Marlondo Leather Double Space Briefcase - Mens Heavy Duty Leather Laptop Messenger Bag - Handmade Satchel in Veg-Tan Leather (14" Dark Brown)

*****UPDATE after 1.5 yearsI took a bit longer to update than I planned. I apologize for that, but the longer time period gives me more perspective.The long and short of it is that my review stays the same.A few very minor criticisms/observations:1. The shoulder strap is a bit long. The length is for the backpack feature, which I do not use. There is a loop in which to store the excess length, but the excess length of the strap does escape at times and you have to re-loop it. Sounds like a small point and it is, but the excess strap can get in the way occasionally.2. There are three straps to open and close the bag, but you are likely to only use the center one. The center strap is a bit long. This makes it possible to carry a tall item inside the bag and still close the cover, but I do not need to carry anything that is tall. I generally carry my Dell computer in a laptop sleeve, the laptop power brick, some office supplies, and perhaps a small paper file. The center strap could be shortened by an inch or two which would prevent it from sticking outwards. A pretty small point, of course.3. I have found the bag has held up very well. I recently saw a Saddleback bag that was a couple of years old and the wear and tear on the Saddleback looked similar to mine and perhaps a bit more worn than my bag, but in the same ballpark. The holes you use in the buckle in the center strap will stretch a little and you will see wear on the center strap--but this is a leather bag and is to be expected. I have used the Bickmore cream and Obenauf oil/wax that I mentioned in my original review to care for the bag. I use them approx. every 5 or 6 months. This does soften the bag, which is a plus and a minus. The softening shows the bag is soaking in the oils and the bag continues to look great, but this means it may lean more and eventually be unable to stand upright like an attache case. This has not happened yet and perhaps it will not happen at all given that the bag has a very wide base (the double space Marlondo is wider than the Saddleback bags I have seen in person). Of course, I may be using the care products too much, but living in the Northeast USA it can get very cold and very hot. We also heat with wood in our home. So, it can get dry, too. I may lengthen the time period a bit as time goes on (I use the Bickmore cream followed months later by the Obenauf to help seal in the Bickmore and to continue to provide some water and stain resistance).4. In terms of usability my I would not change my original comments. If you are looking for a bag with lots of easily accessible spaces, zippers, etc., this is not the bag for you. It does take a bit of time opening and closing the bag and the internal and external pockets are very basic. For my purposes, however, I really enjoy using the bag and would make the same choice again.__________________________________Original Review:There are relatively few reviews of Marlondo bags and having relied on reviews over the years for our many purchases on Amazon I wanted to provide feedback for others—particularly since many considering a Marlondo bag are also considering purchasing a Saddleback bag.This is an initial review and I plan on following up in about 6 months and then at least on a couple of more occasions.I have owned my Marlondo bag (Water Buffalo, 16 inch double space briefcase, brown in color) for approx. five months. I believe Marlondo is phasing out Water Buffalo chrome tanned leather and focusing on other vegetable tanned leather. I am hopeful, however, that this review still will be helpful since Marlondo features the same style and design in this and other bags.Let me initially say that I am extremely pleased with this bag. I really love it. It is exactly what I was looking for and Marlondo’s customer service has been excellent (I asked Tim, the owner/manager, a few initial questions about the bag and possible modification—he quickly and thoughtfully responded to my e-mails). I ordered directly from Marlondo (holiday special), shipping was quick, and the bag was extremely well packed.And, the rest of the story…Here is some more detail. I am an attorney and am in court on a regular basis. I was looking for a leather bag to hold my computer, the occasional paper file (most of my files are electronic), and a few odds and ends. I really was looking to use a bag more like an attaché case, not as a portfolio style bag that would be stuffed with items. Nor did I think I would need to have buttons, zippers, small pockets, etc.Like many, I had been eyeing a Saddleback bag. I have seen a few Saddleback bags “in the wild” and they are extremely nice. A couple of colleagues have the “classic” Saddleback bag (which is similar, if not identical in style to this and my Water Buffalo version).There are a ton of reviews for Saddleback bags and the company maintains a really nice website. After reading countless reviews on the internet I have seen comments stating that over the last couple of years the cost of Saddleback bags has gone up somewhat arbitrarily and the leather now is of slightly thinner or lower quality. The Saddleback website, in my opinion, has an infomercial feel to it, but in the end the bags I have seen are of extremely high quality and my colleagues really like their Saddleback bags.I came across Marlondo in my research. Their line of bags seems clearly meant to compete with Saddleback. There are a limited number of reviews for Marlondo bags, but if you search you will find a handful of detailed written and video reviews. I read and watched enough of the limited number of reviews to take a chance on Marlondo. The various reviews described Marlondo bags as being of comparable to Saddleback quality, but at a more reasonable price point. I took a chance on Marlondo and am very happy that I did.Is this “Saddleback Style” bag for you? Well, I love my Marlondo “Saddleback Style” bag. I use it daily. As noted above, I generally pack my notebook (and power brick), a paper file or two, and a couple of odds and ends—cell phone, wallet, pens, etc. in it (an expandable folder which will hold an 8.5 x 11 pad will fit in my 16 inch bag, but a larger expandable folder will not; also, an 8.5 x 14 legal pad will fit in my 16 inch bag, but not in a legal size expandable folder).If you frequently open and close and access your bag or briefcase each day, and perhaps have to go from meeting to meeting or class to class or otherwise need to frequently open and close the bag, this “Saddleback Style” may not be the best choice. For me, I wanted a bag in which I could take my notebook computer to and from home—and to and from my office and court. A meeting here or there, as well, but otherwise fairly simple tasks for the bag (I do not use the backpack feature).I do not have the bag stuffed and I am not pushing its capacity. These bags have a belt style closure and the pockets inside are very basic (there is a small pocket outside for a cell phone or keys and an open flap style pocket on the back of the bag for a file or magazine or a quick place to put your cell phone). There are a couple of internal pockets or compartments that are somewhat useful, but if you need to regularly go in and out of the bag and have lots of small items this kind of bag may disappoint. For me, however, this is exactly what I was looking for. It has the function I need and the look that I really like.The 16 inch bag that I have fits my Dell Latitude E6440 notebook in a sleeve (this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CD8AFFW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)My wife’s 13 inch Macbook Pro in a sleeve also fits. If you have a 15 inch notebook (which are often 15.7 inches or so) or a 15 inch Macbook Pro it will be a tighter fit (and a 15 inch pc notebook may not fit, at least not in a 16 inch version of this bag).When I purchased the Marlondo bag I also purchased Marlondo leather conditioner, which is similar to the Obenauf’s conditioner I use on my Chippewa boots:https://www.amazon.com/Obenaufs-Heavy-Duty-4oz-Preserves/dp/B003SKCARK/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1520978020&sr=8-13&keywords=leather+conditioner+for+bootsI used the leather conditioner shortly after I received the bag. Not because the leather was dry, but this kind of conditioner provides a film that gives a bit of water and stain resistance. This filmy feature of a waxy leather conditioner, for leather which than has grain and texture—as the Water Buffalo does—can be a downside, however, as you will continue to see a white film here and there until you finally touch up the bag over the next few months (the wax gets into all of the nooks and crannies of a textured leather, as opposed to a smooth/flat finished leather). For a perhaps once a year/every couple of years conditioning I likely will use Bickmore Apache cream (I also use this on my Chippewa boots):https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E6MOTL4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1Or this Obenauf oil:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Q907QU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1The Obenauf and Bickmore Apache products will darken the bag. Keep in mind these products will soften the leather a little. I may end up using the conditioners more often since we live in the Northeast in the United States and heat our home with wood. So, our house is very dry and the weather up here can go from very hot to very cold.In the end, I am very happy with the Marlondo bag.Pros:At least on initial use and after five months—the leather appears well made and the bag has strong hardware (rings/buckles).The double space bag stands up well, like an attaché case, since it has a nice wide baseThe bag is heavy, but not overly so—a thick leather bag will have some heft to it; this comes with the territoryCons:More of an observation than a con, but this is a minimalist type of bag that requires using at least the main belt buckle to open and close the bag (there are two smaller belts and buckles on either side of the main one) and does not hold small items inside in a “neat tucked away” manner unless perhaps you also use an additional portfolio/organizer:I did buy this for pens/pencils/markers, though:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017K0FFZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1So far, no other appreciable cons that I can think of, but I will follow-up with updates.In some ways, think of this as a pick up truck or older style SUV. It looks cool and for certain tasks it is great. A minivan does not look as cool, but is more useful. We have a great minivan and an SUV. I love our SUV, but the minivan is wonderfully convenient. For what I wanted and needed, I prefer my SUV Marlondo. For me, its form and function are exactly what I was looking for.And, I purchased on etsy a custom made leather luggage tag with a brass plate and have attached it to one of the rings on the bag. Looks really nice.Oh, and you will regularly get compliments.Any questions, let me know. I will do my best to check my review from time to time.