The first three pictures are the actual bag that is being auctioned. It is a SECOND. This is one of my MEDIUM 14 inch wide CHESTNUT REDDISH BROWN bags. It is a second because its front flap was cut too long. This causes the bag to sag a bit when closed. On the positive side, it also allows for the bag to be super loaded. This defect does not detract from the bag's strength or durability nor void our Saddleback's lifetime guarantee. This bag will accommodate most 15 inch laptops [Please measure your laptop to determine if it will fit. The inside measurements of the bag are a little under 14 inches.] To see a whole lot more pictures of our bags around the world, go to: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=againsttheflow.

Saddleback Leather Company bags are loved around the world. They were chosen for the stars of the 2008 CMT Music Awards, the celebrities of the upcoming 2008 MTV Movie Awards, as the centerpiece of the ABC/ESPN Tournament of Roses Parade commercial and as gifts for each new owner of a Limited Edition Land Cruiser by Toyota of New Zealand. Our stats show that almost 18% of our customers buy one because they saw a friend, relative or stranger with one.  Without our knowledge, they've shown up in television shows, movies, a few national magazines and have been reviewed by a large number of happy customers and impressed internet websites  Look us up, please.  A bagpipe maker in Scotland, an undercover agent in Central America and a fellow stationed in Antarctica chose our bags.

Lots of people get their bags and then excitedly email me Glory Stories about their bag.  This is one, word for word, I got February 11th, 2007. 

"Day one with the bag and I received over 10 compliments in one trip to the Courthouse.  Finished a Court hearing and the Judge calls that he wants to talk to me.  I think my #%& will be chewed but all he wants to know is where I found the bag.  I thought your ad was hyperbole.  Turns out it was fact.  Thanks again." Tom

Following is a series of questions.  Answer each honestly and remember, your first response is usually the most accurate. 

• ·  Will your heirs fight over your present bag when you're dead … contest your will?

• ·  Would you ask to be buried with you're present bag?

• ·  If someone tried to steal your present bag … and it was empty … would you fight for it “tooth and nail”?

• ·  Ever been stopped by five strangers in the same day asking where you got your bag?

• ·  Have you ever strategically placed your bag so people could admire it?

• ·  Do you talk to your bag in secret?

If you answered no to any one of these questions then you and I both know that you need a Saddleback bag.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that you are going to love your bag.  Do people who buy other bags return to buy more of the same bag to give away to friends and family?  Is that normal?  Happens all the time.  We have dozens and dozens of repeat customers. This is the strongest, most durable and best looking bag I've ever even heard of.   I can't imagine how it could be better. It is a great great bag that I, the owner, personally use daily.   I bet the other owners of bag companies can't say that; they're still looking for their dream bag… mine.

The Bag

In college, I bought a pair of expensive shoes for my job as a waiter.  I couldn't afford them, but I bought them anyhow.  They were really light and comfortable and took me through two years of waiting tables and one year as a limo driver.   Then, they still looked good for a month of Sundays.  Most of the other waiters bought a new pair of $45 heavy and uncomfortable shoes every 6 months because theirs wore out and looked ratty by then.  One of the principles the successful in the world understand is this:   If one buys quality from the start they save money.  Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.  This will be one of the most savvy investments and inexpensive bags you'll ever have.  

There are lots of monster corporations out there that literally sell "boatloads" of bags everyday.  We're not one of them.  Millions of sheep buy theirs.   A few lions buy ours.  We don't have a big name, a crack marketing team or a building just for our accounting department.   It's just me and Suzette, my dad Herb, and my dog, Blue, but he doesn't really do all that much.  Our small family business doesn't have a huge warehouse.  A small section of the study is all the space we need.  Those giants have a whole lot of that we don't have, but we've got what they're all missing.   We have a bag of the same or higher quality that you can't live without.  We have a bag that tells of your individuality and unique tastes.  Our bags have more character in one shoulder strap than all of their shiny pretty boy bags combined.  You could go into a thousand meetings and wander through a thousand airports without ever seeing anyone else with your bag. 

The Design

This bag wasn't thrown together in some dark and dank sweatshop by the hands of a 12 year old little orphan girl with whip marks on her back. These pieces were individually hand cut, carefully placed and personally sewn by weathered and experienced hands.   I don't know what y'all think about prayer, but I sent up a good long one when I had my first bag made for myself.  I asked God that it would turn out to be the greatest and coolest bag on Earth.  I'm not kidding and I truly think he gave it to me.  The original maker of the bag, Senor David, has been working leather for the past 58 years.  He told me that he started as his father's full time apprentice in 1948 at the age of 10. Using his vast experience working leather, he changed my good bag into an unbelievable bag.   He recently had a very major surgery and is no longer interested in working all that much.  After searching and searching, I was recommended a man named Rito.   He's only been working leather for about 30 years and looks like a piece of leather himself, but with a great big smile.  He has a few apprentices learning from him and not one bag leaves his shop that wasn't made by him or without his approval.   I believe he was sent by God himself.

Construction - This bag is constructed super tough.   In Australia, I got a big green crocodile to come up to the boat and chomp down on my bag.  We pulled and pulled and when he went for a bigger bite, we yanked it out.   I was happy to get it back, but disappointed to find that he only scraped it up and hardly damaged it at all.  (I wanted some souvenir bite marks).  

The reason it didn't tear apart is because every Saddleback Leather bag is made of 4 wide or long solid pieces of leather … the front, the back (that comes over the top) and two long sides that make up the bottom.   Most bag makers sew many small and shorter pieces of leather together to make one piece with many seams.  Those bags are put together like quilts. They can utilize almost every single inch of the cow's hide that way.   Caution:  The more seams … the weaker the bag and the lower the cost of production for the manufacturer.  If that croc had bitten a bag with lots of seams, it would have torn to pieces with ease. Saddleback Leather bags have only three major seams.

Dimensions - The 14" wide bag is about 11" high and the 16" wide bag is about 12" high and the 18" is about 13" high. Each has two inner compartments and are all about 9" deep.  They are designed for folders, laptops, Frisbees, etc.  There are no zippers, snaps or buttons. Those things always break or tear out with use no matter what the quality.  Saddleback Leather bags are equipped with solid metal buckles that won't break. 

Backpack - I've used my bag quite a bit as a backpack. Fully loaded on an especially long trip through Poland, Croatia etc. I used it comfortably everyday.  The shoulder strap detaches from the sides and re-attaches to make it into a backpack.  It also has two shoulder pads so as to be more comfortable.  I am 6'3" and 215 lbs. and it fits me just fine, but may not fit you.  My brother-in-law, Tim, works for Cisco Systems and uses his daily as a backpack over just one shoulder.

Last year, I was on a small island off the coast of Panama and was making my way to a fabled surf spot called Wizard Beach, only accessible by foot.  The boat dropped me off and I started up the trail (my little brother was already there waiting for me with the board), but little did I know that the 25 minute hike was all mud, slicker than snot.  In order to concentrate on not slipping, I turned my bag into a backpack and only fell once.  It is a real convenient feature.  As it turned out, the waves were way too big that day, so we didn't surf. 

Rings - The rings are placed for tying purposes and to act as buffers between the ground and the bag.  On a hitchhiking/surfing trip through the jungles and along the beaches of far southern Mexico, I tied my hammock to one side of my bag, my thin serape blanket to the other and my flippers to the bottom.  

Two Security Straps -   Made of two solid pieces of leather, these are very important if you're traveling in places like the subway in New York City or in Guatemala City where the thieves have really quick hands. They'll steal your fillings if you yawn too long.  Lots of people put their umbrellas and camera tripods under them.   Did I mention that they conveniently double as belts for a size 36 waist (size 38 if you suck in)?  I've also used them as a dog leash more than once.  

False Bottom - I usually carry a copy of my passport and some extra cash in there.  Chances are, someone is going to try to steal your bag, not just the contents, but at least they won't get the satisfaction of spending your money.  They'll never find it.   Free helpful hint: Always carry a 6-pack of Coca Cola while driving in Latin America. Pop one for yourself and then offer one to the cop when he first approaches and he should let you go without asking for a bribe.  The culture teaches that it's impolite to refuse a gift.   If he doesn't accept it, you're toast.  Negotiate your way down to $5 and get on your way.  

Outer Pocket - Side outer pocket for harmonicas, a cell phone, compass, map or sunglasses.  Kept my little camera in there in Costa Rica.  Nice to keep that handy.  Did I mention that I saw a monkey riding on a dog's back?

Pockets - There are two inner pockets designed for a GPS, phone, pens, palm pilot, and coins.  Very sturdy ones I might add.   By the way, they're just the right size for an extra laptop battery.  

Key Strap/Clip - Handier than a pocket on a shirt.   It's long enough to open the front door without taking the key off the clip.  I also keep a mini LED flashlight clipped on mine.

Side Pen/Pocket Knife Holders - Situated to conveniently place pens and pocket knives.  They're on the inside of each side of the outer compartment. 

Shoulder Strap - Comfortable and adjustable solid pieces of leather with suede backing and real tough swiveling clips on the ends from Spain.  The clips are normally used for horse tack.  They detach quickly to make into a backpack and also to attach the bag to things. I connect the bag strap through my guitar case handle and attach it to the bed of my truck so no one will snatch it out when I'm stopped at a light.  

The Materials

If you've recently bought (3 years ago or less) a leather bag or sofa or jacket and it's gone from Ferrari to sorry in record time, then you need to read every word of this next section.   If the leather you buy lasts you for years and years and is as nice or better looking than the day you bought it, skip to the next section, you don't need to read this.

Leather Quality - Saddleback Leather bags are made of 4 - 5 ounce Full Grain leather and tanned with various oils to keep them from being destroyed early by dryness and moisture.  There are four grades of leather.  

Full Grain Leather is the best leather money can buy and the only leather good enough for Saddleback Leather products. It comes from the top layer of the hide which is the toughest part. From the middle layer of the leather to the top, the fibers are mostly woven together vertically making it very strong. The natural surface of full grain leather burnishes and beautifies with use.  Some companies sort of spray paint their inferior leather to try to make it look like full grain leather, but it just ends up looking like someone spray painted some cheap leather. From what I've seen, maybe 2% of all bags are made of Full Grain, and those rarely sell under $400.   This leather is expensive for me to buy and very difficult to work.

I haven't done anything to my bags to add character.  The marks and scrapes and scars are all natural.  Where the cow had been gored, scraped by barbed wire or cactus or mesquite thorns … bitten by a coyote … or branded, the color sets in deep and stands out a bit (you can see the full grain running through the hide in the form of veins too). Your bag may have a few small scars and imperfections, but those just lend a tremendous amount of character to it.   Some bags have parts of the cow's brand here and there.  Ride it hard; it'll look better.

Top Grain Leather is the second highest grade of leather. The leather is split from the top layer of blemished hide then sanded and refinished. This is how they get rid of scars and scrapes and light cow brands. Top grain leather does not easily burnish and beautify with use.  It is strong and durable, but not good enough for Saddleback to use since a large part of the strongest fibers are now gone leaving mainly the horizontal (easily pulled apart) fibers of the leather.   By the way, did you know that the leather shavings are used in cheap dog food?

 

Genuine Leather is the third grade of leather and is produced from the layers of hide that remain after the top is split off for the better grades.  The surface is usually refinished (spray painted) to resemble a higher grade.  It can be smooth or rough.  Caution:  This inferior quality of leather becomes evident with use.  

 

Bonded Leather is leather's bottom.   Leftover scraps are ground together with glue and resurfaced in a process similar to vinyl manufacture.  Bonded leather is weak and degrades quickly with use.   Most Bibles are covered with this.  By the way, my soon to come Bible covers are cooler than Christmas.

Inner Lining - You'll find that most trendy pretty boy bags are lined with some sort of cute shiny fabric usually with an antique world map design to make you feel adventurous.  This bag is lined with solid pieces of suede.  Did you know that cowboys and ranch hands often use suede on the outside of their chaps so they get a double life out of the leather?  The more suede gets rubbed and touched, the harder and more durable it becomes.   

Thread - Heavy-duty high quality synthetic thread (double zero). Be careful not to buy a bag sewn with cheap cotton thread.  It wears quickly and your bag will fall apart. This is one of the differences between a $200 and a $700 bag.  Free helpful hint:  Here's how to test thread or material. Light the end of it or its fuzz with a match.  If it turns to ash, it's cotton.  If it smells like hair, it's silk or wool.  If it balls up, it's the good synthetic stuff that doesn't rot with humidity and sweat.

Heavy-Duty Rivets - It's almost like killing a fly with a shotgun, but my bags have heavy-duty reinforced riveted corners. The bottom corners are usually the first places for the thread to wear away after years and years of use.  Even rocks wear away. So each corner has a well-placed rivet to make it an ever-stout and sturdy bag. 

Stiff Upper Rigidity - Hidden between the leather and suede beneath the handle is a durable strip of metal to keep the bag from flexing and losing its form when you lift it by the handle. 

Stitching - Because Saddleback Leather bags are each individually made by human hands, the stitching is sometimes a little bit crooked.  Only those laser guided computerized machines across the Pacific Ocean make perfect lines.  

How to Convince your Honey  

So you want it, but… now comes the hard part; to convince your honey.  Throw some of these phrases out and see what happens.

Her to Him 

• I feel frisky every time I even think about this bag.
• I would just feel so sexy with this bag. 
• I think this bag would really make me look thinner.
• I don't think I'd ever want to go shopping for another bag after having one like this.

Him to Her

• Even looking at this bag makes me want to just HOLD you.
• I don't know why, but just the thought of this bag makes me want to TALK with you for hours on end.
• Think of all of the extra TIME we'd spend TOGETHER on our long walks holding hands and showing off the bag.
• Maybe owning my dream bag would help me OPEN UP to you and SHARE the hopes and dreams I have for us.

Me to Both of You

If you don't buy this bag, then next year, when you're scouring the internet looking for your next garage sale bag, your mind will drift back to my words.   You'll slowly shake your head and say, "Man, was that guy right or what".  And then you'll press your lips together, squint and give a few small nods.  I tell you what, buy it now or kick yourself later.

I've made this bag for you to break in.  It'll take a few months until it really starts to look cool.  You'll have to use it a lot.  In fact, the more you use it, the better it looks (and it already looks great).  It'll eventually soften up and form to the places on your body it touches regularly.  The edges will round some and it'll start looking even more chic and classic than it already does.

Sales Tax

Texas buyers please note that those awful mean evil bureaucrats in your state charge you 8.125% sales tax when you buy one of these bags just because Saddleback Leather Co. is based in Texas.  I really don't think it's fair.  Actually, it's not all that bad since these bags have gone for up to $700 each at times.  You're getting quite a deal even with tax.

The Shipping

We will not declare your bag as a gift to avoid customs if you live outside the U.S..  I'm a man of integrity and lying isn't consistent with my character.  Plus, it isn't worth the fines and possible prison time for fraudulent claims with the customs.  If you would like us to send it to an address in the U.S. and they send it on to you as a gift, that's entirely up to you. ; |

Our Guarantee

We at Saddleback Leather Co. are so confident of what you're about to buy, that our products are fully guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship for 400 years.  If you or one of your lucky decendents should have a problem, send it back and we'll repair or replace it for free (be sure to put this guarantee in your will).   We'll even pay for normal ground shipping if you're returning it because of a defect.   

Saddleback Leather products are made to last a lifetime or two, but they're not bear or bullet or semi truck proof.  The guarantee covers normal wear and tear and does not cover misuse or abuse.

Older Bags

If you're reading this and bought one of the eight, second edition bags back in 2001 hanging off the safari rack of my old Land Cruiser and have had any sort of problem at all, contact me and I'll replace it or have it repaired for free.  The second editions were really nice, but these are nicer. 

Now be honest, if you just read the whole description for the second time, you're a goner.  Just send me your address now, so I can get your box ready.