Luggage ... Suitcases ...Valises
Please answer these questions honestly
- Does your suitcase look like it came out of a movie?
- Will your current suitcase most likely end up in a museum?
- Does your current luggage get uglier or more strikingly impressive with use?
- Have you ever wasted away a lazy Saturday afternoon at your local airport letting everyone admire the empty luggage at your feet?
- Have you ever thought of decorating your office or home with the valise you currently use?
- Have you ever let your suitcase go around the luggage carousel at the airport two or three times before you picked it up?
Not only will this be the longest lasting
luggage you'll ever own, but it will be the only luggage you will ever own that you'll display and use as
accent furniture when you get home. They're not just extremely impressive in their design, but also in
their overly engineered construction.
Luggage in our store
About 99.9945% of suitcases are designed strictly to transport clothes from point A to point B. I wanted more out of my own luggage and therefore designed these. Structurally, they are built to withstand years and years of abuse. Aesthetically, they are designed to enhance any room you may choose. Suzette and I keep two smaller pieces on top of an armoire in the guest room, a stack of them in the office next to a small sofa to be used as end tables, and a gorgeous black set in the master bedroom. Luggage in our store
No Breakable Parts
A $1,000,000,000 submarine, once cardboard
hatches are attached, is no longer a billion dollar submarine, but rather a really expensive fish tank.
When the cheap components give out on a quality case made of the standard ballistic nylon, it quickly
becomes unusable attic furniture. We do not use any zippers, spring latches, metal hinges, etc.
If it can wear out, no thanks.
A luggage repairman told me that it's not if, but when the zippers break. Therefore, almost all companies use a
plastic coil zipper that can be repaired in sections rather than the metal zippers that require replacing it
entirely. How thoughtful of them.
While designing these suitcases, I asked airline baggage handlers and a luggage repairman what were the most
common problems they see with luggage. The unanimous number one favorite was broken zippers and number two
was broken handles. Wheels were number three.
Leather Quality
The tough 4 - 5 oz. full grain leather I chose for your valise is pretty close to the same leather that Timberland uses for their waterproof hiking boots and the same quality that Justin Boots and Tony Lama use for their boots. We all use the same tannery. The leather costs quite a bit more than the average tannery, but the quality is absolutely worth it. I refuse to use inferior top grain or, even worse, genuine leather for anything I make. I use only the most excellent and expensive leather I can find. Believe me, it pays to buy the best.
Sturdy and Stout Lightweight Construction
The reason it's so tough and relatively
lightweight is because of the materials I've chosen. Combining a good old fashioned solid wood frame
with a sturdy waterproof thermoformed cover, I've made this thing as strong as an ox.
Investigating, I found the average weight for a large suitcase is between 15 - 20 lbs. I weighed a large Tumi
suitcase not long ago at the luggage store and it weighed 16 lbs. Saddleback Leather's large 27" suitcase is
about 15 1/2 lbs. Our medium 25" is about 14 lbs. and the small 23" is about 12 lbs. I've traveled the world with
these suitcases and have packed them as full as possible. They've never surpassed the 50 lb. weight limit.
I suppose if I were to jam pack a large one with a lot of books, there might be an issue, but in all of my normal
travels, I've never had a problem.
Dimensions
The dimensions are as follows:
Corners
All of the corners have been reinforced with a tough leather cap. Each cap is securely attached with sturdy copper rivets. To make it even more stout, most corners have two or three small nickel plated feet.
Hand Sewn
The thread used on the edges is the same
used to sew soles to the bottoms of cowboy boots. This cord is too thick for machines and therefore
must be sewn by hand. It's amazingly tough and nearly unbreakable. The way it is sewn is very interesting.
At each hole, two pieces of the thread come from each direction and are tied into a knot that comes
together on the inside. It's a technique used by many boot makers and is the most secure you'll ever see.
Tightly Sealed Edges
Playing around in the Sahara desert, I found
that the edges didn't seal together very well allowing sand in. I permanently took care of that problem.
I'm not sure how long this luggage would stay afloat out on the ocean because of its tight seal, but I
expect it would last quite a while.
My suitcase closes and seals tightly. I made the edges on both the top and bottom lips of the closure to be at
opposing 45 degree angles and then covered them in leather. Beneath the leather is an extremely high density
foam that allows the edges to seal.
No Wheels
I refuse to compromise the classic beauty of these cases with convenient little wheels. They can be useful, but so can roller skates. Would you wear roller skates with your favorite tailored suit?
On a trip to some islands in the South Pacific, we absolutely loved our folding wheeled luggage carriers. I usually use mine for my briefcase when I'm finished with my luggage and then I carry it onto the plane. It's better to replace a luggage carrier every few years than a new suitcase. Wheels are just one more thing that will eventually wear out and break.
Handle
In Slovakia, my handle finally gave up the ghost
on about the 15th mile of carrying my suitcase. It was jam packed with about 45 lbs. of necessities.
You probably won't be using your luggage instead of a backpack on your little adventures around the world,
but I did. I wanted to learn what I did and didn't like about it so I could make the changes accordingly.
Hinge
I once went to an old restored homestead from the 1800's and noticed that three short and thick chunks of leather were used for hinges on the board windows. No metal hinges here. This hinge is made of thick and flexible doubled pieces of oiled leather with nylon strapping sewn into the middle.
Closure
There is a simple buckle closure in the center of the suitcase beneath the handle.
The two side straps are used to cinch down and seal the case in a classic and secure way.
Two Rings
An ancient Chinese proverb says, "Trust your friends, but tie up your horse". If you're traveling in a 3rd world country, use these rings to lock your suitcase at the hotel. Living in Acapulco, I heard a thousand sob stories from tourists about losing valuables out of their rooms and even safe deposit boxes. Don't get mad at a poor person for stealing from you, but rather get mad at yourself for giving them a temptation greater than they can handle.
Lining
Pigskin is what I chose to line your suitcase, and with good reason:
Every time you'll look at this valise, you'll
think back on all of the good times; your daughter's wedding, family vacations and special anniversaries.
You'll use this for just about every important occasion in your life and those memories will live with it.
Before you buy anything, shop around. It's a bigger decision than you think.
In all of the 5,500 years of recorded human history, I have not read of, nor heard of, nor seen a suitcase as well built or impressive looking as those of Saddleback Leather Co. I honestly believe that these are the greatest suitcases ever to grace this earth. So, you're saying, "Whoa! Those are some pretty big words". The proof's in the pudding; I've been chased down in airports all over the world and asked so many times, "Where did you get that luggage?" You saw the pictures, read how it was built and looked over the design, now shop around. Once you do, you'll agree that out of the thousands and thousands of suitcases being made in the world, these are truly the most durable, most well thought out and most attractive valises in existence. And remember... they'll fight over it when you're dead.
