The name Amia in French means “beloved.” Conestoga Leather bestowed this name upon their Leather Amia Tote because they hope it will become your favorite bag. Beloved. Let’s see if it lives up to the name.

About Conestoga Leather

Maryland-based Conestoga Leather features craftsmanship by the Amish community nestled in the Maryland area and the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Their handmade product line, which includes folios, bags, and valet trays, has a heavy focus on functionality and design. Their main focus is on luxury portfolios, one of which we recently reviewed–  “The Professional” Folio.

From their website: “Our goal is to offer quality, American made products that are handcrafted by artisans. We desire to be fairly priced but realize that we do not have the advantages of large companies who build items by the tens of thousands. Our products are often crafted one at a time.“

The Leather

Conestoga Leather exclusively uses North American bison hides that are tanned in the U.S. The Amia Tote is made of thick full grain bison hide, inside and out. The leather is both durable and beautiful. Bison hide always has that distinct rustic grain that separates it from cowhide, so you can immediately tell that this tote isn’t your everyday cow leather bag.

The bag comes in five color options – Mocha, Ocean Blue, Peanut, Red Rock Canyon, and Saddle. My Amia Tote is “Peanut” colored, a pleasant nutty brown that complements the bison leather grain well.

Construction & Function

The Amia Tote is pretty simply constructed, with two sturdy copper rivets attaching each end of the long tote handles, which have about a 12″ drop length. This gives the tote nice long straps that allow you to carry it over your shoulders comfortably. The copper rivets create a metallic pop that adds visual interest to the bag.

At 12″ x 10″ x 4″ the bag is on the smaller side. It comfortably fits everything you would fit in a standard purse, but don’t expect to fit anything much bigger than an iPad in there. There are leather slot pockets on both sides of the bag, which are about 5″ deep and run across the width of the tote. These are sturdy and good for collecting the little items you don’t want rolling around the bottom of your tote.

The top of the bag is closed with a nice strong magnetic clasp, which effectively holds the thick leather together.

Aesthetic

The Amia tote is beautiful. The quality of the bison leather is very high. It’s one of those bags that you like to touch and feel. It’s sturdy thanks to the thickness of the leather. The deep grain comes through nicely in the peanut color I requested and received. It’s one of those bags that gets noticed right away too. So, be prepared for questions, comments, and “can I feel it?”…because it will happen.

Conclusion

The Conestoga Leather Amia Tote is a versatile bag that is quickly becoming “beloved.” If you’re looking for value, this is probably not the tote for you, as this is a luxury item handmade in the U.S. with top-notch materials. But, if you’ve got the money, the Amia tote won’t disappoint and will provide many, many years of great service.