

I’d also crossed the point of no return(s), which gave me a little panic attack. At first I thought maybe I’d gone too big, because they had a little play in them, but then sitting in a leather lounge chair and working on my laptop for an hour made me think they might be a little small! It was stressful. I also got a blister on my left heel from wearing them. (Word to the wise: Don’t wear them for an evening out for the first time; give them a couple one-hour jaunts first.)

Now I’ve had them for a couple months, and I feel confident that I got exactly the right size. I just had to break them in a little to realize it. The leather started out stiff, but now it has taken shape, and I can wear them all day, no problem. They’re actually quite comfortable. The wear made a slight crease in the vamp too (a couple inches from the tip), which made them look barely not as good but made them feel WAY more comfortable.

As for the soles, they now look a bit rougher, as you’ll see in the pictures, but they have more texture and sound softer while walking on concrete. They’re also great for dancing—you just glide across the floor wearing them.

Taking Care of Them

I wore them to a concert, and when we came out it was raining! This happened a day after my shoe aficionado friend told me never to get them wet. Water makes them more susceptible to wear. It also dries the oils out of the leather. Fortunately, one time didn’t seem to hurt.

I also bought a pair of lasted cedar wood shoe trees from Ace Marks. These help the leather retain its smart shape whenever you’re not wearing them. Shoe trees also wick up the moisture that the leather absorbs from your feet, which increases the longevity.

A Well Sourced and Well Crafted Aesthetic

The two people I trust most about shoe fashion gave me opposite advice: One told me my shoes were a classic design that would never go out of style. The other told me to wear them often because they wouldn’t be in style for long. I’m certainly hoping the first is right so that my investment has a long lifespan. I guess time will tell. So far I’ve been getting a lot of compliments.

Every part of the shoe is imported from Italy, 100%. The factory is run by 4th-generation Italian artisans who are basically professional painters. They hand-dye and hand-burnish every pair. Some do more burnishing around the broguing (the pattern of punctured dots) and others less, which means your pair will be unique.

Matching your belt and shoes is crucial, so I also bought a belt from them, and the belt matches my shoes perfectly. They also ship one-size belts, which means I got to be part of the crafting process. I measured and cut off the excess length, punched new holes for the buckle, and then reattached it.

There are two basic shoe-stitching styles. Most shoes use a goodyear, which has a corked bottom, and the stitches are visible on the side. Ace Marks uses the blake flex, which hides the stitching in a seam on the sole (which you can see in the pictures). This makes it look sleeker, more refined. This also adds to the flexibility and comfort, letting it bend more at the ball of the foot. It’s a small thing that adds a lot more comfort.

The Business Pitch

I first contacted Ace Marks in 2017, and back then they were a five-person team (bigger, though, now I suppose). I spoke with Julian, who said to me, “We believe luxury is for everybody.”

The company started with a Kickstarter. That means a group of customers bought the product before they were manufactured. This process gathered specific data on the necessary quantities of each style, color, and size, which let Ace Marks manufacture the exact number required without excess, and they still follow that model to an extent. This saves them warehousing expenses (which is why I had to wait so long to get mine—well worth it). And the direct-to-consumer model cuts out middle men. All these savings are then passed along to the customer. You’ll find shoes of the same quality from competing brands for twice or even three times as much.

They also have a buyback program. So for $50, they’ll buy back your used shoes. These go to a charity called Career Gear, designed to help people to rejoin the workforce. These are people who need dress shoes and will use them to fit into new roles.

Conclusion

Julian told me, “Don’t be fooled by our price.”

When he encounters doubters online, he dares them to give Ace Marks a shot, which, considering their easy return policy, is not even a gamble. He says once people try them, they end up coming back for multiple pairs.

The Ace Marks Wingtip Oxfords are some of the coolest shoes I’ve ever owned, and I’m already considering which style to try next.

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019

Waterfield COZMO Leather Laptop Bag Review — $369

I love this bag. It’s the sort of accoutrement you can be proud of. It’s goes well with a rugged style, but it’s handsome enough to carry into a board room.

I got Waterfield’s COZMO leather laptop bag as a gift for my brother who’s just starting his professional career. It’s a beauty, which I’ve tried to capture in the pictures. And while it’s an expensive item, it’s also a worthy investment. Because it’s sturdily built and has a classic look, I expect it to last for his entire career and beyond.

Why I Love Waterfield Designs

If you’ve read my backlog, you know I’ve reviewed a few products from Waterfield. They’re based out of San Francisco, CA, and their focus is on bags and carry tech. I keep coming back to them because they continually impress me. I’d feel pretty confident even endorsing items from them that I’ve never seen in person. That’s how reliable they’ve been.

If I had one critique, it’s that they have too many products, making it hard to sort through their offerings and decide. But that also means they probably have THE EXACT product you’re looking for. (As proof of this fact, with their sleevecases, they invite you to send your laptop dimensions so they can make a case that fits exactly! That’s impressive.) So whatever tech you want to carry, they’ve probably already designed a bag for it.

How It Looks

This is the perfect bag for a business exec. It’s beautiful but also super useful. I got the compact version, so that’s what you see featured in the pictures. It’s big enough for a 13″ MacBook, and it has a second spot for an 11″ iPad Pro. They make a bigger version too if you need it.

For most of their products, Waterfield uses waxed canvas or smooth nylon as textiles that supplement the leather. But this bag is uniquely (and beautifully) all leather. This makes it stand out in among its high-class peers.

I love the grizzly leather color. It’s subtly distressed and boasts a simple, rugged perfection, without being a showoff. Also, as with most quality leather products, I expect its texture to improve over time, developing that classic patina. That makes it a good investment. They also have a black version which is much more formal.

Also, the waterproof zipper hides the teeth of the zipper, making it look sleeker. It’s a nice touch aesthetically. It’ll also protect your gear if you’re ever in the rain.

What It’s Like Using It

I design software interfaces for work, which means paying attention to the smallest details of the user experience (UX). And I love a few specific features of the Cozmo’s UX that really stand out.

The first is the golden interior lining (Waterfield uses this on most of their products). It’s light and very reflective, which brightens the interior of your bag and makes it so easy to see things inside. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been grateful for this feature. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference in everyday use. It also has a padded compartment with a divider so it can hold both a laptop and a tablet.

The second way they nailed the UX is the travel strap. This extra strap across the back is designed to slip over the handle of your luggage, making it easy to tote through an airport. That makes the Cozmo the perfect carry-on, containing your electronics as you move through security. Now, to be perfectly candid, when I’m not traveling sometimes I wish I could ditch that extra flap of leather (obsessive minimalism), but it lays flat and I’ve learned to ignore it.

A third thoughtful feature is the piece of plastic in the bottom, which keeps the base firm and wide so that the bag stands up on its own.

The zipper extends even further than the breadth of the top of the bag, making the opening super wide and easy to access. It’s small things like this that make a big difference in the user experience, and it’s a big part of why I appreciate Waterfield Designs so much.

I’m also impressed by the tough construction. The handles are sturdy, thick, and feel great in your hand. I even tried carrying around my 50-lb kettlebell in it, and the bag barely seemed to notice. The walls aren’t reinforced, though, and I left it stuffed with junk for a few days. After that, the mouth of the bag hung open a lot more. So beware that your use will change the shape. If you’d like to keep it as tidy as a file cabinet, only store it with that sort of thing inside.

In Conclusion

If you’re on the fence, go watch the video they have about creating a Cozmo bag. It’s impressive. They start with a single piece of leather, which is then measured, cut, and sewn by hand. It’s quality craftsmanship. And the leather is truly beautiful.

Waterfield’s COSMO Leather Laptop Bag is a well designed bag. It’s handmade from the highest quality leather. It’s designed to carry your laptop, your tablet, and the rest of your business necessities. If you’re looking to invest in a bag that will go alongside you throughout your career, this is it.