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?  :)