Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Monthly update

The leather is stretching out, softening up, breaking in.  The pen sleeves, the leather strap to the main compartment, everything is loosening up.  What is most noticeable is the rigidity of the bag.  When I first got it, I felt like I could stand on it and it would hold it's shape.  Now it's more flexible.  The leather holding the D-rings are loosening up and now they clank a bit as I walk around or in the car when I'm driving.  That huge ring that digs into your back when you sling it across your shoulder?  Problem solved.  Since the handle has loosened up, I can just tuck it and problem solved.

Metal pieces digging into your back?  Just flip it back!

I've walked out in the rain with the bag- twice it was nothing, just a few sprinkles.  One time it was raining a fair bit.  I didn't know what to make of the leather when it got wet- would the water roll off like it was made of Gore-tex?  Laugh at water like the website says?  When it gets wet, it's like any other material- the leather absorbs the water and darkens.  When it dries up, no spots.  Now I'm not sure what would happen if I was walking around in a rain storm- I drive everywhere so I'm not really exposed to the elements.

A little blurry, but you get the idea.
I'm not sure when I'm gonna condition or clean the bag- so far it's not that dirty and it's holding up well.  I'm thinking I might do it yearly, if that.  No trips to the amazon or anything like that so I'll play it by ear.  I'm not too concerned with it because it seems like it's tough enough to handle my daily life.  And this is one of the big reasons why I got this bag- it doesn't need to be babied.  Look!  A scratch?  Life goes on.  Gets a bit wet?  Whatever.  Just use it and forget it.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Saddleback as a day bag


Over the weekend, I took a short trip out to Michigan and had an opportunity to use the Saddleback as a day bag while walking around the entire day.  I was a bit concerned with the weight, but what's the worst that could happen?  I get fed up with the bag and walk back to the car and drop it off.  So off it went.  I didn't use it as a backpack, I used it as a messenger bag like I did with my Patagonia bags while living in NYC.  

To sum it up- yeah, it's heavy.  On short trips, on the way to work, on the way to Starbucks, it's fine.  On a flight with 13 layovers in the wrong way of your final destination?  It's good.  Even on a 30 minute walk, it's fine.  But try going out and about for the entire day- 10am to 10pm.  It gets heavy.  And on a hot day, it doesn't help either.  I found myself shifting the bag from one shoulder to another, holding it like a briefcase, putting it down at stores, etc.  The Patagonia?  I would have forgotten it on the day trip.  The Saddleback is also a little bulky- I was at a crowded farmer's market and it got pushed around a bit as I navigated through the crowds.  It was a relief to put the sucker down for lunch and dinner.

The skeptics among you may be thinking, "Ah!  I bet you were carrying around a liter of water, a laptop, the special edition of War & Peace with the solid lead book cover, a SLR, and your trusty traveler's 10lb dumbbell!"  Touché... Well I was carrying my car keys, my apt keys, my iPhone, my wallet, a USA today, some loose change, a few papers with my hotel reservations and an umbrella.  That's it.  

I guess the next step is to try it out like a backpack.  But then it looks a bit off, like I'm some grade school student on his way to classes in the 19th century.  And it's still gonna be heavy.  The bag also looks a little too formal, esp. when I'm wearing t-shirts, shorts, and gym shoes.  In terms of security, the buckle is probably harder to pick pocket compared to a bag with a open sleeve or a zipper.  So that's a plus.

Oh yeah, it rained a bit.  My bag got a bit wet and when it dried?  No spots.

Would I go out exploring next time with the Saddleback?  Yeah.   But I'd definitely bring the other shoulder strap and transform it into a bookbag to try it out.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Size does matter...

So I got asked a question about if this bag would be too big on a particular body type.  I'm skinny and 5'9.  The medium thin briefcase I think is the perfect size for me.  I actually got out a tape measure to measure it out (dorky, I know) to get an idea of the bag would look like.  I used my 13" Macbook Pro as a starting point to get an idea of the size of the bag.  When I got it, I asked my girlfriend what she thought of the bag and she gave it a thumbs up- and she's not afraid to tell me if something is too baggy, too tight, etc.

The medium thin briefcase's dimensions are: 15" x 11 ½” x 4 ¼”

In other words, it's about the size of 4 15" Macbook Pros (if they were slightly larger) stacked on top of each other.  If you're looking for a slim attache to hold a few files, this isn't the bag for you.  If you're looking for a bookbag like the ones I used in high school where I roll 4-5 textbooks deep between classes, this is not for you.  I think this is just right for my daily work- I carry some files, some trade journals, a few tiny reference books, an iPad on occasion, and lots of ID badges, keys, cell phone charger, and other tiny stuff for work.  I've fit one of those Sigg insulated coffee travel mugs in the compartment as well.

As a day bag, yeah... the Saddleback, it's a bit big.  But I've been lugging it around everywhere I go.  For a work bag, that will see a lot of office action, it works well.

I don't really know how I would stack up against the other briefcases.
Hey Dave, el presidente, wanna send me a me a couple other bags in different sizes?

And to show that I'm not totally biased, I'd also be willing to try out a carbon fiber Zero Halliburton, a Berluti, some Prada briefcases, you know whatever.  So if anybody out there can get me one, let's make it happen!

Pictures

So here are two pictures after a few weeks of daily use:

The leather is softening up a bit, still looks new.

The leather gets marked up easy- I swear I don't have acrylic nails!!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

August update

So I'm at work in a quiet period now. 

Some observations-
-those D-rings could be hazardous to your car- you know how sometimes you've got your bag slung across your shoulder as your reach into your car to get something and the bag slips off?  I've heard the D-rings clink against the car in some cases.  It also does that if I'm in a rush and pull the bag out of the car quickly- no damage to the car, but not a pleasant thing.
-The bag does get heavy with stuff in it.  Today I had some light stuff, the usual- the keys, IDs, 3 cookies, my one file, two magazines, and an ipad.  Definitely heavier than my old bag.  But not a dealbreaker. 
+I did get complemented on the bag, twice in one day.  I guess I have to retract the statement I made earlier about those testimonials on Saddleback's website now. 
+for a work bag, it's the perfect size for me
-for a  daily bag, it's a bit big, but I'm still gonna use it daily because it's cool.  And it can handle it.
+it still smells good, but it no longer envelops the room in a leatherly smell
+the leather buckle thing is getting easier to open/close.  I can do it with one hand now- why does that sound dirty?
-It's still a pain to unbuckle it- it's fine for going to work and back, but another drawback when using it as a daily bag, i.e. opening the bag to get the car keys, house keys, etc.
-The leather is breaking in a bit- the d-rings are sliding around more, the leather strap to open the case is easing up, as is the shoulder strap.  The pen sleeves I whined about are now loosening up.  If this is a problem for any current owners- just shove in two bic pens in both sleeves, give it a few weeks, problem solved.  The big mama pocket is still stiff and covers up the space below it. 

I'm still gonna use it as a daily bag- if this thing has a 100yr warranty, I'm gonna get my money's worth.  So far it's been on journeys to various branch offices, gone apt. hunting, and accompanied me on an apple picking adventure at the local grocery store!  Hardcore stuff, I know.  It grows on you, this bag.  When I get home, I'll take a picture of it- the leather is scratching up, but it's a known fact it does that.  The greatest thing about that is the bag is not a prissy, prima donna bag that you have to worry about.  Surprisingly, I haven't worn it when it's rained yet.  I suspect after this winter, the bag will look different after all the snow.  I am a bit jealous of the classic briefcase design- it's got more pockets on the inside, aside from that the thin briefcase is about 1000x better. 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Another competitor to Saddleback

Again, I was looking around on the intrawebs and came across an ad for the new line of Coach bags for men.  Nothing that really stands out and it's a bit more expensive than the Saddlebacks.  The more I think about it, the more I think that the Saddlebacks really aren't all that too expensive.  Yes they are expensive if you are just looking for any kind of bag or briefcase.  But if you want a nice leather briefcase, it's not all that expensive.

The bag is definitely interesting.  It's got character, I'll give it that.  I think that initially I was more curious to see what it was like rather than excited to have it.  Now I'm beginning to really like it.  I really like the keystrap.  You don't have to go fishing around to find the keys and it's long enough to use the key.  Due to the lack of pockets, I feel that the first compartment with the big 6" x 6" pocket is a no-man's land.  It's just a mish-mash of little trinkets needed for work- a small reference book, keys, my rubber stamp, etc.  And it's all a bit disorganized.  Would be nice to have more pockets.  I also really like how it's a nice bag but it's not flash.  No brand names, no logos visible on the outside.  It's not a flash briefcase from the "f-you school of design".  I read that somewhere and liked the sound of it.

The only thing is that I used to use my Patagonia mini mass as my daily bag- keys, wallet, cell phone.  I'd take it everywhere with me- the grocery story, etc.  It was small and lightweight so I wouldn't think twice about and I never forgot anything.  I guess I could do the same with my Saddleback, but it's fairly big for it to do double duty as a daily bag.  I might try it out.  Today I went to the store and forgot my wallet, so I had to drive back and return with the wallet.

You know what?  Let's do it.  I'm gonna use this bag for everything.  Use it as a daily bag- not just for work.  This is supposed to be one bad mother *shut your mouth* I'm talkin' bout Saddleback *then we can dig it!*

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Workday impression, part deux


It's definitely growing on me, this bag.  It's a flawed bag in the sense that I still miss my Patagonia Mini Mass pockets and it is heavy, but not tear the arm off heavy.  It's got character and the bigger size definitely helps with carrying my files and stuff.  Initially, I worried if the bag might be too small.  But looking over at Saddleback's other products, anything else would be just too big.

Still use it on the weekends as a day bag.  Lots of nice pockets.

Here's a picture of the area where the buckle is- as you can see after two days of use, the scratches are showing up.  So if you like your things looking neat, this bag probably isn't for you.
No, I don't wear acrylics.  
Again, I'm just gonna have to comment on the smell of this thing.  Today at one office, the room I work in is pretty small- by the end of the morning it was reeking of leather.  Nice touch, I think.

A rival to the Saddleback...


So I was looking around the net for more Saddleback info and typed in "Saddleback Leather" into the Google News search box.  I came across a review for a Col. Littleton No. 42 courrier bag for the iPad and laptop.  Damn was my first thought.  I went to the Col. Littleton website to check out their goods.  Designs are ehhh...  And you better like Col. Littleton brown.  But they do have alligator skin stuff, and sell a more variety of stuff as well, even knives.  Oh, and you can get your stuff monogrammed.  They also seem to use some copper tubing in an interesting design touch.  The quality seems just as good as Saddleback.  The prices are higher than Saddleback as well.  The briefcase you see up there is $610 dollars.  Out of curiosity, yes, you can buy this on Amazon, so the AMEX trick can work here as well.  If I had to get one of these bags, I'd probably go for their No. 83 bookbag & laptop bag pictured below:

$625... that is making my bag looking like a good value.

I'm more of a bigger fan of the Saddleback design, especially my thin briefcase.  The big sticking point is the multiple leather straps and buckles needed to open the main compartment.  The products, the leather, the website was not as hardcore bull testicle shredding tough as the Saddlebacks.  Col. Littleton seems like a man you would find on a rocking chair out in front of his house with a pitcher of lemonade in the South, he wouldn't be bragging about alligators chewing on his bags or shark diving clutching to one of his bags full of chum and a harpoon in the other hand.

So I present to you another alternative to Saddleback.  But I'm happy with my bag.

Col. Littleton, wanna send me down a No. 83 bag to review?  I can't guarantee I'll like it, but I'll give an honest opinion of the bag and pit it against my Saddleback, sir.

And Dave, el Presidente, you are always welcome to offer me more bags to review.  So far, so good Dave.

Full disclosure- I am not paid by either company and the Saddleback was bought with my own hard-earned AMEX bonus points and cash.  But I will be more than happy to review additional bags if they send it down to me... are you guys getting the hint?  :)

Monday, July 18, 2011

First day out observations

So I took my bag out to the office today.


Exterior:
My Patagonia Mini Mass had a zippered pocket on the outside where I stashed my garage door opener.  It was nice because I never had to fish it out- the material was thin enough where I could hit the button through it.  It was also nice to put the office keys, etc for easy access.  The exterior has no such pocket, so I'm left unbuckling it to access the keys in the big pocket... or putting everything into my pockets.

The shoulder strap is not the most comfy in the world.  But again, I'll attribute it to the extremely thick and rigid leather.  We'll see what happens overtime.

The buckle is loosening up.  A bit.  I still have lots of work to do on it.

As per the testimonials on the website, people will stop you and ask you about the bag.  Didn't happen today.  Boo-hoo! Do I care?  No.  It's a pretty cool bag.

Interior:
The pen pockets are too tight for my generic bic pens- I'm hoping it will loosen up after awhile.  I can fit a pen into it, but maybe like a bit more that 1/2 of the pen in.  And the leather is probably too thick for the little clips to attach onto the leather.

The big pocket is actually nice, it's growing on me.  I have a bunch of stuff and it's easy to reach in and fish around for stuff.

I love the big compartment- it's nice to have enough space to put files and things like that in it.  I can even store my Macbook in here.  Beautiful.

Overall, I like the bag.  I'm annoyed at the lack of pockets.  The weight wasn't a big issue, but then again I got the smallest briefcase.  Looking good so far.  And again, the thing reeks of leather.  Which is a good thing.

Crazy copy leather

I found this other store called Crazy Horse Leather: http://www.crazyhorseleather.com/
Now compare it to Saddleback Leather: http://www.saddlebackleather.com/

Pretty funny, huh?  I couldn't find a review of the Crazy Horse Leather briefcase.  Anybody have one? I'd like to know what it's like.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

More impressions


Exterior:
The outside is very simple in terms of functionality- there are no side pockets to put a to-go coffee mug or anything like that.  The only pocket on the outside is the sleeve that Saddleback calls a "newspaper pocket."  But you may say, "The D-rings!  What about the D-rings?"  The website states you can attach umbrellas or anything else you like to it, but that's a bit too let's go camping for me.  And since I'm using it more for the office rather than hacking my way through a jungle in South America looking for Inca gold, well I won't be using them much.  But hey, if I go hiking or something, why not use them?

The shoulder strap is hefty.  That thing is going to last a life time.  The only thing I worry about is the little attachments at the end.  I've had bags with those kinds of attachments, only to fail a few years later. But with a 100yr warranty and the claims of toughness, I'm hoping I'll be proven wrong.  It's a bit odd to have two shoulder straps, but there is a reason for that- you can convert it into a backpack.  This bag is relegated to office work, so that's not gonna happen and I'm not even gonna try it.  You can remove one of them if you are just going to use it as a shoulder strap.  They seem comfortable, but then again I just tried it out in my apartment and haven't slogged through Manhattan with it all day.

The main buckle that gives access to the compartments is going to take awhile to get used to.  Again, the leather is brand new and it's gonna take some time to loosen up.  I've read on other reports that it gets easier and eventually it can be done with one hand.


Interior:
On the inside, the space is divided into two compartments which are both 2.25" thick.  One compartment has two pen holders on both ends, a huge pocket, and a leather strap with a keystrap.  Pockets in briefcases are a good thing.  But the one pocket is huge, I think it would have been better to have two pockets that were smaller.  Another problem, which I expect to be a short-term problem is that interior pocket is supposedly "collapsable".  Um, not now... the entire bag is stiff due to the thick leather used.  That pocket is not collapsing anytime soon.  In fact, I feel that for now, the pocket blocks off half of the space in this compartment.  The keystrap is a fantastic idea.  And attached to the keystrap... was a FREE keychain!  Why am I so excited for a tiny black leather keychain?  Because I needed a new one and my prayers were answered!  Prayer you say?  There has been some controversy about the Saddleback Leather company putting in slips of paper with a Bible verse on it, but I saw no such thing in the box or in the bag.  I did get 3 business cards for the Saddleback Leather company.  

The strap, 3 business cards, and a keychain


Interior has pigskin lining,
whatever it is, high quality stuff.
Overall:
Quality wise, it looks like a solidly built bag.  I can't say how awesome the seams are and that the threading they use is 103.5% stronger than the thread that is built to SEAL team 6 specifications, because, well I don't know much about that.  If you're into all that, then go to their website.  All I can say is that feels like it's built well, and feels that the leather is high quality and it looks like it is built well... with one little niggle.  If you see the pic below, you'll see that are two really, tiny holes where they put the leather bits to hold the D rings that stick out at the botton of the bag.  Tiny openings.  Fortunately I don't carry sewing needles, so this shouldn't be a problem.  But I thought it would be sewed up tight.  Well, we'll see how it goes over time.  I really, really like the design of the bag, no second thoughts on buying it.




Bottom of the bag
Hold it up to the light, and you'll see the tiny gap


Final Thoughts:
With shipping from Amazon, this was $440.  People say these bags are expensive, and yeah they are, but... go to Tumi (I always think of the army of dudes dressed in business casual at the airport, and I do not want to look like the masses) and you can easily get a bag more expensive than this.  The Zero Halliburtons are around $300 unless you want their Carbon Fiber briefcase, which will set you back a cool $2,500.  Either way, you'll get that nice drug dealer look.  Go to Barney's or Saks Fifth Avenue, and you can easily find bags that will make Saddleback prices look like thrift store prices.  So it's really not too expensive for a nice briefcase.

There has been a lot of hype with these bags online, I think it's a bit of that hard to get kind of mentality that makes people interested in these bags.  Not everybody has one and they're not sold in stores.  I haven't heard of these guys until I started looking for a briefcase.  This is one of the reasons why I decided to start this blog/review.  Anybody can review a product once- and there are lots of brief reviews on the box-fresh Saddleback bags.  But this is going to be a long-term review.  Every month I'll post up a picture and briefly comment on it- maybe I'll write nothing but glowing reviews down the road, maybe it will fall apart 1yr later, who knows?

If you really want a new Saddleback Leather bag, I will give you two options to save a bit of money when the time comes to buy one:
1) Start checking their Dave's Deals section on their website as you save up.  Basically they are a bit cheaper because of imperfections in the bag.  Click on the bag you're interested in and it will tell you what the defect is- i.e. a wrinkle on the front flap, some odd stain on the back panel, etc.  I totally would have done this had it not been for the second option.

2) If you have an American Express, link the bonus points to Amazon.com.  Then use the points to buy the bag.  I did it this way and ended up paying $23.50 for the bag.

It's the weekend, so unfortunately it's just sitting in my apartment.  On the bright side, that area has that lovely smell of leather.  

Brief initial impressions

What impressed me the most first off was the smell- if you don't like the smell of leather, then forget the Saddlebacks.  Last night I had it on my desk and about 6ft away I was watching TV on my couch when I could still smell the leather.  Wonder how long it will last and if the contents of my briefcase will start to smell like leather.

The leather is tough.  It's not butter smooth, it's not that slick "is it vinyl" leather that feels that water would roll off it either.  It's got some texture to it, a slightly fuzzy feeling.  There are scratches here and there on the case.  But as previous reviews stated, it scratches easy- I'm not talking about a deep cut that damages the leather, but more like the finish.  Over time, this is what will create that patina with use and age that will make this bag look great.  I'll post up pics later today

The design is pretty much what I had expected, except maybe I felt that the color was a bit different on the image of the website, I had expected it to be lighter.

The weight?  Yeah, it's on the heavy side empty, but I'm not concerned about the weight.

OK, more to come!

Friday, July 15, 2011

It's here!

 Sorry about the delay, Friday night was fun, didn't have time to write too much up but here's the box- let's hope the bag can take a bit of wear and tear better than the box:



And the first pic of my Saddleback Leather bag.  More to come tomorrow!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Even closer...

UPS... what can brown do for you?
That sounds filthy.

Now it's in my state.  Looks like my weekend will get off to a good start.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Tracking the Saddleback

So the bag's left Ft. Worth, Texas.  I can't wait for the bag.  Not so much because I know this is a good product, but at this point it's more that I'm curious.  I've never handled the bag, seen one in person (does watching youtube videos count?), and it's got this reputation online as being a great bag.

The package weighs 7.5lbs.  Really?  The bag is supposed to weigh 4.25lbs.  So... packaging is 3.25lbs?  Well, we'll see soon enough.

In the meantime, here is what my bag will look like:


Cool iPhone trick.  When I checked the email confirming that they had shipped the bag out, the tracking number was a link.  I clicked on it and it took me to the UPS website and done.  Pretty cool.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Decision

I'm getting a Tobacco Saddleback Leather Thin Briefcase (medium).

First off, I am not affiliated in anyway with Saddleback.  And this will be a long-term review.  I've seen too many reviews of the bag where they spend a day to a month or so with it and that's it.  And I think these reviews aren't really properly reviewing the bag since these bags are touted for their durability, 100yr warranty, I'm looking at you.  So I'll write a quick blurb about it every month and throw in some pics every now and then. 

So how did I decide to get a Saddleback bag?  Well I was looking for a briefcase for work, something more than a bookbag.  My daily bag was a black Patagonia mini mass- great for carrying the daily stuff, but with my job this year, I needed something to carry files and etc.  The mini mass wasn't cutting it.  Initially I was looking at Prada and other kinds of high-end brands, looked at Tumi for a brief period.  God, they're expensive for what they are… some of them were pushing $500 and no leather.   I almost pulled the trigger on a $850 Bric's briefcase on sale for $375 at Barney's.  I was all over the place.  So why isn't this a review of a Prada Saffiano Leather Briefcase or some other flash briefcase?  A couple of reasons- $1600 is a bit steep.  And I would be torn if it got a scratch or be afraid to go out with it if it were raining.  Knowing me, I'd probably carry a waterproof bag to go with the Prada.  Ridiculous.  Also I meet with people from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds.  From high-income professionals to people on welfare, and I feel that a Prada briefcase would give off a bit of the flash, f-you image to those not as fortunate.  I wanted to look professional, but not offensive.  

I liked the fact that the Saddlebacks would look better with age and wear, I didn't have to worry about babying it.  But I absolutely hate their classic briefcase design.  So much so, that I swore off the entire brand.  Then I took a second look the next day and looked through their product line.  The tobacco thin briefcase (medium) was beginning to call out to me.  Another advantage was that it was nice looking but didn't have that flash image like a Prada or Ferragamo.  A search on the internet and reading some reviews brought up some concerns- a period where the quality wasn't "let's go rip off the testicles at that angry bull with my bare hands" tough, the hefty weight, and some reviewers complaining of items that fall out of the inside pockets when not upright- a concern since I planned to stash my cell phone there.  But for the most part they were positive reviews so here I am.

If you were to go to Amazon and buy this now, it would cost $440, which includes shipping.  I paid $23.50.  WTF?  Yup.  Not a typo.  I had just linked my AMEX card to Amazon and lo and behold I had enough points where after it was all said and done was just $23.50, pretty much the cost of shipping.  Ordering through Amazon is exactly like ordering through Saddleback, or at least it feels like that.  Saddleback e-mailed me saying that they had received the order the next day.  And a day after that Saddleback emailed me that they had shipped it and gave me a UPS tracking number.

So I'll be using it 5 days out of the week for work.  I drive to work, so it will get less of the beating as if I walked or took public transportation.  I guess the most adventurous aspect of my commute is that sometimes it can rain a lot.  Oh, and the winters are nasty and we get lots of snow.  And the parking lot at certain offices can be a bit far from the office entrance… yeah, so let's see if a Saddleback can handle that!  So no swashbuckling tales of the Ukranian mob boss, the fountain of youth, and a alligator high on Peruvian coke while in Cabo. 

UPS promises that this Friday I'll have the Saddleback bag in my possession.  Can't wait.

And here's the website... it's a bit over the top.  You have been warned.
http://www.saddlebackleather.com/