many options, choose best
While typing away furiously at my favorite coffee haunt I caught the lovely brown of a messenger bag slide past my peripheral. Sure enough! This bag was purchased 15 years ago in Germany and has held up well to moderate use. It spent several years tucked away in a closet where it acquired a severe drywall stain but otherwise looks none the worse. All the zippers still work great, none of the stitching is frayed, and the leather is holding up well.
Enjoy!
For those wanting a substantially constructed and spacious briefcase, the Saddleback Leather Large Briefcase should be quite ideal. For those looking for spaciousness and lightness, certainly entertain other options. This is no lightweight bag for lightweights. Continue reading “Saddleback Leather Large Classic Briefcase Review $568.00 – $704.00”
If you had to have one bag for the rest of your life, what would you get? For most of us here, this is a near impossible question because there are so many great, quality leather makers out there, but after spending a month with my OliverGé Metropolitan 505, I can confidently say that this would be a major contender. Its sleek, minimalist design, impeccable quality, and impressive versatility make this bag a dream.
From the very beginning, I could tell that this bag was built to last, but that’s not to say it is over built. The exterior is made with just three pieces of full-grain vegetable tanned leather, the interior is lined with gorgeous calfskin, and everything is saddle stitched together by hand with durable polyester thread.
Everything is masterful done. The stitching is evenly spaced, the burnished and dyed edges are some of the best, and the lines of the bag are crisp and clean, but don’t take my word for it. Check out the master at work in the video below.
The 505 has everything you need and nothing you don’t. I can say that with confidence for several reasons. First, the base design will easily carry most everything that anyone would need on a day-to-day basis. I haven’t had any problems fitting various reference books, files, and magazines into the bag along with my computer. However, when packed with a day’s load, there is little room left.
Secondly, the 505 is customizable. Part of the beauty of buying a bespoke bag is getting it tailored to fit your personal needs. If you need a pocket to carry your pens or charger, you can add them. If you want a compartment that will snuggly hold your computer, Olivier, the owner and craftsman behind OliverGé, will gladly take the dimensions and make a pocket for it.
For me, I typically walk to work so I added a shoulder strap to mine and I got to say, it’s extremely comfortable. The strap is made of a sturdy canvas and has a nice thick shoulder pad that broke in nicely after about a week and a half. On top of that, the bag itself is quite light for what it is (about 3.5 pounds) so even if I have it packed full, it doesn’t feel like a ton of bricks. I also, got a separate slot for my computer, which fits tightly into the slot.
The only issue I have run into is that it has a hard time standing on its own. This is due to the fact that the front, bottom, and back of the bag are all made of the same piece causing the bottom to be round. It hasn’t really been a problem though, since I always can just lean it against my desk or lay on top of the desk to pull things out of it. This is a small issue, but nothing that would cause me to hesitate buying this bag.
This is one good looking bag. There are very few leather bags out there that can transition nicely between casual and business use, but in my opinion the Metropolitan 505 does this with ease. The minimalist style keep it from looking too much like an adventure bag, but also steers it away from the classic boardroom briefcase look. OliverGé has created a daily wearing bag that stands out among the rest with a unique look. It maintains the classical briefcase look while adding a bit of personal flare through the belt strap.
Typically I prefer not to have belts flopping around on my bags, but having one as the central strap really adds charm and makes this bag a winner in my mind. Not only does it function just as well as any lock or sewn on buckle found on traditional briefcases, but it breaks up the monochromatic, formal style without overdoing it. Of course if you want a single color throughout, you can get that too.
Once again, OliverGé bags are bespoke, giving you tons of options to fit your needs; including the way you want the bag to look. Olivier hand selects all of his leather from some of the best tanneries in Europe and then dyes and finishes them himself. You can request different waxing and oiling if you want it to be more rugged or glossy. You can even ask to get it “aged” where the bag will have a nice patina right from the start.
The Metropolitan 505 is truly a versatile and great looking bag. If I were to only have one bag from here on out, this would be it. I can use it when traveling to carry a few books and a computer without adding to much weight or looking like I belong in a law firm and I can take it into a business presentation without looking like I belong on an expedition. It simply fits its surroundings perfectly without losing any functionality or durability.
The big question is whether or not the Metropolitan 505 is worth its price tag. I can tell you with confidence, yes. This is an expensive bag, no doubt, but it is handmade exactly to your specifications by a true master craftsman who uses some of the best leather around. When I requested a shoulder strap, Olivier asked for my dimensions so that the strap would fit me perfectly and it does. Having a bag that has everything that you want in the color and style that you like and that is made to fit you is true luxury. Pair that with the lifetime guarantee and I would almost say that this is a value.
If you are in the market for a briefcase, but want to be able to use it outside of work, I would highly recommend OliverGé. Getting a bespoke bag is a rare experience, but it is a lot of fun and at the end of it all, you receive a bag designed for you and your lifestyle that will last you a lifetime.
Check out this bag and other great gear from OliverGé at oliverge-leather.com!
Inspiration fuels innovation. For Satchel & Page, inspiration from leather bags made decades ago inspired Daniel Ralsky, founder of Satchel & Page to start creating high quality bags that you’ll be able to pass on to future generations. The main catalyst for Daniel was a leather map carried by his grandfather during WWII. Taking that, along with several other classic bag designs that were popularized by the Greatest Generation, Satchel & Page is carving out a well-respected niche for themselves in the leather products industry. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been using and carry the Satchel & Page Mailbag. It’s an iconic design and their rendition of it is excellent.
Based in Austin, Texas Satchel & Page is dedicated to producing handmade, high quality leather products for you to enjoy and pass on to the next generation. Initially they started out with a few iconic bag designs: the Mailbag, Map Case, Gladstone, Briefcase, and Pilot’s Bag. Now they’re expanding their product line with new bags, small goods, and a collection of fantastic jackets too. In fact, we were privileged to review one of their prototype jackets, which you can read about here. And, we just recently received one of their Café Racer jackets, which will be reviewed shortly.
Satchel & Page doesn’t cut corners on quality. The Mailbag is constructed of 6-8 oz., rich brown, full-grain vegetable tanned leather. Hot stuffed with a blend of oils and waxes for a unique, rugged look. As they say on their website, it is “custom made by the tannery for us and you”. It’s also made with hand-hammered copper rivets, antique brass hardware, and sewn together with heavy duty, polyester thread.
If you’re interested (and you should be, because it’s an interesting article to read) check out Daniel’s article, “What Does Handmade Really Mean?” In it, he offers great details that you should find helpful and useful when considering a leather product purchase…and, it gives you some great insight into how Satchel & Page creates their products.
The Mailbag is an easy one to carry. It’s large and capable of transporting a lot of gear. But, it’s not a cumbersome bag. It’s 16” wide, 12” tall, and about 5” thick and weighs about 4 pounds empty. Its lines and style are directly drawn from the US Postal Service Mail Carrier Bag that was so popular during most of the 1900’s.
The exterior is simple – one slot pocket on the back of the bag. When flying, I use that pocket for my iPad and notebook. The bag is closed using one strap/buckle closure on the front. The adjustable shoulder strap features a thick, comfortable pad and is adjustable to 55 inches, which should accommodate cross body carry for many people.
The interior is a real treat. It contains a separate compartment for up to a 15” laptop. You can secure your laptop in that section with a single flap and stud closure. Inside you’ll find several pockets of various sizes, pen loops, and a key clip. The bag is unlined and spacious. I have packed it up with my laptop, iPad, camera, and two lenses with ease.
As with most bags that use this design, there are some “flap gaps” that occur between the bag’s main flap and the sidewalls. If you’re carrying the bag from the shoulder straps, it will kind of seal itself up and now allow rain or snow to cause problems. But, if you carry the bag from the small handle, the gaps can be large enough to allow a decent enough amount of rain or snow to enter the bag…but, that’s only if you like to leisurely stroll in pouring rain or blizzards. If you’re moving with haste in those bad weather conditions, it’s a non-factor.
The copper rivets and antique brass hardware look great with the dark, rustic brown color of the leather. Details inspired from the original mailbag like the pleated leather front panel, and the riveted side panels help to give the bag a nostalgic, vintage appearance. The vegetable tanned leather will patina with use and age making this bag look even better years from now.
The Satchel & Page logo is tastefully placed on the back of the bag, which I appreciate so that it doesn’t interfere with the vintage, nostalgic presentation of the bag. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that this bag garners lots of looks, questions, and comments on its beauty. I’ve carried it on two separate trips to California and it’s been to numerous meetings and coffeehouses. I enjoy carrying this bag.
I may have said this before, but my favorite bag of all is a 1940 Swiss Army Packsaddle Bag. One of the main reasons I like it is because of the stories it contains and the history it has. I think the same of the Satchel & Page Mailbag. Even though it’s a new bag, it hearkens back to days gone by with its styling and looks. Since it’s based on such a storied, old design, I think that alone has great appeal. But, when you couple that with high quality leather, expert craftsmanship, and a lifetime warranty, you have a bag that definitely qualifies as a Buy It for Life product.
**Be sure to look for the Satchel & Page Mailbag Giveaway coming up too. That will be in featured in a separate article**
There are those occasions when you need a big bag – a really big bag. Now, you could certainly just go out and buy a nylon or cotton behemoth, which will easily get the job done. But, what if you plan on carrying this big bag for a long time and want to do it in style? Well, you stumble onto the vast array of leather bags. And, when you do you find that there are a myriad of bag makers and bags that come in every size, shape, and style. But, if you’re looking for a large briefcase, it narrows the options down quickly. One of those large briefcase/messenger bag manufacturers is LederMann.
Since 2002 LederMann has been making high quality products using full grain leather, old world craftsmanship, and strict quality control. The result are bags, briefcases, travel bags, and backpacks designed to be durable, serve you well, and stand the test of time.
The LederMann Extra Large 18” Vintage Chestnut Belting Leather Briefcase is a beast – both in name and stature. It definitely lives up to its ‘extra large’ name. The body of this chestnut colored bag (also available in black) is made from 4-5 oz. full grain leather while the flaps and shoulder strap are 7-8 oz. in thickness. There are a lot of big pieces of leather sewn up in this bag. The precision stitching is comprised of heavy duty nylon thread while the interior of the bag is swathed in suede. Hardware is all brass and the stress points are reinforced with machine pressed heavy duty rivets.
Everything about this bag is big. And, if you’re looking for a big that then you’ll be happy about that for sure. Spacious is the most accurate description of this bag, which is 18″W X 13″H X 7″D and has two inner compartments measured at 3.5″ each compartment. It affords plenty of room for a laptop (or two) of any size, your Xbox, games, and controllers (know this one by experience from my son), books, accessories, and clothes.
There is a large slip pocket that runs the length of the back, suitable for a newspaper, magazine, or notepad (even a legal sized pad). The handle is thick and sturdy. The shoulder strap is wide and easy to adjust. It features two large, well-padded shoulder pads which is excellent for carrying heavy loads in traditional briefcase form or in backpack form.
That’s right – this thing converts into a backpack using a traditional three point connection system. The strap easily comes apart and allows quick transition into shoulder straps. Again, the shoulder pads work very well in this arrangement. As an 18” bag, when loaded having the ability to carry this bag in backpack mode is a very nice feature.
If you are looking for a bag to carry a fully equipped office with you – this is it. Need a bag to carry your basic office needs and your needs for a night or two? This is it. It’s big, but it’s versatile.
It will test you though. Empty this bag weighs in at around approximately 8 pounds. When you load it up, it’s going to require some effort to transport it. But, its size also lends itself to staying in proportion with people of larger stature too. At 6’5” tall, this bag fits my middle son and me well. As a backpack or a messenger it doesn’t look out of place. As a combination office and overnight bag, it’s ideal because it will easily accommodate our larger clothes.
The classic lines of this bag make it very attractive. The gussets, fine leather, heavy duty hardware all combine to create an elegant, classic look. It’s just bigger than most of the other bags in this style that you’ve seen in the past.
The leather has a high gloss, waxy finish to it and looks very attractive. It certainly garners attention when you set it down at a meeting. It can’t help but be noticed.
I recently read an article about a gentleman who spent one year traveling the world with everything he needed safely tucked into a 26 liter backpack. If you’re thinking of doing the same thing, this backpack is slightly larger than that and fully capable of serving you in the same capacity…and it will look much better than a nylon bag! I look forward to seeing how this bag ages and performs as time goes on. It was a little rigid right out of the box, but with limited use over the past six weeks or so it has already softened up. It’s a well made bag and should withstand the rigors of daily use without issue for decades. The $445 price tag for the LederMann Extra Large 18” Vintage Chestnut Belting Leather Briefcase is substantial – but so is the bag. And, it’s a multipurpose bag that you’ll be able to use and enjoy the rest of your life.
Marlondo Leather is back in action after a surprising hiatus. Some of you may already know that as a result of our review of his smartphone wallet back in August. This time around we’re reviewing one of Ma’s classic briefcases – the 15” Single Space Briefcase.
Ma Londo, founder of Marlondo Leather, made quite a splash when he entered into the leather bag world. He quickly garnered some good press, rave reviews of his creations and then, he was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, he is back and appears to be going strong with an updated website full of wonderful leathery goodness.
In non-typical form, Marlondo’s products are made in China…but with leather that is purchased and imported from the United States. In Ma’s own words, “Our bags are made to be used without worry. There are no cheap, breakable parts, no big, ugly logos, just products that will be loyal to you your whole life.”
I know it’s cliché to say, “it’s built like a tank” – but, the Marlondo Leather 16” Single Space Briefcase is built like a tank. Really. It ranks right up there with Saddleback and Thrux Lawrence as far as being über heavy duty in its construction. Thick, 100% full grain leather, heavy duty stitching, pigskin lining, solid brass nickel-plated heavy-duty hardware, and rivets…everywhere (40+ of those lil buggers).
For those of you who are, well…more “seasoned” in life (ahem, older) you might remember the American Tourister commercials with the suitcase being thrown around by a gorilla. Remember how it attempted to beat the snot out of it to no avail? I imagine this briefcase could easily withstand that same type of abuse. It’s solid, it’s heavy, it’s thick, and seemingly will last eons.
As its name alludes, this briefcase only contains one main pocket in it. It’s spacious though and will easily transport a 15” laptop and any accessories you wish to carry. It does have one internal slot (a MacBook Air, iPad, or other thin device can slip into it easily), and on the side it features a couple of penholders and a key strap. Outside, it features a magazine/newspaper slot on the back, an open pocket on one side that’s suitable for a water bottle, while the other side has a pocket that is secured via a buckle and belt set up.
The other nice feature of this bag is that it has attachment d-rings all over it. There are plenty of aftermarket straps and accessories that will easily clip on to this bag allowing you to add on and customize it to your liking. And, you can reconfigure the hefty shoulder strap so that the bag may be carried as a backpack. The strap does include two soft, cushy strap pads making this an even more appealing method of carrying the bag.
Aesthetically, it’s very pleasing. The nice dark brown leather is already aging well at this point and is garnering a nice patina. Currently my middle son is carrying this bag in college over in Montana. So, it is seeing daily usage. He has grown very fond of the bag and says it gets lots of compliments from friends, other students, and professors alike. Personally, I think the Marlondo Leather 16” Single Space Briefcase is an ideal every day carry bag. It sports enough capacity to carry whatever is needed and it does so in style. It doesn’t feature a unique design – but personifies the classic leather briefcase style really well.
In addition to the comfortable shoulder strap pads, it also features a thickly-padded handle. One thing to note – with a classic briefcase in this style (from virtually any leather company), you must completely close the main compartment’s flap via both buckles if you wish to carry the bag by the handle. It’s not a big deal – just something that needs to be pointed out about the basic functionality of this classically styled briefcase. If you prefer to keep the straps unsecured, you just need to plan on carrying it by the shoulder strap only.
Marlondo Leather’s 16” Single Space Briefcase is a solid performer. It truly is built like a tank and will take virtually any abuse you can shell out while still maintaining great looks. It’s fairly priced at $380 given its time-tested design and use of high quality materials. This briefcase is also available in a 14” version should you desire a slightly smaller version. Marlondo Leather looks to be back for good this time, so purchase with confidence and enjoy your leather.
Did you know you can buy leather bags that are up to 100+ years old? It’s true. The Swiss Army used leather bags on their army pack horses, particularly the Freiberger breed which were known for their endurance. The horses and mules lightened the load for soldiers and allowed them to cover much more ground in strong fighting condition.
While soldiers were never relieved of carrying their own personal fighting equipment, the horses carried the more substantial armament, such as extra ammunition, mortars, and light artillery.
These bags were well made to endure the demanding circumstances of heavy loads in wartime and often used over and over as Swiss citizens served their time and returned their issued military equipment. Hence they often served for decades and acquire a beautiful patina.
The Swiss Army uses a conditioner called FIX which stays in the leather for a very long time and frequently all the bags need is a good cleaning to rid it of mold and dirt.
Now, in these more sophisticated times, pack animals are much more rare in the military. Consequently the bag market sees vintage Swiss Army bags for sale. Here are some of the types of vintage swiss army bags in repair and original unrepaired condition, courtesy of Men A Werro from Leatherwerk, who is an excellent source for purchasing an original swiss army bag. Here are a selection of swiss army bags you can find.
As you browse through the selection of photos spend a moment to contemplate how old and how much abuse these leather bags have endured. Can you imagine a messenger bag from Target doing the same thing?
Here is mine, made in 1945. As I told you before, they were used by the pack train and attached with chains on the packsaddle. These come with chains but no strap so I custom made a strap from either Swiss Army rifle slings of the same age or leather straps that who knows what they were used for. I make optional straps or there is the desirable horse bit handle. Sometimes folks want a coin concho on the hinged flap. Oldest one I had in my hands was stamped 1918 I think, youngest one 1945.
It has a thick rear wall and thick leather hinged lid. Around 70 years old and tons of real patina that shows up only after many many moons of hard use!
Size is about 16″ x 12″ x 3 1/2″. It can carry bulky stuff too that is deeper than 3.5″. The picture below shows mine today in the rain.
You can easily see the functionality of the medic bag. Required medical equipment is easily at hand without digging through things or having your bag fall closed while treating a wounded soldier. That would be a difficult problem to have while controlling bleeding.
I’m not exactly sure what these bags were used for. The officer’s bags were smaller so it is likely these were used by infantry, but for what purpose? Anyone know?
Fuses and explosives go in here. This has got to be one of the coolest bags.
The horses had packsaddles designed specifically for carrying their veterinarian equipment. Some of these leather packsaddles are from 1895!
Earlier versions of the Packsaddle bag were put over the horses neck. Earliest one I had between my fingers was made 1895, latest one 1917. 2 versions as far as I know. The earlier once were a bit larger and slightly more boxy looking.