I love bags, satchels, backpacks, and pretty much anything that will let me pack things up and carry them with me. While I’m constantly on the hunt for new bags, I’ve come to have a greater appreciation for what has been for me, the greatest bag on the planet: My Henry Tompkins Leather Satchel.

Henry Tomkin has been making leather bags in the UK for more than twenty years. Each bag is hand made from the finest leathers which he selects to have “a natural look and feel that improves with age and avoids leather that has so much protective finish that it looks like plastic.” The bag’s fittings are made from solid brass, which is copper plated, and then finished to a gun-metal grey color. The workmanship and materials are unconditionally guaranteed for five years. In addition, according to their website: “the ecologist in Henry demands that he attends to whatever refurbishing might be necessary over the years. There is rarely a charge for this service.”

I’ve had my Henry Tomkins satchel now for about 8 years. In that time it’s endured several harsh winters in upstate New York, drenching downpours in Florida, and the arid climate of southern California. I’ve never once applied any sort of conditioning, or done anything to care for the leather. The bag has held up magnificently and has always protected its contents. The quality of this bag is simply supurb and there just aren’t any signs that this bag is going to give up any time soon. The only thing it has to show from all this abuse, is a lovely patina that only adds to its character. And that’s what this bag is about: character. There’s no fancy doo-dads or features. Just solid workmanship and excellent materials. It’s how I imagine things used to be made in the “good old days” when craftsmen were highly respected, and people really put care into the products they made. Maybe those times never really existed, but I like to imagine that they did.

My model, the Large Satchel, comfortably fit my old 12″ powerbook, as well as my current 15″ MacBook Pro. I normally use it to carry my laptop, a book or two (depending on the thickness), and a notebook. The main pouch has pen and card holders, as well as a divider that sections the main pouch into a 4″ deep and 1″ deep compartments. The front pouch has a smaller zippered compartment in it. While there aren’t any laptop specific provisions, I simply put my laptop in a protective sleeve, and drop it in the bag.

My bag has served me well thus far, and I hope that its service will continue far into the future. I love it so much, I ended up doing a mini-photo shoot of it. Check out the pictures below :)

[link: Henry Tompkins Leather]

Filed under: Bags, Clothing | Accessories — Santi @ 8:16 pm