Man, this is a dang good-looking bag.

It’s the Moore and Giles Benedict Weekend Bag. I’ve owned it for about four weeks now. It has accompanied me on a 4-day and a 5-day trip. So far I’m loving it.

The leather itself has such a cool feel—soft, yet textured. The bag’s design scores high marks for style. It’s also spacious and durable. This is certainly one of the most impressive leather products I’ve seen in a while.

Moore and Giles was founded in 1933 during the heart of the Great Depression. They’re headquartered at Forest, Virginia. They’ve posted some impressive videos on their site that show the leathermaking process and give you a good idea of their concern for quality.

On their site, they list kindness among their key values. Maybe it’s the Buddhist in me, but that goes a long way in my book.

They’re also environmentally conscious. They point out that hides are a byproduct of food sources, so they take what would essentially be a waste product and transform it into luxury bags and other leather goods. It’s a pretty cool take on sustainability.

The Benedict Weekend Bag is constructed from nubuck leather.

Nubuck is an older word that likely comes from “new buck(skin).” Craftsmen create this type of top-grain leather by sanding off the upper (outside) hair-cell layer of the hide. This leaves a luxurious nap of short protein fibers with a soft, velvet-like surface (similar to suede). This buffing smooths out blemishes and makes the leather more capable of absorbing dyes and finishes, which provides for more consistent color across the surface. Because it’s not a full-grain leather, that means some of the scratches and uniqueness of the original hide can be lost, but I found my Benedict to still have tons of character, which you’ll see in the pictures.

The nubuck process is similar to but generally more expensive than crafting suede. It results in a product that’s thicker, stronger, and more resistant to wear, yet still soft to the touch. It can also mean the product is not as resistant to scratches, but I haven’t had any problems with my Benedict bag, no more than other leather products I own.

I upgraded to the Benedict wanting something for longer trips, and it more than met my needs. I packed for a 5-day business trip (including 3 pairs of shoes), and everything fit nicely. It’s big. It also has clasps on each end which you can release to give yourself more room. Then when you clip them back down, the bag becomes the perfect size for shorter trips. I love this adjustability.

The handles are thick and sturdy and feel like they could heft a weight set inside. The shoulder strap is hearty too, and it’s layered for comfort when carrying a heavy load.

The interior walls are lined with pockets in a variety of sizes. I’ve found other bags with pockets that are too big to be useful, but these are just right. I put my toiletries and other accoutrements in them for quick access. It also comes with a gift bag, a drawstring you can put the Benedict inside, which I think makes the perfect travel laundry bag.

The bottom of the bag has a stiff footing that gives some stability to whatever you pack in it. When you lug the bag by the handles, this footing keeps it from flopping and bending so much, which means it’s easier to carry. This also adds to the aesthetic—the Benedict always looks its best.

I haven’t had any troubles keeping mine clean. If yours does need cleaning, Moore and Giles recommends using mild soap and water with a cotton cloth. But it’s recommended to just let stains work themselves out with use.

Aesthetic

As far as style goes, this bag is versatile enough to fit with boots and jeans or a business jacket.

The interior is lined with an interesting textile. I suspect it’s a synthetic fabric, maybe vinyl. If so, it should be water and stain resistant and durable against wear (though I haven’t purposefully stained it). It feels papery, is somewhat stiff, and makes a ruffling sound when you move it. It adds body and structure to the bag, so when you pull it open it stays open, and when it’s empty it still stands upright. This makes packing a breeze—it’s easy to access and work with. This also makes it a great container for holding your stuff once you arrive—and not just in transit.

The leather has distinct lines running through it. These vary in size and direction, giving the bag a crude and natural feel. It also means that your bag will have a unique fingerprint.

I ordered the Nubuck Bison Chocolate variation, but Moore and Giles has a variety of colors and finishes. (To find them, just type “Benedict” into the search bar on their site.)

Accessories Case

I also got a Moore and Giles Accessories Case which runs at $180. When it’s in your hand, you get a strong sense of its quality workmanship. Like the bag, it’s made with American bison nubuck leather. It is soft to the touch on the outside. The inside is lined with a plush wool, ideal for protecting whatever valuables you want safe from scratches (a watch, for example). For you fishers out there, the wool also makes an ideal surface for hooking barbless flies into. I’m sure there are a variety of other uses you could find for this case too.

The Moore and Giles Benedict Weekend Bag is a fashionable leather piece. The craftsmanship is astounding. Its hardy structure means it’ll outlast competing bags. And its elegant design will draw compliments.

It’s an investment with a high price point, but, especially for a person who travels to earn, it promises a high-value return. I, personally, have been super impressed.

Moore & Giles is a leather manufacturer based in Forest, Virginia.  They produce fine leather for the high-end hospitality industry, high-end furniture industry, and the commercial and residential interior design market.  They have been producing leather since 1933 and have established relationships with many retailers across the United States and select international countries.

(We recently posted a video produced by Moore & Giles showing how their leather is made.  It is a fantastic video and is worth re-posting here.)

With its prime business in producing excellent leather for several industries, it was just a matter of time before Moore & Giles began manufacturing their own leather bags and goods.  One interesting aspect of all of Moore & Giles leather goods is that each product is named after someone from the company.  With names like the Donald, Benedict, Graeme and Taylor, it makes one want to apply for a job with the hopes of some fine luxury good sharing your name.  With a line of high-end wallets, handbags, briefcases, dopp kits and other goods, Moore & Giles is making a name for itself in the high-end leather goods business as well.

We recently had the opportunity of reviewing the Brennan Rucksack from Moore & Giles.  Rucksacks are of German origin and are essentially a smaller version of a backpack, meant to be worn over your shoulder.  Similarly, the Brennan Rucksack has a single strap for that purpose, or a handle used for carrying with one hand.

FUNCTION

When discussing the Brennan Rucksack with Moore & Giles head designer, Thomas Brennan (the Rucksack’s namesake), he indicated that the Brennan is the go to bag for Moore & Giles’ President and Vice-President, and is used by half of the staff at their Italian Tannery.  With that type of adoption from the company’s own, there must be something special about this rucksack.  It really is pretty simple.  The rucksack is made to be compact, is durable and functional, and the leather is beautiful.

The rucksack has a single exterior zipper that stretches from one side, over the top, to the other side.  This zipper is a #5 Excella 2-way zipper by YKK.  The YKK Group is known to produce some of the finest zippers available.  Open the zipper completely and you have easy access to the entire contents of the bag.

The inside of the bag has a main compartment with a small pocket for your cell phone, as well as three pen sleeves.  It has a zipped pocket for various items, as well as a separate compartment, for a 13” laptop or an IPad, which is padded for support and protection.  My 13″ Macbook Air fit perfectly, but a larger 13″ laptop may be a very tight squeeze.  The rucksack also has an exterior pouch that can stash a magazine or folded over newspaper, perfect for easy access.

Part of the advantage of the rucksack could also be a drawback– the size.  It is meant to be a more compact version of a backpack, which it is.  That means you cannot stuff if with a lot of gear, and the largest laptop it fits is 13”.  If you need a lot of room for all your books or gear, or have a bigger computer, you would be better off with one of Moore & Giles’ messenger bags or briefcases.  The bag works well for me though.  I’m able to fit my Macbook Air, notebook cover from Saddleback Leather, journal, and other items without a problem.

LEATHER

With a huge variety of leather to choose from for this bag, Moore & Giles went with their Titan Milled leather.   A description from Moore & Giles website indicates that “these natural leathers are produced on the finest hides available, then processed with pure water straight from the Italian alps.  An innovative hot wax tannage technique highlights the natural tones and rich colors of this leather that will only be enhanced over time in both feel and appearance”.  Then, the leather undergoes a natural milling process which provides a worn, pebbled appearance.  At first, I thought the leather was embossed, but the milling process itself actually shrinks the hide and pulls out the pebbled appearance.  The result is impressive.  The bag has a supple feel, but feels very sturdy at the same time.

All of Moore & Giles leathers are either full grain or top-grain (top-grain leather is “corrected” in some way, usually sanded to eliminate imperfections, while full grain leather is not corrected).  The Brennan Rucksack is of the full grain variety, which has the tightest grain possible.  The vast majority of Moore & Giles leathers are around 1.2 mm thick (three ounces).  The Brennan is no exception, being made from three to three and a half ounce leather.  For leather novices, leather thickness is typically defined in ounces.  If a one square foot piece of leather weighs three ounces, then it is three ounce leather.  The thicker the leather is, the heavier the leather will be; therefore, thicker leather is always associated with a higher number of ounces.

The Titan Milled leather is both vegetable and chrome tanned, in a one hundred and fifty year old Italian tannery, with old world techniques.  The leather is folder over on most of the edges of the bag, which provides for a soft feel.  The zipper pull leather edges are actually burnished, which is a nice touch for such a small detail.  The leather is also “struck through,” which means it has been drum dyed until the dyes soak all of the way through the leather.  This is a time consuming process, requiring much more time than normal in the large dye drums, that only the finest leathers undergo.

LINING

The lining for the Brennan is a custom jacquard, which Moore & Giles has custom made for them in Italy.  A jacquard is an intricate weave, named after the French inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard, and allows for complex woven-in designs, such as the company’s logo.  The lining feels very durable and appears to be of the variety which allows for easy cleanup if you happen to drip your morning coffee into it while reaching for the paper.

THREAD AND HARDWARE

Moore & Giles uses cast zinc hardware for the three D rings on the bag, as well as for the strap clips.  They have an antique brass finish, which pairs well with the dark brown leather.

The Brennan is also sewn with dark brown, size 92 polyester thread.  Polyester thread is significantly stronger than cotton thread and much more so than even tough nylon.  It is the same type of thread used for making sails and parachutes.  It is the type of thread you want your bag to be held together by.

BESTLEATHER CONCLUSION

The Brennan Rucksack from Moore & Giles is crafted from leather that is durable and beautiful, and the bag is constructed very well.  It is produced by a company with a long history of producing some of the finest leathers and leather goods made.  It is a classy alternative to a backpack and a bag you would be proud of owning.