Leather briefcase 18 inch laptop messenger bag for men and women best satchel office bag

Title probably sounds a little negative, but it's not. Firstly, I love this briefcase. I noticed that there were comments on smell and while there is a smell, I had to actually put my nose to the item to notice it. And I didn't find it unpleasant; to each their own. It's very high quality and appears very well made. I didn't have concerns with the main clasp as I had read by others, but I'll keep an eye on it. The shoulder strap is very long, which is nice because I can use it on one shoulder or as a crossbody bag. It has a nice zipper pocket inside and card slots, not that I would use those. It would be my luck that the cards would fall out... Why I say it's almost perfect...but gave it 5 stars. I made some compromises because this bag meet most of my needs while being beautiful and well made. So my compromises are minor concessions. I would like it to have a zipper top under the flap. I'm afraid my clumsiness will cause a spill and things will get lost. I would like the two front compartments to have clasps under the buckles. I'd like the buckles to be decorative like the one on the main compartment. The lining is beautiful. I love the green/blue plaid. But...I wish it would be something less pet hair attractive. Same with the shoulder strap. Lastly: and this is a biggie. My laptop is a 17" Dell Precision 7760 ("workstation", if that matters) and it was a VERY TIGHT fit into the laptop compartment. It's an effort to get it in there and fits a little more than snug. And the velcro security strap can't fasten because the laptop sticks out too far. So...technically, my laptop fits, but it was very snug. Just the way the padded compartment is constructed, I wouldn't expect any relaxing with age of the leather. Maybe I read the dimensions incorrectly? Anyway, my laptop does fit and this was the best looking bag IMO available, so I'm keeping it. It really is beautiful and well made.

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.

Superb build quality and excellent materials used. The soft inside lining is ideal, with large, cavernous carry area inside is perfe4ct and the separate notebook (carried a 15" with ease) is well thought out and has a Velcro strap for securing. There is an inside pocket, with pen holders and credit card slots available. I personally would have preferred the pocket moved to the very end of the inside opening. There are to outside pockets as well and these are constructed of the same high quality material. The strap is long and easily adjustable to suit all carry modes. Highly recommend.

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.

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.

There's a couple bad reviews below, so let me address specific complaints before I get to the bag review. 1. The smell--no, it does not have a horrible smell. It smells like naturally-tanned leather, which may be different than some people are used to. Most people are used to chemically-treated leather, which has a different smell. Regardless, any smell it has will fade within a week or two of use, just like with any leather. You can also buy leather spray to eliminate the smell. Further, what smell there is fades within ten minutes of taking it out of the plastic where it's been building up for a week or more after being packed and shipped. 2. The color--anyone who complains about the color of the leather, quite frankly, doesn't know anything about leather and shouldn't be making such uneducated complaints in a review. OF COURSE it's a different shade than the photo. Natural leather isn't uniform unless it uses a solid leather color dye to make it uniform. Most natural leather dyes come out a light color with a grain pattern. Leather also darkens (and softens) as you use it. If it's the same color as the photo when it arrives, within a few months of use it'll be way darker than the photo. Okay, now onto the product itself. I've been looking for a leather satchel that could fit my 17.3" HP Envy laptop for years. It's been really tough to find one that was well made and didn't cost $300. I took a chance on this one based on the good reviews, and I have not been disappointed. It's completely natural-tanned leather, without the use of chemicals, so if you're into eco-friendly methods, this one is the way to go. The vendor is nice enough to send detailed care instructions with the package, though caring for it is the same as caring for any other leather items you might own. As with most leather crafts, it's a little stiff, but should get more supple with use. It's extremely well-made, with solid double-stitching and reinforcement on the panel for the grab handle. There's a shoulder pad on the adjustable strap, which is a nice addition you don't always see on leather satchels. In addition to the huge central padded pocket, which will fit my laptop plus a book or two, there are large front and rear pockets that can fit a couple of 8.5x11 hardcover gaming books in each, plus thin zipper pockets for folders behind the back and ahead of the front. An additional, third zipper folder pocket is on the back. On the front of the bag are two spacious front pockets which are ideal for a mouse, small note pad, small portable hard drive or other small items. Dual buckle side pockets are ideal for your mobile devices or a multitool. As a bonus, it also came with a nice leather pencil/pen case that I didn't expect. Overall, a really nice bag--lightweight, sturdy, and very well constructed with more than enough space to carry your life with you wherever you go. I was a little disappointed that it's advertised as Prime shipping, but took over a week to arrive, but then, Amazon seems content to charge us a mint for Prime and no longer live up to the primary reason people choose it--for free 2-day shipping. That just is what it is, I suppose. Blame Amazon for that, not the maker. Overall, I'm thrilled with this and would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a bag that can fit up to a 17.3" laptop (and possibly larger, as mine seems to fit with room to spare).

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