Consider this a follow-up to my previous post about Saddleback Leather.
After a week of impatient waiting (does it really take a UPS truck four-and-a-half days to go from Mesquite, TX to Chelmsford, MA? I mean, isn’t crystal meth good for something?), my new bag finally arrived: it is a wonder to behold! Please, share in my joy.
My new bag, a thing of beauty and genuine utility.
Begin by paying close attention to the clasp that fastens the bag shut. Notice that it is a durable buckle that will NOT break. Note, too, that the belt has numerous holes for adjusting the clasp.
Now look at my previous bag:
My old bag. Inadequate.
See the fasteners? Those weak-kneed little bastards routinely popped open, leaving my bag dangling limply at my side. Okay, that’s enough reason to inspire hatred, but it gets worse. There’s no “give” to the closure; that is, if I need to stuff the bag with more than just a notebook and a manila file (say with a laptop and/or a book — both likely scenarios), tough luck! The descending flap won’t reach the (heinous, useless, odious) snaps.
See how heroic my new bag is? I can cram a laptop, a notebook, a couple of books and just about anything else my heart desires into the loving folds of its rich, butter-soft full-grain leather. (I think my bag and I need to get a room…)
Observe this side by side comparison of the interior spaces:
Behold the interior capacities of my bags.
Below, the old bag. Above it, the new one. The vast increase in capacity is obvious. But there’s another subtle, yet important, distinction: the flap of the old bag is lined with some kind of textile, probably nylon or polyester. The new bag is lined with pig skin — that’s right, the same good stuff used to make footballs.
Ahh, please allow me to pause while I relight my pipe and collect my thoughts. There!
I’ve just touched on the most prominent virtues. But as you can see in the photos, there are other advantages as well, beginning with the leather itself (thick, fully-tanned, highest-grade material), the strength of every rivet and stitch and, most importantly, the overall build-quality.
If I ever have the privilege of visiting you at your office, I will bring this bag of wonders. And if you’re really nice (or you have a particularly appealing project to throw my way) I may just let you touch it.
Maybe.