Looking for a new briefcase

Gollnick

Gollnick

Musical Director
Joined
Mar 22, 1999
Messages
29,258
My old Lands End canvas briefcase is just worn out and needs to be replaced. It's served me for about 25 years now. But one of the seams at the bottom has torn out a bit such that I dare not put small items into the main compartment anymore. There are matching holes on both sides near the top where a bullet went through it... bit of a story there which I won't bore you (pun intended) with (let's just say that I wasn't the triggerman). And the leather patches are crumbling and falling off, especially from the handles.

I don't carry a laptop... believe it or not. But I do often carry books and files and other small stuff.

It has to be office-appropriate/professional-looking, no molle webbing or anything like that.

I've looked that the Tom Bihn Zepher. It may be a bit thick, but it looks good... though it's out-of-stock until mid-March.

So, what other options should I be considering?
 
Personally, I have been eyeballing the Korchmar bags. The Garfield Bomber bag F3005 is a good size and very handsome looking. A bit pricey, but for it to last so long, its not much when you think about it. Good thing for you is the laptop sleeve is optional and not included.


-Xander
 
Filson briefcase. I cannot recommend it too highly. http://www.filson.com/products/brie...sProduct=luggage/briefcases&fmetaProduct=1019

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My Filson 256 is 18 years old and still going strong. It's faded but hasn't lost a single stitch.

Jeff
 
I've been quite happy with the Cambridge Messenger from Levenger. Their Cambridge Brief bag seemed nice as well, but it was a little too big for what I needed.
 
Rickshaw Bagworks Commuter 2.0- Professional, just big enough and understated well enough. Made in USA.



All the Best
Dave
 
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+1 on Saddleback, it's a purchase you will not regret. I have the large briefcase in black. It is very well made and has a well thought out design. You can tell its quality just by looking at at it, virtually every person that sees it asks about it.
 
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Lenny, you are correct Sir. Simply the very best bag and the best looking bag hands down. I travel the world and this bag is a show stopper - it's hard to get from one end of the terminal to the other without being stopped by fellow leather lovers.

This Saddleback Leather bag rocks.

Regards,
Bruce
 
Can't go wrong with these bags, so here's another vote for Saddleback Leather... Ummm, make that two...

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Those saddleback bags look amazing... and well they should for that kind of dough. Still, after having flimsy bags fall apart on me, I can appreciate the allure of a bag that will last a lifetime (or several).
 
Not mine but wish :) Can you get away with this in America?
LOUIS VUITTON PRESIDENT CLASSEUR - ULTIMATE BRIEFCASE
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I'm sad that Duluth Trading no longer sells the Master Series bags. Bought one years ago, brown with black trim so definitely not "tactical" or military-wannabe in appearance. There's so much black nylon at the airports... :barf:

Carried my Master Series bag daily for five years on a drill rig, and now it's been my carry-on for 14 round-trip flights to Australia. Some of the corners are starting to look scuffed, but I can't buy a new one. :(

If it falls apart tomorrow, I'll be looking at Filson's Tin Cloth Briefcase or the Maine Guide briefcase from LL Bean.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I have made no move yet, but the handles on my old one are just crumbling and I do need to act soon.

The Saddleback stuff looks gorgeous... but big. I'm trying to stay around four inches thick.

The LL Bean Marine Guide or Sportman's Briefcase both look nice.

I looked at some Samsonite cases at a local shop. They're all very thick... when empty. They have three compartments with padded dividers. These things are three inches thick with nothing in them. Sometimes, I need padded walls, but I'm not convinced that my papers do.
 
Hi!

I know you said no Molle webbings, but I love my Maxpedition Mpb! In black it is a very unobtrusive bag that is realls handy!

Give it a look and see if it's style would fit you.

Regards.
Alex
 
I have carried a Tom Bihn ID in Black/Navy/Cayenne for the past year +. I'm very happy with it. Carries my iPad, bluetooth keyboard, files, books, and gear very comfortably. Light, yet durable. Bihn's bag construction and quality are amazing! Customer service is pretty stout also.

Peter
 
I have the Maxpedition "Operator Tactical Attache". There are no Molle loops to be found on it. The nylon, zippers and velcro are super tough. My only complaint is the shoulder strap attachment point swivel. Maxpedition made this out of plastic. I don't overload my bag but have found the plastic swivel that resembles a screw snapped causing my bag to fall to the ground! Thank god that I didn't have a laptop in it at the time! I fixed it by using some black zip ties and cinching them through nylon loops on the bag and strap. You can't even notice them! It did the trick but I don't think that an item with an MSRP of over $100 should have this type of a failure....in less than a year! When I first deployed this bag, a co-worker liked the way it looked and how it was constructed that he went out and purchased one. We both had the same failure in the strap swivel attachment point....his came after 3-4 months!
On the other hand, the bag itself is very nice and I am very happy with it. My zip-tie repair should allow me to have this bag in service for many years to come and I don't anticipate any other failures as my misfortune really led me to look this thing over with a fine toothed comb and I couldn't find any other issues that were overlooked in the design.
 
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