Leather briefcase 18 inch laptop messenger bag

Just received this bag and these are first impressions. Since this bag will get daily use I will update this in a couple months to update on how well it's holding up. First impression out of the box: impressive! Double stitching all around with crossed reinforcement stitching on the buckles and straps. Time will tell how well the shoulder strap and connection will hold up, will be used primarily for a 15" laptop, ipad and various reading material and notebooks so I won't be overloading it but strap connections seem to have been my bane. There are double rivets on the strap along with the cross stitching and it looks pretty solid. The goatskin leather itself I think is the perfect thickness for this sort of bag. Heavy enough to have some rigidity and stand on it's own and hold shape without collapsing down, but not so thick that it is stiff and rigid. I'm sure it will soften with time and use and will become a bit more pliable. It came wrapped well in a cloth bag and a plastic bag around both. It does smell of leather but I found no foul aroma as I have seen in previous reviews. I could smell the vegetable oil it was tanned with but no powerful chemical smell. Smells like leather. It's been out for a day and the aroma is dissipating already. This thing has plenty of room with a good use of space. The olive drab canvas interior has a zippered pocket on both the front and back and the main compartment has two dividers with 4' of space in the middle. There is also a zippered pocket on the back. The front outside pockets have an inside dimension of 4.25 x 6.0 x 1.5. The side pockets are small but certainly usable. The leather looks good, you can see the grain and character. I can see sometime in the near future putting a conditioner or oil in it to keep it from drying and to help water resistance. A note was enclosed with the package thanking the purchaser and giving general leather care tips. As of now I would have no hesitation purchasing again, and certainly not from this seller. Shipping was extremely fast and was packed and padded very well. I was originally looking for a leather camera bag when I came across this, if there were a similar bag a little deeper with the padded sections for dslr and lenses I would jump on it.

I am a professor, so with the academic year around the corner, I decided to upgrade my messenger bag. I shopped around our local stores and everything was at least $300, even after huge discounts. I decided to buy this one because it seemed decent in the photos. It looks better than all the designer bags I saw and the price is great. It smells amazing too (I am saying this because I see so many people complaining about the smell; I went to the office today with this bag, and the entire room smelled like great leatherwork). It has the right compartments, it fits my laptop (it even has a cushioned compartment for my laptop, so I will not be forced to use the cushioned sleeve I used to take with me every day), it has enough space for books, notebooks, etc. I even fit a lamp in it today. Amazing bag! Buy it!

This bag is wonderful. I've bought two of them. To address the two complaints I see in the reviews: 1) I haven't noticed a smell other than new leather on either bag, so that must be a random quirk to do with shipping or packing. I've had zero issue with either bag. 2) The color is lighter upon receipt of the bag, but that's because the leather darkens to the color shown in the picture with age. Both of mine started darkening within the first month or so. It also softens with age, so the stiffness doesn't stick around. In terms of durability, I used the first bag for over a year and a half, working full time and going to school full time with an hour round trip commute to each, year round. In other words, I never went home. I packed the bag chock full of text books, a laptop and charger, notebooks, a change of clothes and shoes, and school supplies. I also used it as a carry-on multiple times, and packed it to the brim instead of checking a bag (Side note: it's the exact size of the carry-on measuring basket when you board the plane- PERFECT). There were definitely times where this bag carried 50 lbs of books and tech while getting thrown around a grocery store locker room and lugged up and down the university stairwells. After daily use and abuse for over a year and a half, it wasn't until this August that the stitching began to come undone on the top strap and the welding of one of the metal loops connecting the strap to the body of the bag broke open. It was still usable and the damage didn't seem to progress substantially with continued use, so I kept using it every day for a month. I was actually just going to try to find a place to get it fixed, because I love the bag so much, but my better half surprised me with a new one before I had the time to search out a leather repair shop. This new bag is even sturdier than the first, as the place where the stitching had begun to come loose on the shoulder strap has been redesigned, so there is no seam cutting across the strap, and the metal loops connecting the strap to the body are smaller, therefore distributing the weight of the bag's contents more evenly and consistently. I'm keeping the old one, just in case we go on a trip and both need a nice carry-on. I get compliments on this bag every time I start a new class or job, and I don't think I'd be lying if I said "any time I take it anywhere." Men, women, professors, students, landlords, bankers, what-have-you, all love this bag. It's beautiful, and you really can't beat the price. To be honest, I would be willing to spend $200 on this bag. The quality and look are amazing. and the number of pockets, zippers, and dividers make it unbelievably easy to stay organized. None of you know me, but that's really a massive accomplishment when it comes to me, my brain, and my life.

Great bag. VERY high quality. I love the smell. Looks very classy and retro. Perfect for my laptop and school books. Constructed well very sturdy. I love that its handmade water buffalo leather!!!

Completely satisfied, and that is a hard badge to earn with me. I was concerned that it would arrive looking much different than the pictured interior and with much cheaper quality but it did not. I loved the look of the leather. Keep in mind there will be some variations due to the nature of leather, but mine arrived as shown. I did treat it with a good wipe of mink oil and a rag to protect it. I love the quality and craftsmanship. I would not hesitate to purchase this many more times if needed. Zippers are of good quality and appear durable. Strap is very adjustable. Color is spot On. A good solid weight but not heavy. Would make a great gift. Pictured it looks very thin but it expands to easily hold my leather legal sized portfolio and laptop inside without a problem. Perfect.

Strap is adjustable and comfortable. Needs a teensy bit more padding. Overall great for the price. Very durable make, buckles are clean and fun to use. Organization has never been easier. Fits more than you’d think.

I have received my 18" leather messenger bag. This is for my new 17" HP laptop and supplies. It was delivered in excellent condition and on time via Amazon Prime delivery services, After careful inspection I can give it a 5/5 rating; 100% satisfaction. The reasons for this are: 1, Delivered on time 2. Lowest price available on the net 3. Properly represented by seller; was well protected and wrapped for damaged free shipping. A follow up letter by sell to confirm everything was proper and that the buyer was 100% satisfied; which I am. Special attention was made by me; having worked with leather in the past my self and being a quality control engineer (now retired). All straps, buckles and zippers made of quality materials. The leather itself was made of top quality leather; no under belly stretch marks found of cheaper low quality animals. The leather was tanned to match and properly blended in the selection process. All fasteners were properly riveted. The sewing of the leather also show perfection. The stiches were doubled for strength and durability and did not over run the material or itself. This tells me that the person making and inspecting this product took pride in their work. Something hard to find in today's market place. It even had a nice cloth bag covering the item. This also was well made. Although, when working with new leather there was a slight smell of newly tanned leather but only a slight smell which unfortunately will wear off too soon. All in all a great piece of workmanship, pride and quality! Needless to say I would by it again and be happy to recommend it to my friends. More than likely I will be purchasing other items made by this manufacture and carry them all with pride, Highest regards to all involved.......... RCS 4/15/2017

I received this bag recently. Here are my first impressions. I’ll update if needed after a little more time has passed. So many honest reviews have been written about this bag. It’s hard to say more. Here are some things I agree with and can confirm. The bag is nice looking and well represented in the listing on Amazon. In fact, I would suggest more pics be included as the inside of the bag was better and even more roomy than shown. The bag does not smell any more than other real leather products. A slight “leather” smell perhaps but it in no way annoyed even me who is typically sensitive to strong smells. The strap isn’t removable but adjustable, the bag is larger than most and does almost resemble a small portfolio bag in size and shape, the leather dye doesn’t run off onto clothing, the inside has two large zippered compartments and three more roomy spaces in the middle, the bag does have a very slightly padded area for your laptop, and it comes perfectly wrapped in a fabric bag with a hand signed note apparently from the maker/owner. Lots of positives for the price! I would gladly pay more for this same product if it also had a removable strap, actual secure clips of some sort that are faster to work than old school buckles, slightly larger exterior pockets, came in more color choices like darker brown, had slightly thicker interior fabric, and had metal tips on the end of the straps to keep them from getting beat up. Of course I’m being really picky with my personal preferences that may not match yours. So far I am pleased with the bag considering the price. I expect it to work for me for some time. This bag is fairly simple in build and very rustic and vintage in design EDIT: 2023 and I’m still using this bag! That’s about 7 years and it’s still going strong. It looks even better now with age.