ColsenKeane No. 1214 – Standard Portfolio Case Review – $195

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I was helping my brother in law clean out his home office last spring, and amidst the countless obsolete software manuals he must have had a dozen laptop cases. From black nylon zippered pouches to cheap, thin promo ones stamped with corporate logos from trade shows. It really got me to thinking the amount of money people spend on these cases over a lifetime and how buying one very good one can not only save you money, but provide for years of service. Enter ColsenKeane No. 1214 – Standard Portfolio Case.

Construction

The ColsenKeane No. 1214 Standard Portfolio is made of American sourced Full Grain Chrome Tanned Cowhide with Solid Brass straps. A general role of engineering is that less moveable parts equates to better durability.

The No.1214 executes that with one thick full sheet of leather – That’s right, no stitching to come apart on this case at all. 2 Heavy duty brass rivet buttons keep the case flap secure. Measures 13”x9”x1” and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. 

Function

The life of a portfolio sleeve is a simple one. However, it’s only limited in use by your imagination. You can load it with papers, slim electronics and even books. I like to use it to segregate the contents in my bag. It snugly fits my 13” Thinkpad (As well as 13” MacBook Pro and iPad Pro)

While it will prevent surface scuffs, this case provides little impact protection. The buttons have a strong snap and are very secure. The interior leather is soft and won’t scratch delicate electronic surfaces. 

Aesthetic 

The No. 1214 looks good, plain and simple. It’s not pretentious, yet doesn’t go unnoticed. When you take a material as timeless as leather and expertly craft a sleek case with no unnecessary zippers, handles, etc – you’re left with a dry good that will only get better with age. And unlike laptops, this case can serve for years and years. 

Conclusion 

The ColsenKeane No. 1214 – Standard Portfolio Case is  great looking and built like a tank. It will faithfully serve your laptop and your laptop’s laptop for years to come. At almost $200 dollars, about what it would cost to put a down payment on a Kia, it might not be within everyone’s budget. However, look in your closet at how many laptop sleeves you’ve got and tally the costs per unit. This case will be your favorite and not likely replaced, as they say – Buy the best and only cry once.