Very high quality, good deal

I use this bag for carrying around all my chef gear - knives, mandoline, jackets, ipad, etc, It is heavy as expected for good quality thick leather - I ordered the grey color and it is so beautiful! There were some scuffs and a few markings but nothing I wouldn't have expected for real leather - most wiped away but I am sure I will add my own scuffs as time goes on - I call it patina and represents a bag truly loved and functional. It is very well made with all the clasps and loops seeming durable and solidly made. The straps were easy to adjust and I love all the possible variations according to my needed use. My only tiny issue is the water bottle holders on the sides are very small - probably intended for plastic bottles and do not fit my glass or reusable versions, however it is easy to find other uses for them such as holding my keys or phone. The lining is dark brown, durable with 2 sections inside, perfect for many different things and there are 2 deep inner pockets on the front section which are handy for so many different things. The bottom can expand or be made smaller by adjusting the straps, depending on the amount of stuff I am carrying around. There is also a small strap with a clasp attached inside possibly for keys or the like. Overall I am extremely happy, and feel very professional arriving to clients homes with this bag on my shoulder.

After plenty of delay, I finally ordered the Full Grain Leather Briefcase from Polare. I wanted something with a bit more character than the other bags I have used for work and carrying work related material. After reading the reviews of both a similarly made briefcase priced approximately 4x as much and one that was almost identical, even in price, I pulled the trigger on the Polare. Why?When comparing it to the one that was made by that saddle company, I determined that if I use this daily and there are not any problem within 11-12 months, it's a keeper. If there are issues, it has a 1 year guarantee. $200, 2-years under the worst-case-scenario. I also looked at situations where people are now selling one of the saddle company briefcases and they struggle to sell it for half of the amount they have "invested" in the case. The Polare wins the numbers game, prior to purchase. The Polare is advertised as a Full Grain Leather, as is the Saddle company case.When comparing it to the similarly made and priced briefcases also found online, this case is the only one that is advertised as “100% Pure Full Grain Leather”. Why does this even matter?Full Grain Leather comes from the top layer of the hide which has ALL of the grain, therefore, FULL grain. This is the highest-quality leather. The second-highest-quality leather is top-grain leather. Top Grain Leather is named top grain because the very top layer is sanded, buffed or shaved off. Top-grain leather is still appropriate for luxury goods. But, know that the durability, and the future patina of the leather, has been compromised by affecting the top most layer of the skin. Top grain leather does not age nicely with use but it is strong and durable. 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 can be refinished to resemble a higher grade. It can be smooth or rough. This is also suede. Bonded Leather is the dust and shavings of the leather glued and pressed together. Think fiberboard of the leather world. 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. Genuine and bonded leather can be spray-painted to look like full or top grain leather.I also preferred the hardware on the Polare over the similarly made and priced cases also found on Amazon. Polare wins the value game, prior to purchase. The Polare is priced within $1 of the other similarly made and priced cases, but made with the highest quality leather.The UnboxingWith Prime shipping, the case arrived in 2 days, just as advertised. Packaged and wrapped professionally, with an outer weather-proof bag, taped tightly and snuggly. After removing the outer bag, the inner protective covering is more like a breathable sack. Once it is out of the sack, my eyes are in awe of the Brown Leather Suitcase and my nose is filled with the scent of fresh leather.The Briefcase MaterialThe briefcase is heavy, of substance, and beautiful. The outer appearance is certainly finished. The leather and the hardware does not exhibit any short-cuts in production or application. The rings and rivets have been placed with precision and done so cleanly. Even the absence of manufacturer's branding is a positive element not to be overlooked. The inner-lining is well-done as well. The top flap of the bag is actually lined with using what appears to be a fully tanned/dyed suede to cover and protect the hardware and sticking used on the top flap. The panels, side-walls and straps are all nicely finished. Using a combination of Leather and Nylon serves the bag well. The rear compartment is fully lined with a nylon material. This inclusion of the nylon lining aids placing laptop and/or my 7-ring planner by allowing both to slide in and out without grabbing or unnecessary rubbing. The front section also benefits from the same nylon lining.The Briefcase DesignThe briefcase has two main compartments, with both being approximately of equal dimensions(3.75 x 15.5 x 11). The front section has 2 inner pockets, each being approximately 5.5 inches wide and 8.5 deep. The pockets(nylon material) are not “cupped” or “squared” at the bottom, but rather flat. My impression is that it will easily handle up to an inch worth or material, or and item that is 8.5 x 5.5 x 1. This really aids in allowing them to collapse when not in use.The second pocket is identical. These pockets on the center divider could easily be used for cables, charging blocks and even small notebooks There are also 2 small pockets on the external side-walls of the briefcase that could be used for things such as a water bottle and/or sunglasses. Finally, there are a large rear pocket, which would easily hold a few legal files or documents, magazines, newspapers, and airline tickets.There are 8 exterior D-rings can be used to tether external items to the case if you need to use the briefcase as an impromptu backpack. Yes, the shoulder-strap can easily be re-purposed to serve as a backpack-shoulder strap using the D-rings.The straps allow the case to be closed by 1 strap or 3 straps. The outer straps can be fully removed, leaving on the center strap, or they can be tucked under for optional use. Ultimately, how you use the straps is up to you. The last strap that needs to be mentioned is the internal key strap. This strap is ideal for runaway or spare keys and even the need for an access pass.This bag is large enough to carry almost everything a person would need for work and can be used as a carry-on during airplane travel as it fits under most airline seats.Finally, this bag is designed for the “long-game” with no breakable parts such as zippers, buttons or snaps. Durable materials, stitching in lieu of glue, and practical design have been combined to present an excellent case to last for years.

This bag is fantastic, I have now been using it for the past 2 months and it is holding up well. It expands to a larger internal size than expected.It is quite heavy, especially once it is full, however the bag handles the weight well.The only issue that I have found is that the centre strap can't be tightened enough and can be loose if the bag isn't fully expanded.Aside from that I am extremely happy with the purchase.

My dad passed away many years ago, but I still keep his leather briefcase...because it was my dads. I want my kids to say the same thing when I'm gone..."this was my dads". Well, I have finally found a bad that is build with quality workmanship and materials, and will be around for years and years. This bag is made with a heavy leather (all seams are stitched) and is lines to prevent scratches to your computer. Inside it has two large pockets that hold my laptop, tablet and any documents I might have, AND I still have room to spare. It also has two smaller pockets inside that hold my external hard drive and all the wires and cables that I use. Outside the case there is one large pocket that works great for documents and items you may need quick access too. This works great for my airplane tickets and other travel documents. There is also a smaller picket on each end of the bag which come in handy for keys and phone etc. Three large heavy straps secure the briefcase. Not only does this case look sharp, but its durable AND within my price range. I've had many leather bags in the past, but this one far surpasses anything I've owned and someday will be a part of history. I absolutely love it.

Fast shipping. This Italian bag is very beautiful, much more beautiful than photos show. The bag turns on an elegant briefcase, with a thinner profile than shown in these photos. If you want, you will have a nice strong bag.

I wanted a case that was large, good quality for durability and long lasting. This has not let me down, I like its look but I was sceptical about the price. A designer bag branded using an excellent standard of leather of this size would be a lot more, time will tell but I am happy with the quality and the leather used on this bag for the price and like that it is not branded as well as its old look. It is large enough to carry multiple files as well as laptops. Works well for me..

REVIEW: I really like this bag, plain and simple. I purchased it about a month ago and have used the time since then to evaluate it before posting this review. It’s my daily use, to/from work bag and it performs the job fantastically with ample space for my necessities. It has a rugged, yet sophisticated appearance and I’ve received several complements on it. It’s well made and I feel it will last a long time. I didn’t receive it at a “discount in exchange for my honest review” that I see more and more of on Amazon. I paid full price (it’s actually $10 cheaper now) and have no idea how one goes about getting that sweet, sweet discount treatment. Does anyone know? I like paying less for stuff! Anyway, I’ve written a few reviews before but I generally stick to just rating things I purchase and moving on. With this bag, I really felt like posting a detailed review because of, and to share, my experience in case it would help someone make the decision to purchase this item or not.I’ve been looking for a men’s leather messenger style bag to upgrade from my backpack to a more professional look for quite some time now. To give you an idea of the length of my search, if you could look at my purchase history on Amazon, you’d see I bought the Oxford in Crazyvinkat color from Leabags on Amazon in July of 2015. That one didn’t meet my needs so I returned it; I believe my review for it was fair and true. Since then I’ve searched in stores and online, purchased and returned a few different bags and have been disappointed. I even scoured the internet looking desperately for the bag used by the character “Thomas Yates” in the show House of Cards because I liked the look. I didn’t have any luck finding it so I’ll never know if I would have liked it beyond its looks, or could have even afforded it. The best I could find was a Reddit post from someone looking for it as well. Since I was not having much luck overall, I even considered non-leather bags and bought a messenger from Timbuk2 after a friend’s recommendation. While I have nothing glaringly bad to say about that bag, I just didn’t like it and returned it. I could tell from its canvas build that I definitely preferred leather.In searching online, including Amazon, I looked for men’s leather messenger, men’s leather briefcase, men’s shoulder bag and all sorts of other iterations and sifted through page after page of results not really feeling drawn to any particular item. Even when first seeing this bag I wasn’t blown away and was a bit skeptical. Perhaps it was my disappointing experiences with other products. It also could have been the multiple bags of a similar style (which one is real and which is the knock off?). In the end, I liked the looks and the dimensions given and decided to make the purchase. I figured what was the worst that could happen, another bag I dislike and have to return if need be. I must say that I was especially swayed towards giving it a chance based on all the positive reviews.When the bag arrived, I was impressed by the packaging that went into protecting it. It was inside a plastic bag, wrapped in a foam wrap, with another layer of plastic wrap used to compress it all and hold it tight inside of the shipping box. It was well taken care of on its trip to my place. After opening it, I was immediately hit by that distinct leather smell (which I happen to enjoy a good deal) and the heft of the bag. It’s definitely not lightweight, the leather is thick and sturdy, all pieces measuring between 5/32” and 3/16” thickness. Most seams are double stitched, which I believe you can see pretty well in the pictures from the seller and verified purchasers. The hardware is all nickel-plated and gives a nice contrast to the organic brown tones of the leather and seems to be of decent quality with 3/16” thick round-stock material used to make the D-rings, three matching belt buckles and matching rivets. Overall, the bag is a good size. In taking a tape measure to it as it sits on my desk (it does stand on its own), I get 16.5” for the length, 8” width and 12” tall. The leather is not taught so these dimensions are in a “resting” state. On the outside of the bag are two pockets, one on each side, that are small but useful. I use one for car keys and the other for a small umbrella (pictured). The shoulder strap is adjustable with 25 holes and a forth belt buckle which matches the three on the bag. I’m 5’ 11” and weigh 195lbs and feel the bag fits me quite well.Overall, I’m extremely happy with this purchase and would recommend it.CONS: I would have liked it to have some more pockets/dividers inside. It has the two large pouches and the two small pockets attached to the pouch divider. Also, the two pockets are DEEP so small items end up at the bottom of those. I ended up buying a pouch to house the smaller items I carry with me.Also, something I can’t stand is every website I go to now I get an advertisement for this bag, I ALREADY BOUGHT IT, STOP TRYING TO SELL IT TO ME AMAZON!!!I can’t list the modifications as a con as I bought the bag expecting to make them, and I actually enjoyed the process.MODIFYING THE BAG: I’m not a huge fan of the three straps all being belt buckles without any of the quick connection/release style. I noted that other reviewers had pointed this out and modified the bag and I decided to do the same before purchasing. I copied one reviewer and purchased the swivel lever snaps from Buckle Guy as I found that hardware was a similar nickel-plate and the same 3/16” thickness. I didn’t want to have the belt buckles as my connectors to the swivel lever snaps so I also purchased D-rings to replace the two outer belt buckles. Also, my preference was to go a different direction than using a conch and instead went with Chicago screws. I found a 10 pack on Amazon by Tandy that has a similar appearance to the nickel-plated hardware and also resembles the existing rivets.For the mods I made to this bag, the tools used were regular pliers, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, a 1/8” punch and a screwdriver.For the upper straps, since there are pre-punched holes in the leather like a belt, it was simple to thread the swivel lever snaps, fold over the excess belt material and run it back through the same belt loop on the bag. I found that by pulling the excess belt to the point it almost tucks into the next belt loop on the back side of the bag that the swivel lever snap hit where I wanted it to in order to close the bag tight enough so the hardware wouldn’t clank together when closed and moving (walking with it on my shoulder). After finding the location I liked, I lined up two of the already existing belt holes and ran a Chicago screw through them, keeping the screw side facing in.For replacement of the belt buckles, the rivets needed to be removed. I saw another reviewer mentioned doing so and posted a question asking how they went about doing that. Before I got an answer, I decided to just go for it and grabbed my tools. I used the pliers to grab the backside head of the rivet and pulled, twisted and crushed the rivet head a little bit to give my wire cutters a way to get under the head. After that it was a matter of crimping and breaking off the head and cleaning up the remaining rivet stem and shrinking (crushing) its diameter small enough to pop out of the hole. The tools will mar and scuff the leather a little bit so this isn’t a brute force operation, and also why I chose the back of the rivets on the non-visible side of the straps. It was relatively easy and took a few minutes. Once the rivets are out, I followed the same process as the swivel lever snaps above, threading the D-rings and then using a Chicago screw in the existing rivet hole. I did find that these rivet holes were not as big as the belt holes so I used a 1/8” punch to slightly open them up (using the gradual taper of the punch to my advantage). Leather tools would probably be optimal but I imagine anything with a taper, like a pen, would work in a pinch.For my last modification, there is an extra belt loop on the shoulder strap which I believe is intended to corral the excess belt strap after making an adjustment. This doesn’t stay in place and usually slides off and down to where the shoulder strap connects to the bag. I didn’t like this and so I removed the rivet as I did above and replaced it with a Chicago screw, taking advantage of one of the existing belt holes on the shoulder strap. The holes on the loop needed a little more convincing to allow the Chicago screw to fit but once together it really looks good and is very functional. The loop still surrounds the entire shoulder strap, but is only connected by the Chicago screw to the adjustable portion and will move along with it if any adjustment is made.OTHER: I did treat this bag with Leather Honey Conditioner. I used disposable rubber gloves and made sure to get the conditioner all over the outer leather. I’m not sure if I used a thin or thick coat as I’m not experienced on leather treatment. I can say that I used about 1/3 of the bottle. I then let the bag sit for over 24 hours before again using disposable gloves and a micro-fiber cloth to wipe off any excess. At that point, the excess had mostly dried so it was more of a gentle rubbing of the treated leather. The cloth did pick up some brown color but not enough to make me feel I was harming the bag. I would say that the conditioner did darken the bag slightly, but not in a bad way. Also, the leather is now more malleable/flexible, and after using the bag for some weeks after the treatment, I’ve noticed that it really has developed a beautiful weathered look with a marble-like appearance displaying different shades of brown as opposed to one solid color. The pictures don’t do it justice.PURCHASED ITEMS: Other than this bag, I purchased these items to go along with it, or to modify it.• Honey Leather Conditioner (Amazon)• Tandy Leather ¼” Nickel Chicago Screws 10 pack (Amazon)• 1 ½” Nickel Plate Swivel Lever Snap Quantity 2 (Buckle Guy)• 1 ½” Nickel Plate D-Ring Quantity 2 (Buckle Guy)• RusticTown Retro Style Leather Pencil Pouch (Amazon)The leather pencil pouch from RusticTown on Amazon, is shaped and sized to where it appears to be made exactly for this bag (pictured). I was surprised and happy about that.That’s all for now. I hope that some will find this review useful. If anyone has any questions about the bag or about any of the modifications I made, feel free to ask and I’ll try an answer them. Thank you for your time.EDIT: 4/25/16 Added a picture of a 15" computer inside the bag to answer a question.