I've been using cheap, faux-leather briefcases my whole career but I've always wanted one of those heavy, bulletproof, thick leather briefcases like Saddleback Leather has made famous. Well, Saddleback finally had a sale so I bought two, one to match my brown shoes and one in black.
This is their classic briefcase. I bought it in Chestnut (reddish brown). The bag below is in their "tobacco" color. It's big enough I think you can also use it as an overnight bag.
This is their "flight" bag which I bought in black. It's thinner than the classic above.
Saddleback's bags come with a 100-year guarantee. So, unless I lose them, or they get stolen, I'll be passing these things off to my kids when I die and they'll still have over 50 years of use in them.
I love em. They really give you a masculine presence. In fact, you have to walk tall and proud with that classic briefcase, or it will look like it's carrying you. The best colors I think are their chestnut or the tobacco. The tobacco is better if you don't use it in as formal of a work environment or will actually use it in the great outdoors. The black is ok, but it's a very flat, matte black that seems to absorb light. I put some leather conditioner on it to give it some sheen, and now it looks a little better.
There are, of course, other companies besides Saddleback that market that type of bag. One of the reasons I chose Saddleback, besides the warranty, is because their metal fittings are silver-colored and I needed my metals (watch, ring, doublemonk buckles, etc) to match up. If you look online there are some criticisms of Saddleback, mainly due to their being made in Mexico and not using vegetable curing of their leather. Here's one for example:
Here are some other companies that make similar briefcases. Some use brass fittings and a couple others use silver (chrome/nickel). This isn't a complete list, so please add others as you see fit:
https://buffalojackson.com/
http://rusticleather.com/
https://www.duluthtrading.com/men/access...d-luggage/
https://www.marlondoleather.com/
http://www.copperriverbags.com/
This is their classic briefcase. I bought it in Chestnut (reddish brown). The bag below is in their "tobacco" color. It's big enough I think you can also use it as an overnight bag.
This is their "flight" bag which I bought in black. It's thinner than the classic above.
Saddleback's bags come with a 100-year guarantee. So, unless I lose them, or they get stolen, I'll be passing these things off to my kids when I die and they'll still have over 50 years of use in them.
I love em. They really give you a masculine presence. In fact, you have to walk tall and proud with that classic briefcase, or it will look like it's carrying you. The best colors I think are their chestnut or the tobacco. The tobacco is better if you don't use it in as formal of a work environment or will actually use it in the great outdoors. The black is ok, but it's a very flat, matte black that seems to absorb light. I put some leather conditioner on it to give it some sheen, and now it looks a little better.
There are, of course, other companies besides Saddleback that market that type of bag. One of the reasons I chose Saddleback, besides the warranty, is because their metal fittings are silver-colored and I needed my metals (watch, ring, doublemonk buckles, etc) to match up. If you look online there are some criticisms of Saddleback, mainly due to their being made in Mexico and not using vegetable curing of their leather. Here's one for example:
Here are some other companies that make similar briefcases. Some use brass fittings and a couple others use silver (chrome/nickel). This isn't a complete list, so please add others as you see fit:
https://buffalojackson.com/
http://rusticleather.com/
https://www.duluthtrading.com/men/access...d-luggage/
https://www.marlondoleather.com/
http://www.copperriverbags.com/