Mr. Lentz Medium Duffel Bag Review – $440

I’ve been impressed by a leather wallet assembled with rivets, but how about a whole duffel bag? The Mr. Lentz Medium Duffel Bag is a beautiful, sturdy, threadless overnighter that I’m happy to recommend for a variety of uses.

About Mr. Lentz

Mr. Lentz is an artist, a creator, and a cowboy. He believes in the value of creating something with your hands and from the heart. Each product is made to order. The leather and metal only products are a trademark of the company. In Mr. Lentz’ own words: “You just can’t beat that mixture.” Mr. Lentz also enjoys sharing his talents on his blog, encouraging others to get out and go back to the classic ways of doing things. Overall he’s a guy who puts a lot of passion into his work, and I definitely suggest dropping by his about page to read more.

All Mr. Lentz items have the Lentz brand and a product number.

Leather & Construction

Let’s talk about the two things in Mr. Lentz’ favorite mixture: leather and metal.

First, leather. Premium, full-grain, USA sourced leather makes up this duffel. It is as strong as it is pretty. It smells amazing. This is just plain, simple, quality leather. My favorite kind. Thickness is good for plenty of durability without overly weighing you down, based on the size of the bag. Edges are cut cleanly and smooth.

Next, metal. There’s a lot of durable thread out there, but none has the longevity of metal. If a well made leather item does need repair, it’s usually because the thread has worn out. Mr. Lentz avoids it entirely here. It only takes a few rivets to replace an entire row of thread. It would be challenging to make a direct comparison between the two options as to which has more pull strength, but in my experience the rivets hold up very well. It’s a unique concept and I’m a fan.

Function

This is the first bag that I’ve used around this size. It’s not as large as what I’d usually think of when I think of a “duffel.” This is a true overnighter; there’s just enough room for a change of clothes and a few other small items. I’ve also tried it as a basic computer or camera bag. My 13″ MacBook Pro fits, but only at an angle. A tablet computer would be a better choice for this bag. My small mirrorless camera fit with plenty of room–this would be an awesome camera bag with the help of a camera packing cube. I haven’t tested this myself, but I also suspect it could work well as a tool bag. It’s a really good size for a variety of day-outing or overnight applications.

A carry sample: small dopp, jeans, belt, paperback, socks, two t-shirts, wallet, charger, earbuds.

One of my first thoughts when I realized this bag was assembled solely with rivets was, what about small items? Couldn’t something like a pen slip through the gaps between rivets? So I tested this out. I was able to force a pen through the spaces between rivets, but it took a reasonable amount of effort. Only items much smaller than a pen would face any risk of falling out on their own. Everything larger will be well secured under the side panels, which can be secured with snaps, and the cover flap, held down with two buckles. The duffel isn’t waterproofed, though good conditioner can help prevent water damage.

Nothing bigger than a button will make it through gaps between rivets.

Aesthetic

The Mr. Lentz duffel uses strong, simple design to stand out. The appearance is clean and sophisticated, but simultaneously very rugged. The brass buckles and rivets are polished and lend themselves well to exhibiting sturdiness.

This duffel is a beautiful palette of natural tan colored leather. I personally think most leather products are at their best without dye, and I love the appearance of this bag. I’ve heard criticism of natural colored leather about it being too plain or lacking character, but that’s just nonsense. The individual markings and grain patterns from the cow are highly visible, ensuring you’re buying a one-of-a-kind product. Over time as this bag is used, treated with conditioner, and exposed to the sun it will continue to develop a beautiful patina. This patina will make it even more uniquely your own. This bag is beautiful now and will be more beautiful in the future.

Some of the natural, unique leather markings on my duffel.

Conclusion

I just love using products that focus on everything important and nothing that isn’t. The Mr. Lentz Medium Duffel Bag is a great example of this philosophy. Strong, beautiful leather skillfully (and cleverly) assembled into a highly functional design. This multi-purpose bag is going to treat you well for a lifetime–Mr. Lentz guarantees it with his 100 Year Guarantee. The price isn’t low, but you’re getting what you pay for. I recommend this duffel as a Bestleather Buy It For Life item.

Optional internal storage (+$80) provides a place for keys, wallet, etc.

Mr. Lentz Leather Wallets Review – $60/$64

Almost every wallet we see is made of two things: leather and thread. Today we’re reviewing a wallet that breaks this mold. Instead of thread, Mr. Lentz’ wallets are held together only with rivets! It’s a unique idea that ends up working really well. These wallets have a strong look and versatile function.

About Mr. Lentz

Mr. Lentz is an artist, a creator, and a cowboy. He believes in the value of creating something with your hands and from the heart. Each product is made to order. The leather and metal only products are a trademark of the company. In Mr. Lentz’ own words: “You just can’t beat that mixture.” Mr. Lentz also enjoys sharing his talents on his blog, encouraging others to get out and go back to the classic ways of doing things. Overall he’s a guy who puts a lot of passion into his work, and I definitely suggest dropping by his about page to read more.

Personal touch: each product is stamped with its own unique serial number.

Leather & Construction

All Mr. Lentz products are made with premium, US-sourced full-grain leather, which is exactly what we like to see. Rivets are made of solid brass. No issues with the materials whatsoever.

Construction is also superb. There’s actually a lot more attention to detail in these products than is easily visible. I think this may be intentional, actually. These products maintain a certain ‘raw’ look to them, but in reality are meticulously cut, edged, dyed, oiled, and waxed. Each step is done by hand. Products comes with a small tin of Mr. Lentz’ own conditioner for at home treatment. These are simple wallets, but don’t let that make you think they aren’t carefully put together by a highly skilled artisan.

Function

Here I have both the Mr. Lentz Slim Leather Wallet and the Mens Leather Wallet Plus. Both have a card pocket with a quick access slot on each side. The Plus also has another layer in the back for holding bills.

The Leather Wallet Plus has a dedicated pocket in the back for holding cash, receipts, etc.

One thing I really like about these wallets is the versatility. Mr. Lentz designs his products to be minimalist, but a heavy carrier will be perfectly happy too. When I end up with more cards or cash than usual, the open, oversized pockets can hold it all. But when I only have my slimmer daily carry, things are still nicely kept in place. In either configuration my favorite cards are brought to the top with the quick access card slots. It may seem like it would be easier for cards to fall out, since the pockets are open on two sides, but I haven’t had any issues.

Thin, sturdy leather and no bill pocket keep the Slim wallet front pocket worthy, but it can hold as much as you need.

Aesthetic

I mentioned already that these wallets maintain a somewhat ‘raw’ leather look. Rivets enhance this with a masculine, tough feel. However, that doesn’t mean they look unfinished. I have a certain soft spot for these types of products, the ones that are both refined yet true to the wild they came from. These will fit in anywhere.

The best part of good leather is that it just gets better with time. Since I had the privilege of experiencing both the Slim and Plus wallets in Mr. Lentz’ ‘Western Brown’ and ‘Sun Tanned Natural’ colors, I thought this would be a really good chance to show a few attributes of leather, its variation, and color over time:

First, a color comparison. Sun Tanned Natural (left) and Western Brown (right). Both at near-new color.
Next, the natural variation in leather. Both of these wallets are the Sun Tanned Natural color (without patina), but you can see that they aren’t identical–just like no two cows are identical.
Finally, patina. Both of these wallets are the Western Brown color, but I’ve used the Slim (left) much more. A beautiful, textured patina has developed.

Here at BestLeather we get asked about patina development on products with some regularity. Mr. Lentz’ wallets display this nicely. Leather can by dyed, but because it comes from unique animals it will always have some variation and develop in different ways based on how it’s used.

Conclusion

I’m happy to recommend both of these Mr. Lentz wallets as Buy It For Life items. They seem very simple, but truthfully are skillfully constructed and function at a high level. They’re slim enough for a front pocket but have no problems holding as much as needed. The unique rivet construction makes for a strong wallet that stands out. Swing by Mr. Lentz’ shop to see more of his items. There are an impressive number of unique wallets to suit just about any need. Look forward to a review of one of his duffles in the coming weeks, as well!

Mr. Lentz Traditional Minimal Leather Wallet Review – $64

“Under Pressure” – The classic Queen song should be the theme song for all wallets. Think about it. A wallet spends 98% of its time in your back pocket, squished by your butt…under pressure. So, with all of that pressure its under, you better be sure it’s a well built wallet. Let me introduce you to the Minimal Leather Wallet from Mr. Lentz. Continue reading “Mr. Lentz Traditional Minimal Leather Wallet Review – $64”