Briefcase?

Hello gents,

I am in the market for a nice leather briefcase, having never owned one before, My only real prerequisites are that it have enough space for my small work laptop and a couple reams of paper. Knowing absolutely nothing about this, I stumbled upon this site, which has items that are in my price range, and look nice.

What should I look for in a briefcase? Any recommendations from this website?

Never heard of them, so can't say ...

You will get a bunch of guys here suggesting Saddleback Leather briefcases ... very well made and very rugged (which can be a verrry good thing or a very bad thing, depending on your preferences).

If you can afford it, Barantani makes a great briefcase. http://www.barantani.it/en/products/cartpro2.htm

I have a "messenger bag" style although I do not have a laptop but it does have enough room for it.

I've got a nice vintage black top handle, satchel type case that I picked up on eBay not too long ago that does the job nicely. If you want to spend the money, have a look at Saddleback. I've got a Wilson wallet and I'm very happy with it but I've got no experience with their briefcases.

Actually, I was going to mention Filson as well, if you are looking for "rugged" ... they have a laptop case that IIRC comes with padding &c to protect the laptop, as well as regular briefcases.

Doc4 said:

You will get a bunch of guys here suggesting Saddleback Leather briefcases ...

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johnmrson said:

... have a look at Saddleback. ...

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Do I know my B&B bretheren, or what?

I love my (wait for it) Saddleback thin briefcase. It holds my netbook, all my schoolwork, and 3-4 notebooks with room to spare. Really wonderful bag and hyper mega durable(as I found out when I took a spill off the motorcycle, bike got messed up, bag got a little smudge). It's out of your price range though, so I'd say Filson is probably your best bet. Are you looking for something a bit more rugged because I think most of your suggestions will lean that way around these parts.

This reminded me of Falling Down.

"Give me the motha f***ing briefcase!"

Reams of paper? That's a lot of paper.

I'd recommend the Filson, as the cloth will expand to take more papers. Most of the cases reccomended here may be out of your $ range. Does it have to be leather?

My favorite briefcases and attaches are made by Swaine Adeney Brigg.

Expensive, but handmade and gorgeous. Build quality second to none.

I have a Tumi briefcase that I like. They're not cheap, but they are very high quality and hold a lot of stuff. (I got mine on sale several years ago; I don't know what kind of deals you can get these days.)

Wonderful. Thank you all for the input. I guess I am going to have to settle for a more expensive briefcase!

Saddleback? Pshaw!

Traditional English elegance would demand nothing less than something by Tanner Krolle - Bond Street's finest cordwainers.

I bought a Saddleback and returned it due to poor finish. I happened upon a website for cordovan leather and found out about the M&W Traveler. It's made with Horween Leather and will outlast me and my progeny.

It is not cheap, but it is an extraordinary value. I've had it for two years and it looks better now than the day I bought it.

Check it out:
http://www.mw-traveler.com/

Hartmann makes some really great briefcases. If you get one in the belting leather, it will take on this patina after a while that looks really nice.

Mitchell Leather all the way, the design has been steadily perfected by the one family over decades. Expensive but worth it and every bag is as unique as the owner wants it to be because you can choose pretty much every detail.

AdrianR said:

Saddleback? Pshaw!

Traditional English elegance would demand nothing less than something by Tanner Krolle - Bond Street's finest cordwainers.

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Na don't go to these upstarts . . . Barrow & Gale has what you need. Pick up a document case pattern D for a mere £2200.

I agree with all of those who recommend th e Filson briefcases, but would add the Coach line, and most importantly, an outfit called Bovibe Designs, ou of Bozeman, MT. I have no idea if they are still inj business, but when they were, it was pure saddle leather, in traditional designs, strong and durable as hell. Two inside dividers, two inside and outside zipper pockets. Wonderful!

Denny

I would go down to a garage sale or second-hand shop and buy a cheap briefcase to see if you like it. I used briefcases in high school (for more of a joke than anything, but backpacks hurt my back and messenger bags really weren't something you could go out and buy back then). Briefcases are cool, but they are built by wood, usually use lots of metals, and then padded in thick leather. The thick of it: they are heavy and not built as well as, say, a nicer backpack or messenger bag.

Walking home from school with my briefcase and my shoulders would kill me, and trying to quickly grab a document out of a briefcase is not possible (or not possible like how easy it is with a shoulder strap), and they really don't store well (except in a car's trunk or closet or tabletop). All-in-all, I can see why should slings (messenger bags), cloth "laptop bags" (they are basically briefcases with much cheaper materials), and backpacks make a lot more sense, especially in the long haul.

And of course, if you find the handle-instead-of-shoulder-sling, opens 90-degrees, accordion organization of your cheap briefcase works for you, then shop for something that'll last you a while. But don't delve into the world of briefcases without deciding if they are something for you.

I bought a Mancini briefcase ~8 years ago, don't recall it being cheap.

Used it pretty much daily for a few months when I had a lot of paperwork to carry (scheduals and teaching notes), but recently I only used it when I injured my shoulder last year and couldn't carry my backpack easily.

When I'm not required to carry a mobile IT lab in my bag I'm going back to it again.


My main criteria for a briefcase back then was being able to carry 3-4 days worth of paperwork and supplies, allowing me to teach a few classes in a row without having to search for anything. Now I'd be leaning towards having schematics for each system I work on available and having notepaper and supplies. Probably chuck in a book or two and the eeepc.

TSWebster said:

Mitchell Leather all the way, the design has been steadily perfected by the one family over decades. Expensive but worth it and every bag is as unique as the owner wants it to be because you can choose pretty much every detail.

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I neither have the cash nor the need for a premium briefcase, but if I did, these guys would have a good shot at my money.

That said, leather above a certain price point is generally likely to be worth it. I just like the story of the brand.