I am very happy with the bag. Although it arrived a bit late due to shipping delays (that were local to my country, India, not the country of origin, USA: this was an international shipment), the quality, texture, weight, build, grain and colour of the bag is superlative. Pictures do not do justice to the real thing. I am very happy and satisfied with the end result of the transaction.
Mick at Leyden and Sons is an awesome guy to interact with. He has been patient, responsive and most of all very open in his transactions with me. Thank you, Mick! You have gone far, far beyond your "call of duty" as far as customer service goes!
My recommendation to the buyer / customer is not to hesitate on the purchase of this bag. Just go for it. You won't regret it and neither will the person whom you pass it on to.
The bag has already received many comments from my co-workers. All the comments are positive.
Let me start by saying that this bag is entirely too cheap for how well it's built. If you look around for other all-leather bags, particularly from known bag-makers, you can't often find them for less than four or five hundred dollars, even for small satchels. This bag is a steal.
Regarding the materials from which the bag was made, it's entirely comprised of rugged, thick leather that actually gets more handsome as it wears in. All the parts of the bag that aren't made from this robust leather are metal, so you'd really have to work to break it. I am on the move a lot in my day-to-day, so this aspect of the bag, that is, using it heavily doesn't do anything other than improve its appearance, was very important to me. It's a very nice product, but it never makes you think to yourself, 'whoa, I shouldn't be wearing my bag while doing this.' For all its aesthetic appeal, this bag is a functional tool for holding your stuff in a convenient way, under strenuous conditions of use.
With respect to the pockets and compartments, this bag is relatively simple. There is a main compartment, with a septum that is sown into the sidewalls of the compartment, but not the bottom. This allows me to store pretty large stuff in the bag, while still having a way to put folders or papers in securely if the bag is relatively empty. This compartment is where you'd put a laptop if you were going to carry one, and it fits a 15 inch macbook pro in a padded sleeve with ease. Note that, because the bag is actually completely made of thick leather, there's not a lot of natural padding to it. If you want to use it as a laptop bag, (which I do) you should definitely have a padded sleeve to put your computer in. I actually just leave mine in the bag at all times, so it's not very difficult to manage at all. There are four pockets sown on the sides of the bag; two on the front and one on each of the narrow sides. There is also a slip pocket (good for putting papers or a book in for easy access without getting into the bag itself). The pockets on the front can comfortably fit things like paperback books, cds, pens, chargers for whatever electronics you may be carrying, and so on. The pockets on the narrow sides of the bag are better for smaller things: sometimes I put my smart-phone in them, when having it in my pocket is annoying me. The bag doesn't want for carrying capacity, and in fact is rather large, but Leyden and Sons offer smaller bags if you're interested by that. I myself am fairly large, and I often have a lot of stuff to carry, so this is great for me.
On the aesthetic appeal of the bag: Like I said above, it feels like a tool, without feeling like it's something only a bike messenger would use. The leather is supple and extremely comfortable to wear, it doesn't slide off my shoulders, even though most bags do. There are no extraneous doodads on it. Every pocket is something I've put to good use, and because the bag doesn't have any padding or hard plastic, when it's not full it becomes less bulky in appearance. In a way it's both a rugged working bag, and a minimalist large satchel.
Five stars for quality, appearance, and functionality. I'm a fan. I may even get another L&S bag for my girlfriend, since they have a few smaller/sleeker laptop bags that look pretty nice, and I know the construction is going to stand the test.
Buy Leyden and Sons Leather Bag Co. - Backwoods Satchel Now
Easy to tell Satchel is made from top quality leather with hand made stitching and fasteners. New smell of leather is pleasantly overwhelming. Roomy bag with plenty of little pockets that is shipped with a very personal touch. Strikes the right balance between professional and casual. Only wish was that the shoulder strap was a touch wider.
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I must say that I have been disappointed at times when buying a product online. The descriptions and pictures just don't match well with the product I receive. This satchel was just the opposite! I am more than impressed with the workmanship, the materials, the look...everything about this product and would, hands down, recommend this company above many I have seen! Thanks for a great product guys. Keep up the craftsmanship!
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I purchased this bag a few weeks ago, and so far, I absolutely love it! I researched a wide range of bags online and in stores prior to the purchase, and I'm glad it all led me to this one.
First, it's a thing of beauty! It's made of really high quality leather, and has just the right amount of rugged charm. In person, it's closer in color to the photos on Amazon than the ones on Leyden & Sons' website. Because it's new, it's fairly dark, like the Amazon pix, but over time I imagine it might wear into something more like the photos on Leyden & Sons' site, which would be fine by me.
The bag appears to be extremely well-made. The leather is thick and durable, and all the hardware is heavy-duty. In places where they could have put only one rivet they've put two or three or four, so they're going the extra mile to make sure the bag lasts a long time. I've had other bags previously (both leather and canvas) that have eventually worn out at key stress points, sometimes in ways that couldn't be repaired, but the way this bag is constructed I have a feeling that won't be an issue.
When I look at the bag, I can just tell it wasn't factory-made by some giant corporation churning these things out by the gazillion. It looks like something that was handmade with a lot of care and pride, by craftsmen who just wanted to do things the right way and make the best bag they could.
So far it's been very comfortable to use, even when carrying a heavier load. The strap has those two wider pieces which work well and help distribute the weight. I have another similar-sized bag made of canvas that has a wide nylon strap, and I swear an identical load feels lighter in this bag than in the canvas one, despite the fact that the leather bag itself is probably a bit heavier than the canvas bag. Maybe the sturdy leather acts as some kind of frame, distributing the weight, where the canvas one sags a bit and lets the weight all fall on one point? I don't know, I just know this bag makes heavier loads feel lighter.
I think the pricing on the bag is extremely fair, considering what you get. Compared to other options, this is a tremendous value.
I originally wanted to place an order for this bag around the holidays, but they were temporarily out of stock, so I had to wait a few weeks. That wasn't a problem I wasn't in any rush and in a way, I'm glad the bags are being handmade in small batches, and that you don't see every other guy out there walking around with one. If you go to order one and they're temporarily out of stock, be patient they are worth the wait!
Finally, I would say the customer service provided by Mick was personal and exceptional really far beyond what I've experienced when placing online orders with other companies. I'm glad to have my purchase dollars going to a company that provides that level of service, and that provides such an excellent product.
This pack is great for mitigating the fact that going through security checkpoints is a necessary hassle. The storage arrangement makes it very easy to access the areas you expect to need to be able to to remove potentially suspicious items, such as laptops, tablets/phones, liquids, and even unique styli or pens. This backpack offers an excellent variety of organization options, is very lightweight and comfortable, and fits easily into small spaces. As for laptop protection, I was a little concerned at first when I noticed that it seemed that my laptop had too much space to be shaken around inside the backpack. However, this proved to be a non-issue due to the huge amount of padding inside (which can even be increased if you carry any spare clothing). While this is called a TSA Backpack, I highly recommend it for international travelers.
