Komal's Passion Leather Handmade 16 Inch Retro Buffalo Hunter Leather Laptop Messenger Bag Office Briefcase College Bag

Disclaimer: I bought this bag used as an Amazon warehouse deal. As a return, it may or may not represent the average product. It did have a 'Komal's Passion Leather' label sewn inside, so it's probably authentic.Distilled review? I really like it, and would have been perfectly happy to pay full price.VERY nice bag for the money. Some folks said the leather was thin. Not on mine, for what that's worth. I mean, is it belt-thick? Nope, but with the exception of a couple trim pieces inside on the cotton lining, it seems fine. And anyway, goat leather is supposed to be exceptionally tough. Time will tell, though at this point it's stiff enough to stand up on its own even after some softening up. Color was definitely on the orangy side, but with a few days in the sun (see below) and a few applications of leather conditioner, it's darkened up to a nice, rich brown. I was pretty surprised at how fast it darkened! Very attractive in my opinion. Even so, mine definitely looks 'rustic,' and there are a few blemishes -- though as I said, this is a used bag that was advertised as having a few small cosmetic defects. It doesn't look like $500 leather, not that I was expecting that. Even after a week, it's weathering well.Interior fit and finish is very nice, in a couple ways actually better than a couple of the photos the vendor posted here. Only two very small areas of odd-looking stitching, the rest looked rock solid. [EDIT: after a month, I had to perform a minor stitching repair to the main handle. I will probably need to have it professionaly reinforced at some point] The laptop compartment is indeed padded, but only on the dividers, not the bottom or edges of the bag. And said padding is pretty minimal. I wish the brass connections, straps, and bag attachment points were more robust, but I spent $46, so I don't feel like I have room to complain. I still have concerns about durability of the carrying hardware -- 'Indiana Jones' use is probably not recommended, but I think it'll be fine for my intended light, casual use, and I'll try to update if things go south.Elephant in the room according to some reviewers: the smell. Yup, at first it smelled musky and gamey. Like a goat. I very much did not like the smell, and it was pretty strong. But it faded fast over the course of a week, and now it just smells like leather, as was promised by the vendor and any number of other goat leather purveyors across the internet. I can still vaguely detect the bag in a room if it's been sitting in there a while, but it's just a pleasant natural leather odor now. It's not 'new car' leather, but that stuff's been treated with industrial chemicals. Not bad per se, just a different product--and different odor--entirely. It is worth noting that the vast majority of folks don't have any problems in this department. And since I got a return, well, there was probably a reason for that.That said, I may have hastened the airing out a bit with advice sourced from the internet. I Febreezed the interior a couple times, and for several days it sat in the direct sun during the day with teabags of ground coffee in every pocket, and at night, it was tied in a trash bag with a few more coffee sachets. It smelled like coffee for a few days afterwards, but that, too, is fading fast, leaving said natural leather smell with no 'animal' notes. I don't know if what I did helped one iota, or if in fact it might have been bad for the bag ultimately. A little patience was rewarded in spades: after a week, I have an amazing leather bag at an even more amazing price, one I bet will continue to improve in many ways as it ages in.As I said, I'd have no problem paying full price. Good bag at a very fair price, with few obvious compromises to hit that price.

I love it! It was packaged very nicely and smelled like....wait for it...leather. Not overpowering at all, only noticeable if I stick my face up to it and sniff. It is a little stiff, but it's new, so I expect it'll soften up over time. The buckles on the front are true buckles - a nice touch that I hope holds up. The construction seems sturdy both inside and out.It has a large middle slot that easily fits a laptop plus plug and other items. There is a narrow slot in front and a narrow slot behind the large slot that each easily fit a notebook, some folders, etc. There is a zippered pocket on the inside of both the front and back panels that could easily hold sheets of paper folded in half, mailing envelopes, etc. There is also a zippered pocket on the back of the bag on the outside that is really handy to stick mail out of so I don't forget to put it in the mailbox.The two front pockets fit a fair amount, but they do not extend out on the bottom any, so that limits what you can put in there. The side pocket easily fits pens and pencils.What I can fit in this bag without overstuffing it at all:Laptop (middle slot)Laptop plug (middle slot)Flat bag with chargers, plugs, flash drives, etc. (middle slot)1 spiral bound notebook (back slot)3 folders stuffed with papers (front and back slots)Moleskine calendar (outside front pocket)A dozen pens or so (side outside pocket)Small set of keys (outside front pocket)ID and lanyard (outside front pocket)Mail I forgot to put in the envelope...(outside back zippered pocket)Updated May 2018I've had this bag for over a year and a half now, and I use it every day. It gets buckled and unbuckled multiple times a day, gets tossed in and out of the car, and basically gets abused on a daily basis. The pics show what it looks like now, stuffed, and after all that use. I get compliments on this bag all the time, and people ask me where they can get their own. As you can see from the pics, none of the seams, zippers, buckes, straps, or handles show the kind of wear I'd expect after what it's been through, and nothing looks remotely in danger of failing.The only complaints I have on this bag are that the side pocket really isn't tall enough to hold pens and still snap the pocket shut (no biggie, I put them in the front slot pockets), and since I primarily carry this bag on my left shoulder, the extra strap length flaps in my face (no biggie, I wear it backwards or on the other shoulder, and my back would prefer some balance anyway), but those are by no means dealbreakers. I have already gotten more than my money's worth for this bag, and I look forward to many years of use.

My wife bought this bag for my birthday and I absolutely love it. Well made with quality materials. My wife said she was informed every step of the way via email and the bag arrived a day early. I am already eyeing of a travel bag to update my old one.