High End Briefcase Comparo Solo, Saddleback, HLASKA and Mitchell Leather- Part 1 of 3

[joel]

A belated kick-off of the haberdashery...

There are a few indisputable belongings gentlemen around the globe covet. Amongst the exclusive laundry list of fine items reside automobiles, timepieces and leather goods but at the root of all these lavish items lies the derivation of our interest – the craftsman. While the look, feel and design of a piece may catch the eye, it’s the tremendous skill, attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection a craftsman has bestowed upon an item, which really commandeer our interest. Simply put - gentlemen are naturally drawn to items, which exude impeccable quality as it stands as a tribute to the remarkable skill and dedication of our fellow man.

For most men, a briefcase is not merely a luxury, but a necessity. With such a heavily used item, holding our most important business items, the question must be begged – is it worth buying the best? Sure, for many a $300-400 briefcase may sound uncanny, and a $1,000+ case purely absurd, but if a $400 briefcase lasts 10X longer than a $100 briefcase, surely it’s both a sound fiscal and emotional decision, yes? Like many gentlemen – I believe in the old adage “Buy quality - cry once” – however I also develop bonds to well made, quality items and appreciate their distressed and unique look as they age, like the butterscotch color of a well used meerschaum pipe. As the laptop has become a fixture in the world of business – the lowly laptop case has become an acceptable replacement for a gentleman’s briefcase – but like many here at badger and blade, I like to be a little different and I like to have things with more style, history and character.



With this in mind – I took it upon myself to set out and find the ultimate luxury leather briefcases for men in varying price ranges/styles and report back in three stages. 1 – the initial report 2 – thoughts/opinions after 6 months of use and 3 – how they’re holding up after a year or so of typical use.



Without further ado, let me introduce the four subjects of this piece – introduced from least expensive, on up.

#1 – Solo Classic MSRP $149.99





This is without question the “mainstream” bag of the group. Not just due to its incredible value, but also for its tremendous functionality. Akin to a Swiss Army Knife, this is more of a tool than a luxury briefcase and I mean that as a compliment. The amount of pockets in/on this case, especially with its slim and trim profile is astounding. Each pocket serves a specific and well thought out purpose – from housing cell phones, to documents, to sensitive electronic equipment in need of padding (laptop, GPS, etc) to pen slots, this bag has you covered.



Loaded up with a 15.4" Lenovo W500...


Particularly intriguing are the hidden clasps/closures, which give the appearance of more traditional and stylish closure methods, yet allowing quick one-handed deployment. While the bag maintains a Kate Moss like profile, its accordion fan design allows for gluttonous expansion - giving you tremendous flexibility.

Front straps hiding quick-release latches...


Quick release latches...


Back of the bag - with leather tabs to disengage the slick magnetic clasps...


Pockets on the back residing under magnetic clasps...


As the only bag in the group hailing from China (adorned in Columbian leather), it offers a tremendous value for the gentleman seeking a stylish leather briefcase at a meager price – however due to its price, it doesn’t boast some of the features its more expensive competitors tout, such as fully tanned, full grain leather, leather shoulder straps, durable leather lining, etc.

Close up of leather grain...


It will be interesting to see how this bag holds up over the next year. Cost aside, this is a surprisingly nice, light, good-looking bag.

#2 – Saddleback Leather – MSRP $555





The fact that this bag has not made an appearance in every Indiana Jones movie serves as a red alert that their props department needs to be immediately fired and replaced. Not that you need to be an adventurer to own this bag – but the entire auspices of its design is “to the extreme.” Not only can you smell its rich, thick leather before the UPS courier makes it out of their truck, but one heft of this bag sporting nearly 8lbs of hide and it immediately strikes you – this isn’t your standard bag. Sure, it’ll fit your laptop, important documents, your lunch, a few pens/pencils and a small dog or two – but if needed, in about 30 seconds using a sturdy O ring residing on the back, and it’s unique shoulder strap (with 2 pads) it can be converted into a backpack. Eat too much at lunch? No worries, you can use one of the extra front straps as a belt, pending you have a 34-36 inch waist.

The sturdy o-ring in the top/center is what allows the backpack conversion....


A handle for the incredible hulk....


Sure, it’s at home merely trekking to your office and back and it will be the envy of your peers at the next board meeting, but frankly – that’s not what this briefcase is about. It’s big, it’s bold and it’s meant to take one hell of a beating – and with its 100 year warranty the fine folks at Saddleback tout its ability to outlive its owner.

A tremendous amount of space.....


This beauty is HUGE, and due to the very heavy/stiff leather, it pretty much stays that wide (meaning it doesn't collapse into a thinner profile when not full). Maybe after 20 years of hard use, the leather will begin to soften up ....


Loaded up with a 15.4" Lenovo W500, my lunch and quite a laundry list of small items - still allowing enough additional room to fit a small dog....


Sport this bag and expect a lot of attention… folks will ask you pretty regularly “Who makes that?” – “Where can I get one of those?” and so on. With the Saddleback case, you’re paying for a HECK of a lot of leather, with handsome leather (or pigskin) lining that’ll last a long, long time. You’re also paying for a completely handmade product (Mexico) comprised of thick American hides (again, there is REALLY a lot of leather here).

Sturdy pigskin lining...


Bulletproof stitched AND riveted construction...


The quality is excellent, but upon close inspection you can tell this is handmade product as stitches aren’t perfectly aligned and there are small little tidbits of character here and there. Don’t take this the wrong way though – the average joe wouldn’t be able to tell at all – and the folks making these briefcases are “poached” master leatherworkers previously from Dooney & Burke and other ultra-premo brands. $555 doesn’t sound cheap – but for what it is, it’s a bargain. Many of Saddlebacks competitors are more than twice the cost and still don’t a product as high a quality bag.

Imperfect alignment of stitching shows a handmade touch...


Damn good stitching job - not THE prettiest/cleanest, but 9.5 out of 10, especially due to the leather being so thick/sturdy and the thick industrial thread....


To put the cost/quality ratio of a Saddleback in perspective, several other firms were invited to participate in this comparison – very prestigious, well known British companies as well as several well known, ultra-high end firms in the U.S. – and they agreed to participate. Once they found out saddleback was one of the briefcases their craftsmanship would be compared to, they either magically disappeared, or in one instance, outright refused to have their products QUALITY (not design, look, etc) compared to saddleback.

Close-up of the leather...


If you’re thinking “Why wasn’t XYZ brand part of this?”– there’s a 90% chance it’s because they didn’t want to go up against Saddleback and that my good friends, speaks for itself.

#3 – HLASKA Evergreen – MSRP - $795



The interesting thing about this briefcase is just how different it is. It doesn’t take more than a few moments inspecting this bag to come to the hypothesis it wasn’t made by a fashion designer… or the type of person that would normally make a luxury case. Well, you’d be right because an engineer designed it. Instead of a design based on fashion – it’s clearly based on structure with a lot of thought put into subtle details.

Just barely swallowing a 15.4" Lenovo W500 - with it being a little tricky to get the zippered teeth around the square corners of the laptop - but the black on black is mighty slick looking...


The zippered closure looks great against the black case...


It sticks out from the crowd, with the incredibly unique wood grain leather, to the custom hardware based on architectural designs – it quietly screams, “I’m different” in an apple (the computer/tech company not the fruit) like manner. I can’t explain enough, just how nice their custom hardware is – even though I had intended to not compare the bags in the first part of this series, without question their hardware shames the rest. The hardware gorgeous, unique, easy to use/operate and it’s built to last.

Custom rivets all aligned/riveted in the same direction....


Razor sharp looking clasps for the shoulder strap...


Aluminum feet to protect the Italian leather on the bottom of the case from rough surfaces...


It’s bold trendsetting fashion won’t mesh well for everyone, but for those with a lot of style and enjoy exclusivity – you can’t find a better match, especially being that they’re handmade in Canada and individually serial numbered with merely 50 examples of each of the three colors.

Serial #48 of 50....


This case is more at home wrapped around the slinky profile of a 15.4" macbook pro, the combo is simply stunning...


With minimal pockets and a lightweight design with only one major compartment boasting a100% cotton Kvadrat European fabric lining, this is more of a document case than a briefcase, but despite its lack of compartments, it’s actually quite usable, thanks to the designers functionality/engineering focus.

Close-up of the interiors liner...


Not the best stitching on the interior....


Small little niggles - like the leather not being dyed through and through - with some areas visibly sticking out with the sharp contrasting orange of un-dyed leather against jet black...


While we’re back on the topic of engineering – the designers of this bag actually created the wood grain patterns embossed on the bags from actual pieces of wood – further adding to it’s uniqueness.

Woodgrain pattern...


Close-up of the leather...


There are a lot of briefcases out there… but only one HLASKA Evergreen.

#4 – Mitchell Leather Classic Briefcase – MSRP - $980 to $1180





When your hand glides around this bags handle as you scoop it up mid-stride you can’t help but be taken with how natural this bag feels in hand. Everything about this bag is as it should be, like a lifelong friend had designed it for your specific needs. How it sits on your shoulder, its perfect balance in hand; the number of pockets – not too many which would force them to be too small, yet not too few as to be a one trick pony, its “just right” size, everything about this bag is just seamless and perfect. Jerry Mitchell’s (the late founder of Mitchell Leather) lifetime obsession with creating the ultimate briefcase has been an indisputable success.

Spacious three compartment interior - with an "accordion" design to expand as needed...


Handy, perfectly sized front pockets residing under the front cover/flap...


Things you don’t typically consider in a briefcase stand out like a Mary-Kay Pink Cadillac at a biker rally. The weight distribution and balance of a briefcase with different weights/loads? Who would consider designing a bag around this? What’s the value? Well I thought it was a little silly until I badly dislocated my knee and found with other briefcases loaded up, I couldn’t get halfway across the house without them slipping off my shoulder or twisting out of my hand and pummeling one of my dogs who constantly shadow me. With the Mitchell? Even with a bum immobilized leg, the fully loaded Mitchell is almost unnoticeable when strewn across my shoulder… it feels like an extension of my body. It’s difficult to explain just how well designed every detail of this bag is – but a few pictures and a review on how these bags are created does the best job at painting the picture.

Center compartment has a spacer secured via velcro which you can move/arrange to fit multiple sizes of laptops and hold your valuable electronics tightly to prevent it's movement and aid in proper balance...


Easily holds a 15.4" Lenovo W500 while keeping the bag slim/trim, but still allowing plenty of accordion expansion if additional items need to be carried...


Every stitch on this bag is perfect. I don’t know how to quite describe it, or show it visually in pictures – but the stitching is something inexplicable, it takes a VERY keen eye to spot they double stitch high stress areas. Stitching and sewing leather is an incredibly difficult task – let alone perfectly hitting the same holes twice, which takes decades to master. The interesting thing with a Mitchell though is not just that you’re getting a skilled hand making your bag – it’s the fact that there are only two gentlemen who make Mitchell bags so you know the name of the craftsman making your bag and talk to him about how you'd like each element. Dave Mitchell, the son of Jerry Mitchell and an Argentinian gentleman by the name of Bernardo, who has been working for Mitchell for around 40 years.

The most difficult part of the bag to sew - done with absolute perfection - despite the tricky shape/thickness changes...


Beautiful stitching/spacing and perfectly rounded around the edges - all done by hand/eye...


Stitching masterpiece...


Where the proprietary secret lies in the bags impeccable stitching is in Bernardo, who is in his 80’s and has been working with leather/stitching his entire life. Bernardo handles the most difficult stitches on the Mitchell bags and with seven decades of experience, you can be assured you’ve probably got the most skilled and experienced leather craftsman in the world making your bag. Whenever the bag catches my attention, I can’t help but admire and contemplate the history and tradition Bernardo has stitched into the bag.

Bernardo sewing...


Bernardo clamping...


The leather? It feels as though it’s been marinated in clarified butter and silk extract for six months prior to shipment. While the other high-end bags in this test are drenched in good to excellent quality leather, the Mitchell is hoisted onto a new level. It’s both incredibly thick/rugged, while being sinfully soft and luxurious to the touch. They stockpile some of the finest hand selected leather in the world – sparing no cost. Finding higher quality leather is highly unlikely as due to their small production levels, they’re able to use a quality of leather not possible for larger firms to reliably source.

A portion of their factory with some of their hand selected leather....


Since these bags have been handmade and constantly improved over the last 40 years, they have an array of interesting patented features, which improve the look, feel and longevity of the bag. In fact, from time to time Dave Mitchell has customers come into his shop with 30-40 year old bags, that have seen daily use – and they’re still in great shape. The internal zippered pocket is incredibly handy/useful, the key holder is the easiest to use and most effective, the patented modular handle feels the most secure and sports the sleekest profile, the velcro side pocket is the most useful, the latches have a brass sleeve over the clasp which rotates, to make it slide up and down the leather when latching and unlatching the case making it the quickest/easiest buckle to manipulate and the interesting brass feet adorned in leather strips protect the bottom of the bag.

Internal zippered pocket...


Back of the case with the essentially "hidden" velcro pocket...


Incredible handle - and the velcro pocket open (Note: this is a VERY high quality velcro, doesn't make much noise when opened, yet has a very secure closure)....


Key ring holder....


Rotating brass sleeve to allow the strap to glide in and out...


The feet are particularly noteworthy as with a handmade/stitched bag, the most vulnerable part of the bag is the bottom. Your heavy items in the bag put the most strain on the bottom stitching, and as your bag is put down day after day on hard and occasionally rough surfaces they found after 20 years or so of hard use, some bags would begin to have problems with the bottom stitching. Granted, the damage can be easily repaired – but it was deemed as a problem nonetheless, which was solved with the assistance of these incredibly smart looking feet…

Feet and the bottom of the bag showing its accordion design...


Foot close up - showing the hand cut, matching piece of leather hand glued into each of the eight feet - everything on this bag is about finite attention to detail...


Mitchell bags are primarily custom made to order, in fact if you go to the factory in Milwaukee you can hand pick the leather for your bag and if you’re so inclined you can take part in a few of the processes involved in making it, such as cutting the leather and such. While they do occasionally have a few in stock (ignore the stock on their website, it’s out of date and they’ve sold all of the bags offered for sale on it) they rarely have more than 1 or 2 available to purchase. Colors (even incredibly sharp looking two-tone bags), leather types, you name it.

Gorgeous two-tone pebble leather...


Incredibly unique distressed brick briefcase, with black piping - truly the imagination is the only limit for their work and guaranteed the owner of that bag will never run into someone sporting a bag even reasonably similar...


No two Mitchell’s are exactly alike which adds to the exclusivity of these bags – and exclusive they are. Sporting a price in the four figures range and with an output of about four briefcases a month, you never have to worry about someone else sporting the same bag at a boardroom meeting. What you will have to worry about however is the amount of time you’ll spend talking about the bag when interested strangers stop you – and rest assured, they’ll stop you. A few weeks ago, a gentleman sporting a snazzy Hartmann stopped me, asked me about the bag and when he found out it wouldn’t be an easy thing for him to purchase directly, he tried to buy the bag off my shoulder right then and there!

Close-up of the buttery smooth leather and it's natural grain...


Expensive? YES. Exclusive? YES. Drop dead gorgeous? YES. A purchase that will last a lifetime? YES. Worth it? YES, YES, YES! In fact, I’ll eventually be buying at least one additional case in two-tone black/brown pebble grain leather.

Size comparison of the different bags, in relation to my full-size Dachshund - some of these bags are mighty large...


Full disclosure - some of the bags in this comparison were provided by their manufacturer. My opinion remains objective and unbiased and I am not being paid by any of these companies.

[SRock]

Excellent write up, Joel! I look forward to parts II and III.

[The Knize]

Great write up.

Anyone like me dislike the buckled flap approach, much less the double buckled flap approach? Seems like a relative hassle getting the darn thing opened and closed.

I think I really prefer a zippered top, and plastic zippers might be smoother operating.

I do like that all of these seem to be of the drop in through the top rather than the zip around and open flat type.

I have owned fairly expensive brief cases/attachee bags. Frankly, all leather gets scratched up. I am not certain that I would rather not have something less expensive that I would case less about whether it got scratched up, whether from being thrown in the trunk of a cab, on the floor of my own car. I think I would be too worried about any of these cases other than the solo.

Also, I may have missed it, but I did not seem mention of weight. We pay lots of bucks for lighter and lighter laptops. I do not think I would want to give up the weight and size I saved going with a lighter smaller laptop top with heavier brief case. All in all I would rather have a 15.7 or whatever inch screen and an extra battery than a bigger heavier brief case.

Just my 2 cent immediate thoughts.

[Evbo]

Zowie. I don't even USE a briefcase and now I want a Mitchell! Thanks for a most interesting write-up!

[Sluggo]

Living in Milwaukee I am well aware of Mitchell's bags...they are awesome! Wish I could have one...Joel, that's where you come in :)

Seriously, how do you plan on judging such awesome bags over a period of year?

[SRock]

Living in Milwaukee I am well aware of Mitchell's bags...they are awesome! Wish I could have one...Joel, that's where you come in :)

Seriously, how do you plan on judging such awesome bags over a period of year?

Or better yet what do you plan on doing with them after testing is over.

[thirdeye]

Those are some nice looking bags. Great write up on them. Nothing I'd use but nice anyway.

[nmerth]

Okay so Joel is starting BRAD? (Briefcase Acquisition Disorder)? Thanks buddy.... Nice write up!

[Squid]

Wow! This is a great write up on these nice briefcases. I appreciate all of the time and effort you have taken in writing this thread. The pictures are also very good. Thank you!

When should we expect to see Part II and III?

[cfriend]

More signs I should start a forum to a long-lost art that will explode in membership and popularity. In all seriousness, I have minimal use for a briefcase at the current time, but I'll be damned if these aren't gorgeous. Nice!

[joel]

Great write up.

Anyone like me dislike the buckled flap approach, much less the double buckled flap approach? Seems like a relative hassle getting the darn thing opened and closed.

I think I really prefer a zippered top, and plastic zippers might be smoother operating.

I do like that all of these seem to be of the drop in through the top rather than the zip around and open flat type.

I have owned fairly expensive brief cases/attachee bags. Frankly, all leather gets scratched up. I am not certain that I would rather not have something less expensive that I would case less about whether it got scratched up, whether from being thrown in the trunk of a cab, on the floor of my own car. I think I would be too worried about any of these cases other than the solo.

Also, I may have missed it, but I did not seem mention of weight. We pay lots of bucks for lighter and lighter laptops. I do not think I would want to give up the weight and size I saved going with a lighter smaller laptop top with heavier brief case. All in all I would rather have a 15.7 or whatever inch screen and an extra battery than a bigger heavier brief case.

Just my 2 cent immediate thoughts.

Hopefully a few points might shed a bit of clarity...

1.) Clasps and zippers fail, especially over extended periods of time, and with heavy items in the bag. For a $100 bag? Sure, a clasp is fine, but for a $400+ bag it's unacceptable. Think about this... have you ever had a quality leather belt (a single piece of quality tanned full grain leather - not the two thin pieces glued together, etc) break or fail? More than likely, unless there was an extreme occurrence, or you outgrew it - you haven't, and a belt see's a lot more stress that the latch of a bag.

2.) The buckles are slower, but in the case of the mitchell, due to their shape, length, brass roller, etc - they're mighty, mighty fast - and I mean maybe 2 seconds to undo both, and about 3-4 to latch them back. The buckles are actually faster than the full zipper of the HLASKA.

3.) The beauty of the Saddleback and the Mitchell is that they get better looking with age. They both use thick, full grain hides like a saddle. If you look at a properly cared for saddle that's 10 years old (daily use), and a properly cared for saddle that's 50 years old (daily use), you likely won't be able to tell the difference. These thick hides take on a beautiful distressed look with age - which in fact is more desirable than the "new" look for many - like a meerschaum pipe that's gone from snow white to butterscotch. In fact, both the founder of Saddleback Dave Munson as well as Dave Mitchell both shared stories with me on folks trying to buy their used bags as they much preferred the look, and didn't want to have to put the years of daily use to get it to that point. If you don't like that look however, all you'd need to do is apply a darkening leather conditioner (there are a myriad of different leather conditioners, some keep the leather the same color, some darken them, etc) and the scratches are all gone. There's a world of difference between a bag like a Saddleback - and bags you've likely experienced. In fact, the only bag I've seen under $800 or so that is built in this fashion is the Saddleback. Most are $1,000+.

4.) I mentioned the weight on the Saddleback, which is the heaviest at nearly 8lbs. The bad news is - yes, it's heavy, but the good news is when you add weight to it, because it is so rigid/solid - you barely feel it. It's odd, the bag in hand doesn't seem to be much different when it's empty as when it's carrying my laptop, lunch, phone, etc etc. Unfortunately with some items, when they're heavier (in the right way) they're better... you'd WANT a heavy/solid gold ring, versus a lighter, thinner (less durable, more malleable) ring right? Leather is no different... the thicker/more robust the leather, the longer it's going to last and you're getting more value. A light leather bag in this instance, is a sign of poor quality. For instance - the Solo is feather light, but if I used it for 10 years, guaranteed it'd be in pieces. In 10 years however with the Saddleback or the Mitchell - pending no extreme acts of god, they'll just be warming up.

Frankly, unless it has to do with going fast, I'm never interested in what things weigh, only their size. For instance, I'll take a cell phone that's 50% smaller/thinner but 50% heavier over a 50% larger and 50% lighter phone ay day. Same with laptops, etc. For me, the benefit of a smaller, thinner laptop is the ability to fit it in smaller cases, and/or give me the additional space to fit in more necessary items. If I'm carrying a 30lb (full) briefcase, 2-4 pounds one way or another, at least for me, isn't noticeable and/or going to make a big difference. That just me though - fellas with back/shoulder problems, older gentlemen, or gentlemen with a frail build might feel differently. At 6'3 and 190lbs - the weight of these bags with the same items in them, don't feel much different. In fact, the Mitchell which is much heavier than the Solo or the HLASKA, actually feels lighter with the same items in it, due to the superior ergonomics, design and the way it carries the weight.

As always, YMMV - but all four of these bags are quite nice, but i'll tell you one thing, in person the Mitchell and the Saddleback are jaw droppers. Pictures simply cannot do these bags justice. One smell (and you smell 'em before you see 'em for the first month or so) and one touch and you immediately know these are something very, very special.

My favorite story: I went to the Hartmann store 10 miles down the road sporting the Saddleback bag - as I wanted to compare the two and the gentleman working there had his eyes fixated on the Saddleback. He finally asked me about it and we struck up a lengthy dialogue, and after he gave the bag a good inspection, we both agreed it was superior to the Hartmann's in terms of quality - and he mentioned if it wasn't a few thousand dollars, he'd buy one in a heartbeat. I then told him it was actually about $550 - to which he asked me for the web site address and said he was ordering one that day. According to him, he couldn't even get a higher-end Hartmann of inferior quality for that price, even with his employee discount.

The point I'm trying to make is - you likely haven't seen a bag like the Mitchell and Saddleback before as there are only a handful of companies that make 'em that good, and they're exceptionally rare and they're usually prohibitively expensive for non-CEO types. One 30 second inspection - and a lot of the concerns/issues you have - I assure you, quickly sail away in the wind.

I just noticed on saddleback's web site - they've just released a thin briefcase, which is even less costly, weighs only 4.5lbs and has only one strap, which essentially addresses all of your issues. I would love to scope out one of those bad boys....

[herbnerd]

rather than those soul-less executive cases.

They all look good but the Saddleback catches my eye the most.

Can't afford one....

[JEEP]

Excellent reading!

Have you looked into the Swedish firm Baron? http://www.baron.se/

I have their 4007; http://www.baron.se/world/index.php?...emart&Itemid=8 - af fine classic briefcase, also available in full leather.


Regards.

Jakob

[thunderball]

Awesome bags! I'm at once envious and curious to see how you end up liking each bag.

[Nils]

Great write up, fantastic bags. But if I'm honest: I like your dog best!

[Phog Allen]

Wow Joel. Those are great briefcases. In my estimation the Saddleback is a bargain. When you consider it is made from about three yards of premium leather and no telling how many labour hours, it is clearly worth its price. I don't really need a briefcase but this makes me want one! I did come to the conclusion that their medium bifold wallet is the one I need. I have been looking for a great quality folding wallet for years. I have looked at all the designer brands at the big retailers and they are priced the same if not higher than the Sadleback models and the quality is not even in the same zip code. I have been on the lookout for years for a wallet that would compare favourably to the elephant hide models my dad had when I was a chld. He got them from his insurance salesman as promotions but that was four decades ago. I have seen nothing as durable since then but these Saddlebacks look very close. Great thread.

Regards, Todd

[ada8356]

I had a Saddleback in Chestnut (large) for a while.

It was a great bag, but just didn't fit my needs... especially for traveling.

My main complaints:

1) Super heavy. So much so that it was a PITA. I couldn't fathom carrying that bag on a flight.

2) The buckle clasps require two hands to open and close. Not a pain all of the time, but certainly a pain some of the time.

3) The handle was really disappointing. The entire bag is of superb quality, but the handle felt/sounded like a piece of leather wrapped PVC (maybe Joel can give his 0.02 on that bec I could be way off).

Again, it is a terrific bag if it fits your needs. Since I mainly use my bag for traveling I needed something a little more lightweight and a little more organized. I really need everything to have a pocket/place and this bag didn't come set-up that way w/o adding 'after-market' solutions.

At the end of the day it really pained me to not use a $500+ bag because it wasn't convenient so I sold it (to a member) and found something much more bland looking but a much better fit for my needs.

[Suzuki]

This is a great article - as a guy who uses a briefcase every day, I'm quite interested in the testing.

I do echo the comments regarding the weight of some of these bags - a bag that weights 8 pounds may not seem like a big deal, but if you do a lot of travel or walking with your bag (I have a 25 minute walk to the train), a heavy bag makes a big difference, especially when you throw in all your stuff. The other problem with a really big bag is that you tend to fill the space.

I also think that most of these bags are on the informal side - so possibly not the best choice to go with a suit and tie.


I have several bags - the two I use the most are a beat up Samsonite that is at least 15 years old in an unfinished leather that ages/abuses that is my to and from work bag and a dressier black bag that is perfect for a small computer and a few papers - so perfect for meetings.

I'd really like to see a review of the Saddleback thin bags, as these are more reasonable in terms of weight, size and are a little dressier in appearance as they seem a bit more constructed. This model seems like it would be a good choice for a lot of folks.

[chainfire]

I'm glad I'm not rich or I'd have serious saddle bag AD after looking at this. I can't even afford one, but I can at least now see what I've been missing. Thanks for the write-up.

[adamant]

I think I'm in love with that Saddleback bag.