Marlondo Veg. Tanned Briefcase Review
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- Опубліковано 14 лют 2018
- Marlondo Leather just may be the best value going in the world of leather goods. Built to last from high quality materials, many will find their offerings to be just what they were looking for. In fact, this bag in particular has many of the hallmarks bags twice its price boast: brass double cap rivets, solid brass hardware, marine grade nylon thread, USA sourced vegetable tanned leather. This briefcase punches far above its weight and is excellent by almost any measure. Built in China from USA leather, Marlondo kind of flipped the script by using American leather but the result is the gorgeous bag you see before you. If you want a product belying of its price tag, look no further.
Oh, and they have a lifetime warranty too for normal wear and tear!
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Been waiting awhile to chime in. Here goes:
This is a spot-on review of an exceptionally high-quality briefcase. I have no connection whatsoever to Marlondo, other than I bought their 16-inch Executive Briefcase in the tobacco tan almost two years ago largely on the strength of this video review. And I caught their holiday sale in December 2021. I’ve had the bag more than a year and it performs beautifully. The craftsmanship is every bit the equal of briefcases that top out over $1,000. I’m serious as hell. Marlondo's Executive Briefcase looks like James Bond and Indiana Jones sketched out their idea of what a man's ideal leather bag should look like. Carry one of these briefcases and you're gonna get compliments galore.
What amuses me are the many grossly uninformed comments below, mostly from those who worship at the altar of Saddleback Leather.
I’ll say unequivocally that Marlondo is NOT a knockoff of Saddleback or any other leather-goods company. The basic design has been around for 150 years. Look it up, people. I don’t care whether you believe me. Do your own research.
Further, Marlondo uses American-sourced, veg-tanned full grain leather to make their bags, as the review correctly states. Ditto the marine thread for stitching and solid brass hardware.
That’s where any similarity to Saddleback ends. Saddleback uses chrome-tanned leather, which involves chemicals that are horrible for the environment, and their products are assembled with cheap Mexican labor south of the border. Also, chrome tanning is significantly less expensive than veg-tanning, and the finished product shows.
Marlondo uses American-sourced leather, some of the best I've seen, with the bags hand-crafted at a facility in China, then shipped back to the U.S.
So neither of these companies can fairly lay claim to 100% American made. They’re not. But Marlondo’s craftsmanship is visibly superior - just look at the stitching, the hand-set rivets - and the proof is using the bag in the field, as I have daily for the last 18 months.
My only complaint with Marlondo involves an issue that's really beyond their control. Supply chain and shipping delays in 2021-2022 meant that I had to wait three and a half months for the briefcase to arrive. Yes, it was worth the wait, but it was also my first time doing business with a company that had my money for 14 weeks before I saw the merchandise. My trepidation was unfounded. They delivered and I would buy from them again. Customer service is also first class. I've been eyeing their large weekender bag in the same tobacco color as my briefcase.
And so we come to the real crux of the matter: do you want chrome-tanned or veg-tanned leather? Aesthetically, the choice should be obvious. You want veg-tanned. It just looks better. It ages better. It’s environmentally responsible compared to chrome tanning methods.
Then there’s the price. Anyone who wants to pay $300 more for a Saddleback that uses inferior leather, well, I couldn’t care less if you piss your money away. You’re just paying for the marketing costs to promote a lesser-quality product.
But this review does justice to the product. Cheers, Carl. Your information on this briefcase helped me make a solid buying decision.
You must be a real charmer at parties.
Your mother certainly thought so.
Hi Chris, another great video for leather enthusiasts! Fun tip for ya, the small pocket found at the centre back of most other laptop briefcases are for you to slot the briefcase onto the extendable handles that pulls out of a travel suitcase so that the briefcase stays secure on top of the suitcase when hauling them around. It’s not for post cards as you had guessed. Haha!
Purchased today. Thank you for your helpful review.
You’re going to love it!
Great vid I just ordered the same bag thanks to you my only complaint for marlondo is the have no videos of there products I have been looking for months and just ran across you by chance.all I found was saddleback vids thanks you saved me a lot of money and I'm getting a better bag
These are amazing and you'll have it forever, I still feel Saddleback is overpriced and overrated.
That briefcase looks great!!! I can't afford higher end stuff as of right now because I'm a 4th year pharmacy student battling student loan debt. However, I recently purchased a slim Texbo briefcase from Amazon for $120 and I like it. It doesn't stand on its own, but it serves its purpose and I've received many compliments while traveling at the airport. I needed something for residency interviews and I love it! Will look to upgrade to something like Marlando when I start making a pharmacist salary.
It’s all a journey my man, enjoy this time for what it is. Plus it also makes finally getting to buy fine things that much more enjoyable because you have a point of comparison.
The back pocket is a leftover from when users carried newspapers and maps. A quick way to stash & retrieve flat reading materials one frequently uses through the day. A nice feature for stowing a magazine in at airport, but not electronics.
Thanks for the great video. I always wondered why they placed three D-rings on the sides, I’ve got the answer now, to attach stuff. To answer your question about turning it into a backpack, it’s very useful when you commute on a bike. It’s not just for weight but also for stability. Lastly, the size of the laptop (17inches), is the screen diagonal, they end up being less wide than that usually, except if they have a huge bezel of course.
That makes complete sense! Thanks for dropping some knowledge my man!
Regarding the use of a briefcase as a backpack. The three strap briefcase was indeed used as a backpack throughout the countries about the British Empire, thus the plethora of d-rings for attaching the now-absent straps. This was the young man’s book bag throughout the 19th and early 20th Centuries. So many vestiges of days gone by, that still add depth to style today.
Nice cutting of leather. Not crazy about the polyester leisure suit top-stitching. Good job. Thx
It looks like a great briefcase, Carl!
I’m extremely happy with it so far! It really is a tremendous value.
Hey Carl, loving the review of this brand new. Did you have a quick follow up on this since? Greatly appreciate the worn and patina from everyday use and your honest opinions as a daily
This bag is stunning and will only get better with ago,I’ve got a vintage leather Coach bag 💼 that I picked up over ten years ago that was missing the shoulder strap so sat in a corner of my office all these years while I use a cheap ass OGIO excelsior backpack 🎒 until finally found a leather aftermarket shoulder strap on eBay, picked it up and stained it to the Coach color and need to start using it. Saddleback makes a very good product but not cheap, not sure where Marlondo is price wise but it looks like it will last a lifetime
Nice review. Sounds like a way better value than the Saddleback I bought and returned.
Definitely. And as another commenter pointed out, it’s actually more American since SBL uses Mexican labor and leather. This is American leather at half the price, it’s really a silver bullet.
beautiful color
I agree, it’s very striking. I’m looking forward to seeing it age and darken over time!
Man, that is a beauty. Want one so bad
Plus it will look better over time!
Hi Carl, I was wondering if you could do a 1 year review on this bag and let us know how it's holding up and what the aging and patina are starting to look like? I am torn between a a few bags. This one, The leather shop's Moose Brand Business briefcase 2 and their Heirloom messenger bag. I'm finding it impossible to decide. I value your insight. If you've handled the other two your input would be appreciated. I love your videos keep up the great work!
Here is something you may want to mention to your viewers, for lashing straps - you can use "Curb Straps" which is a simple leather strap/buckle used with horse tack. (riding gear) They're generally pretty cheap for pretty good quality belt leather sub $10.
I use them quite a bit for lashing gear with my c.1895 bicyclist impression.
What a great tip! I’ll definitely be checking this out!
Great video. I just received this bag as a gift to myself for starting with a new employer. Bag is beautifully made, and I really like the rugged feel. It's gonna ride nicely in my jeep! It has already recieved compliments from the wife and college aged son 👊
I’m so glad! It only gets better with age
Yo that picture looks just like the Saddleback briefcase bag. Even the top straps are folded in on themselves.
Karl, can you give a short video update of the Marlando thin briefcase? How has it worn over time?
That would be a great video, but it honestly hasn’t worn much at all! If anything the leather has gotten shinier in some places but it really looks very much like it did when I first got it.
Do you have an updated video on this? Would like to see how much age and patina you have so far. I'm debating between the standard vet tan tobacco or the vintage vet tan tobacco version. Also, has the leather softened up a bit for you? I know veg tan leather can be stiff in the beginning and I like a more pliable soft leather.
Please do an update video on this! Please!!!!!
What do you think of Korchmar briefcases?
Did you ever use the provided conditioner and condition the leather?
If you live in a part of the country where your walk to work consists of the front door to the car, and then from the parking lot to your desk, you won't need to use it as a backpack. In places like where I live, you walk to the train, wait for the train, stand in the train, walk from the station to work. . . then that feature is less of an afterthought and more of a necessity.
True, and someone else made the point of using it if you bicycle to/from work. I never thought of that.
@@CarlMurawski You wouldn't do that unless it's really cold or you really like being covered in sweat. You would use a luggage rack for the bike.
My Man Alpha told me to subscribe so I did
is the single space bag weaker structure wise ?
ie, over time when the leather soften, the bag tend to sag when NOT FULL ....
I don’t foresee this softening to the point of sagging, especially with the pigskin lining which is especially tough and wear resistant. More likely the straps and overall feel of the leather will soften but the structure should stay mostly in tact. That said, only time will tell!
Ok but how do you carry it I bought a briefcase from Waterfield and woh my stuff in it it’s around 17 pounds it definitely weighs in on my shoulder how do you guys do it if it normal to be heavy and uncomfortable?
Hi Carl! Would love to see a review of the rucksack by marlondo. I know you have done a review on the backpack, but the rucksack looks like a simpler and lighter design, perhaps more acceptable for an office environment. Im mostly just curious about the zipper back pocket on the back of the rucksack and perhaps any insightful comments that you might have about that. thanks!
I know their old model rucksack was kind of a dud, but they've redesigned a lot of their stuff and I'm curious to see how well it functions now. Thanks for the suggestion!
hmmm are we refering to the same one? the one im thinking of is kind of rectangle and smaller no external pockets or any sort of that, just a flat , low profile backpack with a zipper pocket. by the way, would also be interesting if you could do a video on which components to look out for when choosing a quality bag. thanks for replying back to me.
cheers!
What type of leather is it?
Purchased a Marlando briefcase little less than a year ago. The bag is incredible but have to agree the bags are heavy but doable. #fucksaddlebackleather
Lol!
Well said!
Haha #fucksaddlebackleather!
@@maurystanger5468 why?
nice case infact a really nice case i just wish they would of burnished the edges
I agree, but that would definitely mean a higher price. I was thinking that a fun video would be how to burnish your own edges, what do you think?
Do they give a shoulder strap? Also, how to prevent the centre strap from fraying over time as it would keep tugging on the floor when we place the bag
It does come with a shoulder strap and two shoulder pads. You can actually tuck the center strap back under the keeper if you want, but I’ve noticed that it just kinda curls up over time.
Carl Murawski thanks so much
nice video
Thank you!
Many thanks for reviewing that bag. I had no idea about that brand and I have been looking for good messenger bag for a longer time. As usually I will probably go for FS :)
Btw. Can you explain what is the advantage of veg-tanned leather in case of Black color. Will it also develop any patina?
You won’t see much patina on Black since the color change is due to the absorption of oils and dyes over time, even water will add to the look. The advantages aren’t simply cosmetic however, veg tanned has a much different feel than chrome tanned leather. A lot of people describe it as a “livelier” feel where in fact it’s just not pumped full of waxes and oils the way chrome tanned leather is. It’s also more chemically neutral since the tannins come from natural sources rather than a chromium mixture. Finally, what I like is how it softens over time to become buttery goodness in leather. It just seems to wear in like nothing else does, and that’s probably what I like most. The edges can also be finished to a gorgeous burnished look (Mascon Leather does this better than anyone). That being said, it’s not as water resistant and it’s more expensive to produce, so there are drawbacks.
I bought a factory seconds simple briefcase that I saved $70 from the original one. For $130 you cant get a better bag that will last forever.
Absolutely!
Great video Carl! I'm considering the same bag except in dark brown. How has it held up over 6 months? And what are your thoughts on the colours? I see you also reviewed a dark brown Marlondo a while back :)
Its been great, but like the dark brown one I have a feeling its going to take a while to break it in. It's still really stiff but I think that's to be expected from leather this thick. I use it every day to carry my laptop and papers to and from work, but it's not even flinching!
Why no link to company in description?
I certainly can include a link if it would be helpful: www.marlondoleather.com/
I'm in the market for a new brief case. How has this held up over a year?
Oh yes, in fact I’d say it’s even better now. Softer and more pliable after being worn in.
@@CarlMurawski awesome. I saw Beckett simonon has one but it looks to have nickel plated hardware and not near as durable as this looks. Might pony up a touch more for one of these
It was a little confusing Baffali TAN ?
Or Buffalo Hide ..ie Bison . ? .
I have to wonder what an AMERICAN craftsman would charge for that bag . I know first American craftsmen / women who could knock that out for a little more but just as well made .
wheres the follow up
seventeen inches in diameter?
Appreciate the nice video and price advantage ...but why no mention of this being a Saddleback knock off ??
How is it a Saddleback knockoff?
This design predates SBL by many many years.
New England Style Consulting I tend to believe Dave
Hey, that’s your right, but I’d urge you to check out satchels from the 1800s. Plus Dave also believes Mexican chrome tanned leather and polyester thread are high end materials, he has a vested interest in having you believe what his videos preach.
Where’s the update I have been waiting to buy
im a human dude
I love the bag but the made in China thing just rubs me the wrong way. Great video as always!
I understand, but I don’t think you could find a bag at this price point with all the features made in USA. It’s a tall order, but that said I understand how the Chinese thing can be a turn off for some.
Maury Stanger Would it matter, since you see the amount of effort sorting out the leader and deatils in the hardware tanning and design? China have come a long way. Same with their cars.
It sure looks that way, I guess I'm just stuck in my old habits. Truthfully this is actually more American than Saddleback since they're made and sourced in Mexico but nobody has any issues with them.
not trying to speak out of turn on behalf of Maury but I think he means more from a Made in USA kind of thing rather than a quality issue perhaps? From the vid, it's obvious the quality is there. We all know China makes some very excellent products, especially clothing, but there is a burgeoning sector of Made in USA/Canada apparel and products that can't be dismissed. I for one, at this point in my life actually seek out those products. YMMV though
yup, the reason why i stay away from iPhones.....
a 7lb bag with 3 buckles, where majority of people will not use 2 of them..not feeling that design feature. stiching also looks uneven....
I choose SBL.
Dam that bag design looks strangely familiar 🤔........
What is the WARRENTY for this bag?
But made in China
nice review but would have been better to see the actual bag for a longer period of time, you were zoomed in for the majority of the review....just a suggestion for your next review video. keep up the good work.
Wonder if saddleback gets license infringement fees for this bag lol
Wow, talk about a Saddleback Leather knockoff?!? 🤦🏿♂️
Do you think SBL invented that style? the fucking SBL cult needs to stfu they copied italien and english craftsman.
Saddle back invented the backpack lol
No thanks....so you need to unbuckle 3 straps just to be able to open and get to the contents. Definitely not function follow form. Why not put 5 straps onto the bag and design the buckles with all the ornaments as medals hanging on a 5 star general.
Saddleback
Lost me at China
I almost...ALMOST....bought a marlondo thin briefcase. But i couldn't get over the fact that they blatantly stole saddleback leather's designs. Yeah, i realize that it's not exactly the same. But the fact that they add all those metal d-rings and the round ring in the center to turn the bag into a backpack, is straight up design theft. Which is hilarious because i actually hate all those metal d-rings and i'll never turn a briefcase into a backpack, so that also helped in making me decide against a marlondo thin briefcase.
Instead i ended up with a saddleback thirteener. Had they created their own designs I probably would have a marlondo on the way right now.
fuck it i caved and bought one.
Look like a perfect copy of saddleback leather .....
Made in China. NAH.
It is a Saddleback Leather knockoff. I'd rather have the real thing. I KNOW Saddleback does not cut corners anywhere and their stuff is guaranteed for 100 years. So, does Marlondo?
Saddleback: cheap Mexican chrome tanned leather, rapid set rivets, certainly not an original design.
Marlondo: American vegetable tanned leather, double cap rivets, lifetime guarantee.
The “100 year guarantee” is just a marketing tool, if Saddleback is around for another 50 years I’d be shocked.
No hate, but you’re inaccurate on many details.
Thanks Carl, i was debating between saddleback & marlondo, im sold, Marlondo wins!
SBL definitely not cheap leather and between veg and chrome tan has pros and cons to both types . If you prefer a different manufacturer that’s free market but interesting how you also love all the rings where in your video bashing SBL you slam their bags for all the rings. Just seeing much inconsistencies here