Note: this item was provided for review.
I am not a huge leather bag guy, but I can say that there’s a very wide variety of experiences you can get from any given leather bag. Some seem overly heavy with leather so stiff you are not sure it will ever wear in. Some are so thin and soft that you find it’s really the nylon lining that’s giving the bag any hope at durability. Thus, it is very difficult to try to ascertain what you are getting from a product website.
This was the case with the Zeppo Solo when Bleu de Chauffe offered to send it over. I quickly accepted and made a request for the navy variant. When I got the bag, I was pretty blown away. There’s no lining, it’s not overly heavy, the leather is very supple and pliable.
It all seemed pretty good. And then, I used it, and I quickly realized that this bag was much more than pretty good — it’s quite excellent.
Materials & Specs
The bag measures out at 15.7″ x 11.4″ x 4.72″, which puts it right in that nice size range where it’s not overkill for daily carry, large enough for travel, while still easily fitting at your feet. The bag calculates to around 14L, which is probably right, but sounds a little smaller than it feels and packs.
Some additional things to know:
- Made in France
- Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather, treated using natural agents such as mimosa, acacia, and chestnut.
- Water resistant
- Built-in felt laptop sleeve.
- Sanded velour finish on the reverse side
- Removable leather shoulder strap with felt-lined shoulder pad.
- Removable inner zipped pocket in cotton canvas, dated and signed by the artisan who made the bag.
- A leather strip to attach the bag onto a suitcase handle
- Bleu de Chauffe logo in a brass finish, inspired by traditional ceramic taps. The workwear signature.
- YKK zipper
- Small outside front pocket. Magnetic top closure to keep your essentials close at hand.
- Large front pocket with flap for files or magazines. Tuc closure.
- Fits roughly a 16″ laptop.
As with every bag I have received from Bleu de Chauffe, the craftsmanship is outstanding. The materials are absolutely class-leading, and it’s generally an impressive kit.
In Use
I used this bag around town, walking to workplaces, riding a bike to a workspace, and taking it on a flight with me. It still looks brand new, and I still like using it through all of that. To really drive it home, my wife even let me know that it’s a really good-looking bag.
Let’s start with the looks. The shape is rather basic, though from top down it does have an odd edge of material which makes up the front pocket. At first I didn’t know what to make of this, but after a couple of days I forgot all about it. The blue on this bag is quite lovely — it’s dark but has great depth of color. Paired with the brown accents, it’s a smart-looking combination. Navy bags can be hard to pair with things, but this color is more like blue jeans, in that it essentially goes with anything.
Since I am on looks, let’s talk about that little logo mark they’ve added to the bag. I was surprised to see it, but in a good way. It’s a charming little addition which is unobtrusive and nice-looking. I wouldn’t be upset if it were gone, but I do like having it on the bag.
One of the best parts of this bag is when you set it down to get something out of it. Not only does the bag sit up nicely without falling over, but the single zipper is a gem. It’s incredibly smooth and easy to pull open or closed, which makes the bag feel seamless to get in and out of. The stash pocket uses a magnetic styled button which works well and the pocket is nice and deep, but the downside is that when the bag is really full, this button snap can come open — worth noting, but still a minor issue overall. The front flap is easy enough to get in and out of, while affording a solid amount of security to what you stow in it. There’s no lining, and the area is a little tight, so the sanded leather inside this can add a touch of friction to certain items (which can be good or bad depending on your use).
Next up is the carrying comfort:
- Handles: the bag has two rounded handles on the face and back of the bag, which come together easily so you can carry with both. There’s no keeper to keep them connected, but I’ve found this to not be an issue at all, as the straps hold their shape and stay upright so they are always easy to grab. It’s weird to like handles this much, but I do like this a lot.
- Shoulder Strap: the shoulder strap is nice, with a soft wool felt on the pad which makes carrying it a gem. The only downside is that the edges on the leather strap itself feel quite sharp and I would love it if these were sanded a touch to ease that. Other than that, I had no issues carrying this for a day-long travel, or a bike ride from one location to the next. The shoulder pad is effective, stays in place, and is generally comfortable.
The main compartment has two spots to snap in something like the laptop sleeve, or the canvas pocket (included with bag). The felt laptop sleeves can feel bulky and cumbersome on a lot of bags, but on this bag there’s enough structure to the bag from the leather that the sleeve is easy to use and unobtrusive when not being used. All around great.
One last note on durability, as this bag is not inexpensive in any way. I did not baby this bag, nor did I purposefully attempt to damage it. I slid it at my feet for two flights, with a standard amount of care I would take when sliding any of my bags. It was set down and rested on loads of different floors, and tossed around as I normally would when it was empty. After all of that, I have yet to see a mark on it — the leather appears as though it will hold up quite well.
Overall
I am not generally a huge fan of leather briefcases, but I am generally a huge fan of this leather briefcase. It’s well laid out, perfectly sized, looks amazing, feels amazing, smells amazing, and is fantastic to carry and use.
What more can I say: highly recommended.