Leather Messenger Bag for Men & Women, 15" Vintage Crossbody Laptop Satchel

I have an Amazon Prime addiction so it's rare that I ever sit down and review one of the many products I purchase, but this thang is worth it. I want to go ahead and get my one complaint out of the way, but it's really the only thing. The strap is a little on the thin side and it seems like it may not last as long as the rest of the bag will, but a) I could be wrong, and b) this is a nice enough bag that if it breaks you'll either just get another strap to replace it or have it repaired or something. Things I like: -It fits my 15.6" laptop; I wasn't expecting this. Almost every other bag I've had that says it fits a 15" laptop (which 15.6" laptops are regularly advertised as) meant that it fits a 15" laptop, not a 15.6" laptop. I don't even know if 15" laptops are actually made. I'm thinking specifically of the laptop compartment in a Jansport backpack that I have that comes SO close to getting this dumb HP Pavilion G6 in, but can't quite do it. This, on the other hand, has ample room. Pleasant surprise there - I don't really expect to be using it to transport my laptop too much, but it's awesome to know that it can. -It's gorgeous. 'Nuff said. -It's fair-trade leather, and sustainably produced. Call me a hippie, but I care about that kind of stuff, so, yeah. -Aside from the strap, it seems like it'll hold up for a very, very long time. I'm gonna treat it right as I carry it with me throughout my college days and maybe one day give it to a kid. -It's not THAT masculine. I'd consider it gender neutral. First day I brought it to work with me, a female coworker immediately asked where I got it when she saw it, and said it was exactly what she was looking for (she could tell it was genuine leather too). If you're a lady who's looking for something like this, don't let that dumb advertising line deter you. I kind of wish it had pen/pencil pockets inside it like some other bags I've used - instead it's just got those deep inner pockets, but that's a design choice, not a flawed component, so that and the strap don't really merit taking a star off. 9/10, easy. Would buy again, but I don't foresee the need. I think it'll last a good long while.

UPDATE (03/19/2023) I don’t use this bag for every day use anymore (because I work from home) but I still use it to haul my laptop around and it is still in fantastic condition. I STILL swear by this bag and it had not had a single rip or tear, even if it is almost five years old. Still LOVE this bag and will be coming back to buy again when this one finally takes its last breath. ____ Last Update (01/31/2020) I just wanted to pop back in and update my review after nearly two years of use. This bag continues to be my daily bag, has survived this long of daily wear and tear and it is still going strong. It was definitely worth the price I paid for it and I will be purchasing it again once this one finally wears out. Even after spilling oil on it (don't ask) I still get compliments on it regularly. I cannot express how much I love this bag. ______ OLD REVIEW: By all the reviews you'd think that people don't understand what leather is supposed to smell like, or that it some outrageously awful chemical smell. It smells like leather, even my dog can't stop sniffing it, if anything it's a testament to the materials that were used. That being said, it's the perfect size, not bigger or smaller than expected. It will fit my books for school and laptop, or whatever else I need to fit in here (maybe just not all of them at once!), good green canvas material is used for the interior, there are two zipper compartments on each side, and three divided sections. So happy with this purchase!

UPDATE: after owning this for a year the bag is softer and higher looking than when I first received it. It gets a very nice patina with age. I did treat with a coat of Dr Martens Wonder Balsam when first received and let it soak in for a few days. That's a natural beeswax product that helps to preserve and soften the leather. Very happy with this purchase. I just received my order and it far exceeds my expectations. The bag is extremely well made and beautifully hand crafted. It's the kind of naturally tanned leather that looks like it will soften up nicely, and develop a beautiful patina with use and age. The color is rich and very much as represented in the photos (see mine attached). I'm going to put a protective layer of oil on it before starting to use it, as full grain leather is porous, with all of the natural grain showing. It is refined enough to use for business or more casually; the design is classic, simple, and elegant. I like that the strap is sturdy and attached to the bag with brass rivets and reinforced stitching. As a side note, I read other reviews here that cited odd smells, thin straps, weak magnets, and a host of other concerns that gave me pause. However, none of these caveats turned out to be true. As I shopped on Amazon, I found versions of this bag distributed by several vendors, but this one from Rustic Town had more pictures showing the details, and came with free returns; so no risk. It seemed to be from a company that went out of its way to be transparent about the product, and stands behind it. I'm guessing that they are actually monitoring the quality control out of their supplier's factory. I would absolutely buy from them again. I think this bag is an incredible value, and worth twice the price or more. I rarely write reviews, but this product blew me away.

I bought my bag in 2019 and I still use it everyday. It's probably the best messenger bag I have ever bought. I still get compliments on it. The interior is waaaaay bigger on the inside. So big that I thought I lost stuff in there. This is a great item, for a great price! I use leather conditioner on it frequently and it still looks great!

I really like the bag. It has a reinforced scrap that doesn’t dig into the muscle or shoulders. It also holds a lot while keeping its form and length. As for the leather material, I’m happy. The bag has a kind of well warn feel to it. Soft, pliable, and relatively sturdy. It’s due is just so so. So, don’t expect it to resist some spotting or slight discoloration. It’s also versatile, and even mashable. I use it to carry a laptop, a IPad, and IT / network tools. These anre my daily work tools that I carry to clients’ job sites. Or, I can dump my tools and use it for a meeting at a cafe with tech bros. Both uses work well. Okay, there are things that I wish it had. I wish it had a compartment or holder for pens, my phone, etc. nor does it have a dedicated section for things like files (there is a little rear compartment that can hold a file folder or two). Given this, don’t expect the bag to help with you organizing your stuff. Rather, expect the bag to be able to carry what you dump in it. There are some options out there that may do a lot of things better, but compromise on others. My old Timbuktu shoulder bag is bulletproof and is better for organizing. But, it’s just doesn’t have the sophistication of leather. There are really nice men’s leather briefcases out there. Certainly, it you stand next to someone who is rocking Louis Vuitton, you’ll feel outclassed. But somewhere between the Timbuktu and Vuitton, you’ll find this bag’s place. Best of all, it about 1/2 the price of a Timbuktu and about 1 /20 thr price of a Vuitton.

I've had this bag for a week and so far so good. It looks as pictured, nice feeling leather outside and canvas inside. Appears to be manufactured well, feels sturdy, leather stain does not transfer, metal grommets are strong. The bonus which I didn't see noted in the write up, or I might have missed it, is the flap and bag have magnetic buttons that keep the flap closed when snapped shut. In regards to fitting a laptop, I have a 15 inch Dell Latitude E 6530 with the large battery pack. The laptop fits very snug in the case in the center compartment of the bag which is padded with velcro strap to lock in laptop. The large battery pack on my my laptop sits higher which prevents the flap buttons from fully snapping. Without large batter pack, it would close properly. This is not an issue for me as I wont be traveling with this bag however if I was traveling I would remove the battery pack to allow the flap to close properly. I trust over time the leather and canvas will stretch and wear to fit my laptop more easily. The inner zipper pockets are nice for pens and business cards while the two outer compartments on either side of the laptop, easily allows room for folders and notepad. Overall it's what I wanted and I expect it to get better with time and use.

I am so so sad to post such a bad review on this item. I know of Rustic Town from another company they work with and I love what Rustic Town stands for and love the quality of the bags I have gotten from them in the past. I really wanted a laptop bag for work that would be of the same high quality that I would know had the same high level of ethics involved in the making of the bag. I know some people personally who have gotten a bag that had the "goat smell" and they said it faded eventually and worked great so I didn't worry when my bag smelled bad. I decided not to return it because the smell would go away eventually. Almost 3 months later and the bag still smells like goat barn. It stinks up whatever room it is in. The smell has not faded at all and I wish I had returned it when I had the chance. You may get lucky and get a bag with no bad smell, but don't hesitate to return and try again within 30 days or you might get stuck with it. I was going to say to go ahead and order one and try your chances but I can't say that anymore. I reached out to the company to see if anything can be done but they told me the smell was a normal 'earthy' smell that would get better with use. I can not use this bag. It smells disgusting. If I carry it anywhere the people around me start sniffing the air and looking around for whoever stepped in dog crap. I am so dissapointed in this product as well as the company and their terrible customer service. I will never ever buy another Rustic Town item.

I feel the need to update my review of this bag after almost a year of use. I still like the quality of the bag but after the leather loosened up from use the closing flap now hangs down about two inches past the bottom of the bag. It looks sloppy and I no longer carry the bag because of this. The magnetic closures are almost worthless and if I succeed in getting them to "catch" the front flap has an unsightly wrinkle due to the bag stretch with use. Bottom line....Im throwing out the bag and would not repurchase. I was looking for a classic man bag in leather that was an update to my much more expensive messenger/briefcase type bag from the 90's. I originally looked back to that classic overpriced maker of fine leather goods only to discover their new styles didn't meet my middle aged comfort level. I then discovered this amazing bag. It had the design I was searching for (minus the flap outer closures) and a description that pulled at my nostalgic memories of my old expensive bag. I decided to take a chance and see what arrived. I have to honestly say this bag inspired me to actually leave a review after the hundreds of orders I have placed and products i have received over the years from Amazon. I want to address some specific things in other reviews. First, there are several versions of this bag available for sale here. Mine is from Rustic Town. While I do not know if I am allowed to say that, it makes a difference who you buy this bag from. (I bought three of the same bag and only two would I carry and in the end only one won out) My bag was nice thick leather, well made, classic, and is now the only bag I carry. The color was true to the photo but I oiled the bag and beat it up a bit to make it look well worn initially. Now it has naturally aged and I often have people compliment using the C name brand. I proudly say Thank you and by the way its not C. It was purchased from Amazon and made by a company with a conscious that is providing a living to residents of a global community that is turning out products that not only have a purpose but do good in the process. I don't expect this 60 dollar bag to last a lifetime but so far it is holding up much better than that expensive C bag I used to carry.

Der Versandt war mega schnell, war noch rechtzeitig vor Heilig Abend da (Großes Lob nach Indien!!!) Form und Verarbeitung sind gut, der Geruch sehr intensiv! Alles in allem etwas für Individualisten! :)

This is not a biased review, I love your product I was amazed by the quality it’s like worth $250😁 Aside from it did arrive faster than I thought, it was protected with some sort of packaging when it arrived, flawless. Defenitely recommend this product and I am planning to buy another one soon!😊 keep up the good work!

I bought this in May, we are now in Oct and i have used the bag not many times. The outside zipper has broken, the inside zipper seems to be on the way out too, the movement is rough. The inside lining is made of a canvas like material that gives the bag a cardboard feel. It could be softer. The leather is good quality, but the overall feel of the bag could be of better quality. I guess as the name says its Rustic. The cover does not button up with the magnets and is always open. Space wise its good for a 15" laptop, ipad, peripherals etc.

Exactly as pictured. Very happy with my purchase. Not sure how durable it will be as I just started to use it. But overall, very nice and an excellent price.

Bad packaging causes scratches Also it smells awful