many options, choose best
CONGRATULATIONS to Jose C., the very lucky winner of the Satchel and Page Suitcase Giveaway!
BestLeather is pleased to be partnering with Satchel & Page once again to bring you another great giveaway. This time around, we’re offering you a chance to win one of their brand new designs – the Suitcase! Be sure to follow the steps and enter to win. And, be sure to check out our full review of this awesome bag.
Travel is a wonderful thing. I enjoy traveling immensely and fortunately, get to do quite a bit of it each year for work and play. As many know, airline travel within the United States has changed dramatically over the past few years. With the ingenious [cough] decision to charge passengers for checked luggage, many people have turned to carry on only bags. Due to that change, the choices in luggage have been pretty static – small rolling bags and duffels pretty much dominate the space.
Satchel & Page, in an effort to continue creating unique leather products that tap into old, classic, proven designs while incorporating modern amenities, has developed their Suitcase. I’ve had the privilege of using this bag recently on an extended trip to Florida and California.
BestLeather has reviewed several pieces from Satchel & Page, who is based in Austin, TX. You can read them here. When speaking with Daniel, one of the founders of Satchel & Page, this is what he told us about the new Suitcase:
“This is the headline bag of our new collection and it’s inspired by a suitcase my family still has that was used by my great grandparents when they immigrated to the US from Europe in the 1910s. That old suitcase is a family keepsake and we designed our new collection with that same character and longevity in mind. The other focus of the collection is on elegant design and functionality, which we feel is very well represented in this Suitcase.
We felt that the classic suitcase is a beautiful design that has been forgotten, basically because most suitcases don’t have the functionality and ease of use that we require nowadays. So we designed this suitcase from the ground up. The sides are reinforced so it holds its shape, but the front and back are soft which makes the bag comfortable to carry and air travel friendly. Our Suitcase also has a shoulder strap and converts to a backpack, which is super convenient for travel or daily commutes.”
The bag is made with 6 oz. vegetable tanned leather for the body of the bag, and 8-9 oz. leather for the handle and straps. The rivets are all solid copper. The heavy duty YKK zipper is a two-way design, allowing one entire side of the suitcase to open up. Inside the suitcase you’ll find an attractive tartan lining along with leather patches surrounding the zippered pockets and key clip. The Suitcase comes in deep brown, but they plan to offer black as a stretch goal in their current Kickstarter campaign.
If you’re already a Satchel & Page fan, you’re definitely going to like the Suitcase. It matches all of their other pieces with the same colored leather, hardware details, and stitching.
The overall appearance of the bag reminds me of suitcases you see when watching movies depicting the early 1900s or viewing photographs from the same era. The Satchel & Page Suitcase has a similar look to some that my grandparents still used throughout the 1930s through the 1950s. The biggest differences from those old leather clad suitcases are: the adjustable shoulder strap, the large zipper, the side handle, and the ability to configure this suitcase to be carried as a backpack.
The dark brown leather is luxurious in both look and feel. The hardware and stitching all match with it to create a piece of luggage that is instantly recognized as custom and special. At roughly 20″ wide x 15″ tall x 7.5″ thick, it easily complies with airline carry on rules while still offering plenty of room to haul your essentials. Upon opening the bag, you’re greeted by the great looking tartan lining and leather accents. Inside you’ll find two slot pockets along the bottom that stay closed with elastic – very reminiscent of old school suitcases with the right section having a small key clip too. You’ll also find a thick leather strap used to cinch and secure items into place within the suitcase. The inside of the main flap also contains two flat zippered pockets for storing various items.
My initial trip with the Satchel & Page Suitcase was a pretty lengthy one, but I thought it would be a fitting test of the bag. This trip involved leaving Spokane, heading to Florida to visit my middle son’s potential college of choice, spending a few days in various Disney parks with family, and then going on to a conference in Sacramento, California before heading home. All told, this trip was 11 days in length.
It took a bit of planning on what to pack and how to pack it, but this is what ended up making the cut:
I do use packing cubes when traveling to maximize my use of space. I used 4 cubes for this trip and it seemed to work out very well. Also, to give you some scale on the items packed – I’m not a small man. I am 6’5” and wear 3xlt shirts. A smaller, average sized person will definitely be able to pack more items into this bag without issue.
The Suitcase is an excellent carry on choice. I had zero issues in fitting this into the overhead bin on all of the flights for this trip. I also received comments upon boarding and exiting every one of my flights. This also occurred when picking up my rental car. The bag is definitely one of those unique pieces that people notice.
The only thing I found somewhat disappointing about the bag was the shoulder strap. The shoulder pad is a great size, but it is slippery. The bottom portion of the pad slipped off of my shoulder every time I attempted to carry it in this manner. Consequently, I ended up just carrying it from the top or side handle most of the time. Other times I slid the shoulder pad down to one end and carried it directly on my shoulder using just the strap. The strap is also not long enough for cross body carry (at least for me). The shoulder pad is a great size and looks nice; it just lacks the ability to have any grip. **UPDATE** The team at Satchel & Page is taking care of this issue in their production pieces by using a softer leather that is broken in so that the pad curves and better conforms to your shoulder when you carry the Suitcase. This should eliminate the slippage issue reported above.
At a price point of $650, the Satchel & Page Suitcase is expensive. It’s definitely an investment. But, it’s an investment that will last the rest of your life. In keeping with Satchel & Page’s dedication to quality, the bag is extremely well built, looks fantastic, and will serve regular or occasional travelers with panache and ease. It’s definitely a Buy It for Life item and comes highly recommended from me. If you act quickly, you can snag one for $495 and save some bucks during the Kickstarter.
If we have “one ring to rule them all” in The Lord of the Rings, surely we can have one belt? Personally, it would make wardrobe accessory choices much, much easier. The good news is that Satchel & Page is helping us out by launching the Belt and billing it as “Simply the highest quality belt. Guaranteed for life. A belt built to last forever. Leather, hardware, and width options for any occasion. Exceptional quality at every step of the process.”
We’ve had the privilege of working with Daniel and crew from Satchel & Page on several occasions now. We have reviewed their Bomber Jacket and Mailbag – both of which proved to be stellar pieces. And, we’ll be publishing a review of their Café Racer Jacket in the coming months too (along with some other yet to be announced pieces).
Based in Austin, TX Satchel & Page is dedicated to producing handmade, high quality leather products for you to enjoy and pass on to generations to come. They launched their business on Kickstarter with a few iconic bag designs: the Mailbag, Map Case, Gladstone, Briefcase, and Pilot’s Bag and have been expanding their product line with exciting designs – both new and well established.
Over the course of six months, Satchel & Page tested natural vegetable tanned hides from 4 different suppliers. For production, they chose hides originating from within the USA, which aged with the richest patina. And, they are only using the Bend portion of each hide for their belts to ensure consistency in thickness through and through. The Belt is comprised of 10-12 ounce full grain, vegetable tanned leather. They’re thick!
The hardware is military grade brass buckles and Chicago screws. Satchel & Page is using Chicago screws because unlike stitching, snap buttons, or rapid rivets to attach the buckle, Chicago screws will never break. And you can also unscrew them and easily swap out the buckle if you wish. In addition to the antique brass and silver matte finishes, they have developed two finishes that are hand aged by their team of craftsmen – Iron Rust and Copper Patina.
The Belt is available in four leather colors, two widths, and your choice of 4 hardware colors. So many choices and possibilities… The Belt we received for this initial review is a beautiful Mahogany color and features their Iron Rust hardware (buckle and Chicago screws). **Note: Prior to receiving the Belt, it received a light coat of conditioner and now has a richer, darker tone to it. You can see the difference when looking at the image of the same belt (with different hardware) supplied from Satchel & Page below.**
Due to short notice, we were only able to get a small version of the belt and consequently have not actually worn it (it’s too small for my no-petite-at-all-frame).
But, the Belt has made the rounds at home, in the office, and amongst several team members here at BestLeather. Everyone’s initial reaction and assessment has been overwhelmingly positive. “Thick leather”, “gorgeous hardware”, “I like the tapered tip of the belt”, “nice, robust belt keeper loop”, “subtle logo placement”, and more are the words I’ve heard spoken about the Belt.
I have no doubt that this belt will perform its role superbly and admirably all while looking fantastic. And, since it’s vegetable tanned leather, it will get better looking as it ages and is used.
The Belt from Satchel & Page is no doubt a Buy It for Life piece. The quality of the leather coupled with the superior hardware ensures that you’ll be using this belt for a long, long time. Their Kickstarter has about 8 days left on it. They’ve blown past their goal, which is no surprise. There are still plenty of rewards and incentives left and you can still get this belt at the Kickstarter price of just $62 (will be $95 post-Kickstarter). The best option? Spend $275 to get all four belts with all four hardware options. Then you’ll truly “rule” in the belt kingdom.
Satchel & Page, based in Austin, Texas, has quickly made a name for themselves in the leather world. After successfully funding two Kickstarter campaigns for their leather bags and belts, they recently launched a third campaign for their leather belts. We’ve reviewed several Satchel & Page products, including their Mailbag and Bomber Jacket, and found their products to be top-notch.
For $62, you will receive a leather belt that comes in four colors and four hardware finish options, detailed in the graphic below:
Here are some of the features of their belts, as listed on their Kickstarter:
1. Custom made for you. For any occasion. – With two width options (1.5 + 1.25), you are covered for casual wear with jeans, and formal/office wear with slacks. And with 4 leather and 4 hardware options, you can create a belt just how you want it. They all come with the same exceptional quality and lifetime guarantee.
2. The highest grade leather hides – 10 -12 oz. full-grain, vegetable tanned leather from only US origin cows. It’s simple: The best hides make the best belts. See below infographic.
3. Military grade brass hardware – We offer the standard antique brass and silver matte finishes, but we also wanted to offer some unique finishes that you can’t find anywhere else. So we developed our own process to hand antique finish the Iron Rust and Copper Patina hardware, which makes each one of these buckles just a little different.
This Kickstarter has blown past its original goal of $5,000 and reached its first stretch goal, which is a hand-stitched journal cover. They’re just a few hours away from meeting their second stretch goal, which would allow them to offer their belt in a Chestnut color. Be sure to keep an eye on Satchel & Page’s Kickstarter and for other updates we encourage you to like their Facebook page.
We’ll be in contact with you shortly Kevin to get your bag out asap. Thanks to all for entering…and be sure to check your email soon…Satchel & Page has a thank you email coming your way!
Satchel & Page Mailbag Giveaway!
Be sure to read the full review of the Satchel & Page Mailbag…and leave a comment too! We want to know what you think of this iconic bag. Thanks!
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**
To reach “iconic status” is an amazing thing. Cars, guns, motorcycles, and some people certainly make the list. But, what about fashion items? The Swatch? No. Shoulder pads? Certainly not. Leggings from the 1980s? Nope, even though they’re trying to make a comeback. But there is one fashion standout that we can all agree on that has been elevated to iconic status and that is the leather bomber jacket.
The inspiration for Satchel & Page stems from a WWII map case owned by Daniel’s grandfather. The fact that it’s over 70 years old and looks amazing made Daniel question why he couldn’t seem to find modern day pieces created with such dedication to longevity. Satchel & Page was formed and their designs are based on items created in the 1940s. They launched their business via Kickstarter with much success. Now, they’re looking to expand into making leather jackets and have returned to Kickstarter. And, not surprisingly, their campaign has resonated with many folks there and they’re more than fully funded.
The Satchel & Page Leather Bomber Jacket appears to be inspired the classic G-1 Leather Flight Jacket. This jacket was brought to use by the U.S. Navy in the 1930s, and standardized by the Navy in 1940 as the M-422A. In 1943 this jacket, named by the Army Air Forces and the Navy as the ANJ-3 (Army Navy Jacket 3), replaced the iconic Army Air Forces A-2 jacket, hence the name of ANJ-3 (vs. A-2). Over time the designation settled upon was G-1. One of the most modern day versions of the G-1 can be seen in the movie “Top Gun” with good ol’ Maverick sporting it in multiple scenes.
My first impressions upon receiving the prototype Satchel & Page Bomber jacket elicited several concise, descriptors: iconic, classic, substantial, and extremely well made. Here’s a quick rundown on the components of this jacket:
The jacket is expertly assembled and as mentioned, substantial. That weight is attributed to the high quality components – quality leather, thick shearling collar, nicely weighted liner, and heavy duty zipper.
*This is a prototype jacket and as such certain design elements and components of the jacket may change. According to Daniel at Satchel & Page, the mechanism of removing and attaching the shearling collar will be upgraded.
As this is a prototype, I’ve only had a short window of opportunity to gauge the functionality of the jacket. And, it’s size is limiting for this particular task too (the prototype is a slim medium size). However, I’ve had 3 different (small, thin) guys who benefit from such a slim build try this jacket on and all 3 have asked if they could keep the jacket.
The initial reaction when you hand the jacket to them is just as I described earlier…all 3 of them said, “wow – this thing feels amazing”. Then, they put it on and each, in their own way, told me I was going to have a hard time getting it back from them. They all agreed that it feels fantastic and fit well. The pockets were easy to access (top snap pockets and slip in side pockets). The interior pocket is a nice touch for cell phones, wallets, or other small accessory storage.
Remember this too; even though the waistline and wrist cuffs are fabric, they too list last forever. Take a look at a vintage G-1 and you’ll see that those pieces wear just as long and hard as the rest of the jacket. So, fear not. Even if those pieces do wear out prematurely, a qualified seamstress or tailor can easily replace them.
As expected, all 3 of the guys who put this jacket on were ready to go hop on a motorcycle or climb into the cockpit of their airplane, haha. Seriously though, the jacket elicits a certain attitude and projects a feeling, well…manliness. This is a good thing.
It definitely hearkens back to the days of what we consider the Greatest Generation. In those days, this jacket wasn’t necessarily a fashion statement – it was a functional piece of attire for pilots and flight crews. In today’s modern version, such as the Satchel & Page Bomber Jacket, it is a signature fashion piece. And…it looks oh so good!
The Satchel & Page Leather Bomber Jacket definitely qualifies as a great purchase. At the Kickstarter price of $455 for this jacket, it is a bargain in the quality leather jacket market. The Kickstarter campaign ends Tuesday, December 2nd at 7pm PST. In addition to this fantastic rendition of the classic G-1 bomber jacket, Satchel & Page is also offering three other fine looking jackets in their initial line up. Check ‘em out and get one for yourself. This is also the perfect time to order one for that special someone on your holiday shopping list.