I bought my very first leather satchel in 2006, when leather satchels weren't a popular fashion essential and certainly not looked upon as an attractive alternative to a handbag (unless you were into vintage and vintage styles). I had become more and more invested in vintage fashion, particularly 60s vintage (the 1920s had yet to seduce me) and I spent many hours (avoiding university assignments) browsing the internet, particularly ebay, in search of the right bag; a bag that screamed 'me!' My first leather satchel carried my hefty textbooks, camera and laptop for the remainder of my degree and then afterwards, my 'handbag' essentials.
View more images of my The Leather Satchel Co. bag on my blog
Early last year, the strap of my beloved satchel broke for the second time and I decided that perhaps it was time to lay it to rest and invest in another satchel, but probably one with a sturdier strap. I sent out a tweet (as you do) enquiring about leather satchels where Charly of Landgirl 1980 sent me a link to her very enthusiastic review of The Leather Satchel Co. There I learnt about their very handy bespoke service and emailed the company with a list of customisation requests; a deeper gusset, a wider strap, a feature to hold my Oyster card and a leather loop to thread a glove clip to. The Leather Satchel Company take the requests of their customers seriously; not only did they approve my customisation requests, they also sent me a sketch of the customisations, to ensure my ideas were applied correctly and recommended further extras, such as a briefcase handle, magnetic closures instead of the fiddly traditional ones and the opportunity to personalize my bag.
The Leather Satchel Company has been skillfully designing and handcrafting handbags, satchels and doctors' cases since the late 1960s with their artisan leather-work and stitching methods apparent in their beautiful bags. Yes, other satchel companies may be offering imitations, but they simply do not compare in terms of quality, detail and amazing customer service.
I've been using my Autumn TanLeather Satchel Co. 15" Tall-Boy satchel almost everyday since April this year and it has easily carried my laptop, my dSLR, stationary, cosmetics, purse, phone and keys (sometimes all at once). It has traveled with me to the Isle of Wight, York, Paris, Bologna, Bristol (aboard the auspicious Orient Express) and Bodrum and will, I'm sure, continue to travel with me for many years. In Paris, at the launch of Levi's' new Champs Elysees flagship store, my Leather Satchel Company bag attracted much attention and one keen guest even tried to purchase it, assuming it was part of the Levi's range as it sat amongst the brand's designs! Of course I snatched it away just in time and offered the disappointed bloke the company's website instead.
The only things I would change about the bag is, the length of the strap - I'm rather short and the strap, though adjustable, is still too long and I would consider adding a cushioned pad to the strap, as I tend to carry a heavy load, most of the time.
The Leather Satchel Company offers a range of 25 colours, 5 standard sizes and a variety of extras, as well as a bespoke service. The brand also offers a unique 5 Year Craftsmanship Guarantee.
Visit The Leather Satchel Company at http://the.leathersatchel.co/ to learn more about the brand and the ordering and customisation process.