Looking for Leather Briefcase
Hello so I think this will be my first post on this server. I’m looking for advice and recommendations on my first proper work briefcase.
My criteria is as follows.
Material: Full-Grain Leather in a Mid to Dark Brown Color, Grained or Smooth leather is fine.
Size: Needs to fit a 15 inch laptop, preferably interior organization for other things like papers, cables, chargers, etc.
Form: Prefer zip-top opening, not really into flaps or buckles. Having the option for a shoulder strap would be good. Metal feet on the bottom would be a plus factor.
Budget: 500 to 600, can go slightly higher but not much more than that.
Brands that I’ve looked into…
Carl Frederik - Like their designs, but too expensive for me, and also seems like they run small for what you get for in the base Palissy.
Frank Clegg/Lotuff - Construction looks great, but too rich for my blood and doesn’t look like much interior organization.
Saddleback: Not into the super rugged cowboy aesthetic.
Satchel and Page: Seems fine but I’ve heard that their quality control has not been great and that customer service and returns were not good.
Blue de Chauffe Zeppo Bag: Like the unique look and it’s made in France, but the rough styling and finishing may not be to my taste. Also not easy to return if I don’t like it.
Options that I’m considering:
Le Tanneur Charles 15 Briefcase: Like their design (similar to Palissy) and the interior organization is good, but not much info on the materials and the origin is likely Asian made (not a dealbreaker if quality/construction is good).
Lundi Paris Oscar Briefcase: A newish DTC brand (made in Turkey?). I like the design and organization (plus metal feet), but not much info on materials used and little reviews. Could be inferior and coasting by on marketing.
Mismo Endeavor: Like the above two, the minimalist styling is a plus but prices seem high for a canvas and leather bag.
I would appreciate any advice or recommendations for a minimal type bag like these.
10 Replies
my search also included Gustin and stolen riches.
Craft & Glory International
Leather boston bag for men
full grain leather boston bags and briefcase for men
Could go craft and glory
You might get some mileage posting a commission request on /r/leatherclassifieds and seeing if you can't find an independent maker to put something together for you. Your price range is in the ballpark
I actually made for myself more or less what you're looking for but unfortunately I am keeping it lol
workmanship on the le tanneur bag looks good, i've definitely seen a lot worse at that price range
the other two candidates don't impress me
the le tanneur bag is using some knockoff of epsom calf which is usually pretty bulletproof for this application, i like using it when i can
the only thing that irks me is they're lying about the material, because that is clearly a printed leather which makes it no longer "full grain"
so either they don't know themselves (likely) or they're just hoping you don't know the difference
since you've put a lot of research into this and since i am here, it is worth mentioning as well that the term "full grain leather" at this point is almost meaningless in terms of the material itself
and is almost always used as a marketing term, frequently incorrectly
a colleague of mine wrote a nice condensed breakdown of it some years ago and it still holds up: https://nstarleather.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/the-full-story-on-full-grain-leather/
North Star Leather
North Star Leather
The full story on Full Grain Leather
My last post ventured into how most of the front page search results get the definiton of “Genuine Leather” mostly wrong by way of over-simplification. This post is going to take aim a…
i would hate to see you spend undue mental energy over the marketing
best of luck on your search, and i hope that is helpful to you
This is very helpful. I’ll have to check out that sub.
I know that brands will often skimp out on leather quality but it can be hard to tell from product photography so I appreciate the link.
it's very tough these days because thanks to some outright misinformation perpetuated years ago by saddleback, everyone wants their leather to be "full grain"
so unscrupulous manufacturers try to capitalize on the buzz and just say that rather than actually telling you anything about the leather like where it's from, who tanned it and how, etc etc
for what it's worth to you I'd be happy to sanity check anything you're considering
I am a full time leatherworker and for the sake of full disclosure I run the leather working discord and moderate the classifieds sub
Great to hear! I’ll send you a DM if I have any other questions. Should be easier that way.
no worries
again, best of luck on the search