Saddleback Medium Leather Satchel For iPad Review
If there ever was a review that deserved to be opened with a John Wayne quote, it would be this one. John Wayne once said “I’m the stuff men are made of!” Well if John Wayne is the stuff men are made of, then this Saddleback leather satchel is the stuff man bags are made of. This satchel is more than a mere leather bag for the iPad, it represents a lifestyle, a goal, a dream and an aspiration all stitched up in the coolest most rugged grade of dead cow available. Check out our review of this singular Saddleback Leather Co Satchel.
Rough as Heck, Doesn’t Take Crap From Anybody
(a quote on a novelty John Wayne toilet paper roll)
Our friends at Saddleback were kind enough to send us a review unit of their leather iPad sleeve a while ago, and have now sent us their pride and joy for the iPad: the Saddleback Medium Leather Satchel.Where to start with a bag of this scope? First, let’s get the biggest hurdle out of the way (put your beverage down before continuing)- it costs $310. Ok, if you just squirted *insert beverage here* out of your nose after reading that, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Yes, this bag is a whopping $310, but what a bag it is!
Made from ridiculously thick completely tanned full grain boot leather, stitched with industrial strength marine grade polyester thread, riveted up to high heaven, and engineered more than some space shuttles, this is a leather bag that will take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.
In fact, Saddleback Leather Co backs all their products by a 100 year warranty. As their slogan states: “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead!” This bag practically begs to be abused. It wants to be thrown around, punched in the face, slammed into walls, dragged around the world twice, and used as a shield in any number of bar fights. Any scars that it receives will only add to its character and style. Let’s just say this is a bag Isaiah Mustafa would use.
Let’s Talk Specifics
Enough fawning over the pure rugged manliness of this bag (for the moment), let’s talk specifics. The medium leather satchel is reasonably sized at 12” x 9” x 4.5” and will fit your iPad perfectly. It’s heavy, it weighs about 3 lbs. But that shouldn’t be a problem with all those man muscles you’ve got going on. Inside this bag is lined with pig skin (one of the most durable leathers on the planet). There’s one large and one small interior pocket which can be pressed flat when not in use. The iPad fits perfectly into the smaller pocket with a thin case, leaving plenty room for more stuff in the main compartment. There are also two small interior pockets to hold your cell phone or water bottle as well as a handy key holder.
On the outside is another series of pockets- one full sized magazine pocket on the back, and two side pockets for even more stuff. This thing has more hefty D-rings on the outside than we can figure out what to do with. If you need to haul around tons of gear on your journeys, this rings will let you tie on blankets, tripods, or really whatever you manage lash to your bag. All of this is secured with a hefty leather buckle that just begs a pickpocket to dare to open it quietly, and fail. Ain’t nobody messing with your stuff in this bag.
The sturdy handle on the top is riveted to a an aluminum bar underneath to add to the rigidity. And the heavy duty leather shoulder strap not only looks good, but it’s very comfortable as well. You may have noticed from the pictures one oddity on the exterior of this bag: A large metal O ring on the top. That’s because this bag converts into a backpack as well using the detachable shoulder strap, an O ring, and a couple D rings. We told you this thing is engineered more than some space shuttles!
Finally this bag comes in four different colors- Tobacco light brown, Carbon black, Chestnut reddish brown (pictured), and Dark coffee brown (our personal favorite). Be sure to check the “common questions” tab for help in picking out a color based on your personality.
Ok, that’s enough specifics. The Saddleback website is chock full of amazing tidbits and details on the construction of these bags, why they use the leather they use, how to convince your spouse that you absolutely need one of these, videos of these bags in action, a story about a dog that will make you cry slow man tears, and more. Check it out!
In Conclusion
Smart people who know stuff say “we don’t dress just to cover, we dress to identify.” If that’s true then this bag embodies a lifestyle of adventure and travel. It’s quality of construction is reminiscent of a bygone era, and it’s features are a culmination of real world experience and obsessive love being lavished upon it. As hard core globe trotters ourselves, we give this bag our stamp of approval and admiration. It’s expensive, but it’s the last bag you will ever need. As they say “Buy the best, cry once.” Check out the Saddleback Medium Leather Satchel for yourself, and dream of all the adventures that lie just over the horizon for the both of you. Check out the Saddleback Medium Leather iPad Satchel now!
What follows is an exerpt from my personal favorite poem “Ulysses” by Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson (we’ve taken artistic liberties with the last line… sorry Alfred):
“I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vest the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honoured of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers;
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breath were life. Life piled on life
Were all to little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
With my Saddleback leather satchel in hand.”
9 Responses to “Saddleback Medium Leather Satchel For iPad Review”
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Love it. where do it get it! (FOR CHEAP!)
This is a perfect example of cashing in on the i(insert product here) craze with a product that really has the slimmest of links to said product.
It’s a satchel/bag. A nice one no doubt. But calling this an ipad bag is stretching it. I could give you a Target plastic bag and voila, iPad plastic carrier.
Ya, but it’s sooo purrty. And if you haven’t noticed, there’s a serious lack of good leather iPad bags out there right now that look awesome enough for your typical male to pull off without looking like they’re carrying a purse and rugged enough that you can use it for just about anything. This is one of the few. It may be cashing in on a craze, but we’re thankful they did!
which size would the white macbook fit in-small, medium, or large?
look luxury ..
.. umm!! how heavy it is?
I am a woman and i want one, these bags are beautiful! There aren’t very many Ipad products out there that i have seen with such durability and style. I love the humor of the person who wrote the product description, nice job! I am saving for both an Ipad and one of these bags. Keep making such wonderful products! B
I have several Saddleback products and they are worth every penny! The quality is two steps above “Excellent”. All of there products are well thought out and best of all they stand behind their products! No I don’t work for Saddleback but I’m thankful I stubbled across them a few years ago. The only down side to owning a Saddleback product is that you begin to wonder why all products can’t be this well designed and crafted!
That is a cheap price for the materials that go into it. It uses 3 different leathers (from the looks of it), so the craftsman needs to buy 3 hides (or skive one down to size). From the size of the bag, it looks like you could only get 2 bags from one hide (if the hide is blemish free). Looks like a great deal to me. The only thing that I can see wrong with the construction is that the dee ring tabs are only single stitched (They are riveted as well, but rivets can come loose).
Great bag over all. Well worth the cheap price. Why would you spend $499 on an iPad and store/carry it in a $10 bag?