Premium Leather Messenger Bag

A Quality Leather Messenger Bag

At MacCase, we like to bring products to market that are void of an expiration date. It's much, much harder to design and execute products that can stand the test of time, both stylistically and functionally. Our Premium Leather Messenger Bag is such a design. Since their introduction, these models have attracted customers from around the world.

Their tough, durable hides, impeccable craftsmanship, and timeless design combine to tell the world you are someone of impeccable taste, whose going somewhere and getting things done.  

It's modern, classic, futuristic, and vintage all at the same time. Its fully padded and lined interior will keep whatever you put inside safe and secure. With one of our shoulder bags, you don't just carry a bag you make a statement.

It's not often that a company trying to sell you a brand new product shows you one of their products that is nearly a decade old. Even rarer, is that the product they are showing has been around the world and back numerous times. It's has not been sitting in someone's closet all these years and looks pristine and perfect.

A Leather Messenger Bag That Endures

Why are we showing you a nearly decade-old MacCase Leather Bag? So you know if you buy one, you'll have it for a good long time. These bags are not the same as the pieces you see in the big box retail stores, or coming out of China that are all over the internet claiming to be "genuine leather". Our shoulder bags are much, much better. The real deal. 

As you can see in the image, our real Vintage hides patina in over time. They get lighter in some spots as the natural oils evaporate out and darker in others where you touch the hide. This gives the bag character that is reflective of you, its owner. Many of our customers think this is one of the best features of our Vintage products. 

But to patina in, the bag has to last long enough to do so. All our Premium Leather models are built to in industry's highest standards using the best materials. This is reflected in every stitch when you first take it out of the box, and as the bag in our photo, nearly a decade after you've been using it.

Another thing that you may notice is the closure system has changed. While we liked the aesthetic appearance of the polished, stainless steel buckles, they never worked quite as solidly as their ABS plastic cousins. We have replaced the dual metal clips with a single, centrally located magnetic closure. 

There are several benefits to this. Getting in and out of the bag, especially if you are standing, is now much, much easier. You just pull up on the tab and the bag is opened.

Making a Great Leather Shoulder Bag Better

Get in and out is now a one-handed operation. In addition, we were able to reduce the overall weight of the bag as the single magnet is lighter than the twin metal buckles. 

Along with an updated closure, the newest version of this leather shoulder bag features a "quick grab" handle mounted along the top of the rear panel. This was something customers were asking for and we listened.

While not turning the bag into a full-fledged briefcase, (it does not have the structure for that), it does make pulling the bag out of an overhead bin or out of the backseat of a car much easier. 

At MacCase, we work every day to put the absolute best products into the world that we can, bringing a lifetime of design passion to the process.

James, the professional photographer who purchased the shoulder bag in the photo, realized this early on, when the bag was brand new. He told us when he sent us the photo that the bag was "worth every penny and then some". 

Everyone at MacCase is buzzing about the recent 15th anniversary of our Premium Leather Collection. No MacCase model stands as a testament to the long-term success of this venture than our handmade leather shoulder bag.

Part of the original line launched over 15 years ago, our timeless business or personal use bag has recently had its first update. (It took long enough huh?!) This post is going to cover the changes to this venerable stalwart of the MacCase leather line.

Men's Leather Messenger Bag

But first, let's discuss the design itself. While there are a lot of women who have ordered and loved owning one of these, the majority of the customers for this model are men. It probably has more to do with the scale of the bag than the aesthetic design.

The timeless design appeals to both men and women. Many of the men's leather messenger bags available run the gamut of the design spectrum. Numerous models are just blatant copies of designs that have been around for 150 years. Do you also dress like they did 150 years ago or travel in a covered wagon when you take a trip?

Some are terribly dated in their appearance, with all kinds of antiquated straps and buckles adorning the exterior. There seems to be an idea that the more visual noise the exterior can generate, the better the customer might perceive the bag to be. If you had your phone inside when it rang and needed to get to it, there is no way you could undo all the straps in time to answer it. But I guess they didn't have mobile phones in the 1870's.

On the other side of the spectrum are designers who realize that copying old designs is not the answer. Their designs are going to be super modern! In order to create the ultimate men's leather messenger bag, they've decided to strip away every detail and make the whole thing out of a single piece of leather. What you are left with is a characterless, dull bag devoid of any imagination.

Great design walks the line of being honest, true, authentic, and even spiritual. We feel our design strikes the perfect balance between a messenger bag that works well in the modern world and yet is neither too busy nor too plain. Think of it as the "Goldilocks" of designs. It's just right.

Classic Black Leather Messenger Bag

When our Premium Leather Collection was introduced it included designs executed in 7 colors. These included cream, red, pink tan, and color among the classic black and popular vintage brown. While it was great to offer this design in such a wide array of colors it was the classic black messenger bag that was and continues to be a best seller.

This model was included in the Premium Leather Collection launched 10 years ago because the nylon messenger bags that were part of the MacCase lineup were such a hit.

One of the ideas behind the leather line was to "knock ourselves off". Take the most successful bags, cases, and sleeves we were making in nylon, copy them in the nicest leather we could find, and see what happens. Well, the response was overwhelming and we've never looked back.

Our large leather bag is sort of the jack of all trades of our leather line. It can do it all. Want to use it as an overnight bag? It can do that. Want to take it to the gym? It can go there. The black version does this better than any of the other colors we offered. Black goes with everything and always looks professional. It's not a surprise that the black version of this bag has remained so popular.

Want to bundle it with a matching MacBook Pro or iPad Pro Sleeve and make an incredible laptop bag out of it? It excels at that too. A friend of mine used to take his camping. Seriously. It's one versatile piece of design. Need a prop for a sci-fi cowboy movie, it's got that covered too. 

Updating the Vintage Messenger Bag

On the other side of the spectrum from black, we have our distressed vintage brown. Classic in its own way, it's made from real, authentic distressed vintage hides, not bonded leather painted up to look distressed.

The Vintage Messenger Bag has a style that endures. The distressed hides will patina in over time enhancing the character and appearance. Appealing to both men and women, it's a design that has evolved over the years.

Customers would often ask for a handle so the bag would be easier to pull out of an overhead bin or out of the backseat of a cab. Strangely, that this detail was left off initially. MacCase nylon messenger bags have always had this feature, yet it didn't migrate to the leather line.

This men's and women's leather bag uses a much more organic structure than a traditional briefcase. It's structured but soft -ided at the same time. Putting the handle in the wrong place could have stretched and distorted the leather over time. The handle was added to a location that was both functional and didn't destroy the long-term integrity of the bag.

The second niggling issue with the black and vintage Messenger Bag was the closure. The original design utilized a set of stainless steel finished, side squeeze buckles. They looked beautiful and added just the right amount of sparkle to the design.

While many of us are familiar with the excellent plastic side squeeze buckles found on sporty backpacks, when executed in metal, some of that smooth functionality was lost. So the buckles, while looking great, were cumbersome to use in certain situations.

These were recently replaced by a magnetic closure. The new magnetic closure is so easy and fun to use. It's silent and the bag can now be opened and closed with one hand from any angle. This improvement was a long time coming but definitely worth the wait.

Classic Leather Messenger Bag, Another Ten Years On

So many of the designs produced by the laptop case industry are designed to be trendy and have planned obsolescence. The poor quality of so much of what is being produced guarantees that most of the cases will not last longer than the laptops and or tablets they are designed to carry. This is unfortunate. And this is certainly not the case at MacCase.

Having a design continue to sell well enough to keep it in constant production for 10 years running is an exceptional achievement. This speaks to two key aspects inherent in all MacCase products: Quality of design and quality of materials and manufacturing.

So many of the original Premium Leather Messenger Bags that were sold as part of the 2007 launch are still in the field.  We know this because we did outreach and received photos from all over the world of customers and their leather shoulder bags with the dates they purchased.

With the new improved design comes a renewed commitment to producing the best products we can. It's great to be able to improve a product loved by so many. We hope to see all the pieces we are shipping now still in the field in 2027. Who knows, there may even be a few pieces from 2007 still kicking around in 2027!

FAQ - 

What is the best leather messenger bag?

The best leather messenger bag is the one that meets or exceeds your individual needs. Things to consider when shopping for one is the overall size (sizes to vary), quality of the leather (quality varies greatly), quality of the hardware, functionality, overall appearance and overall value.

Which leather is best for bags?

The best leather to use for bags is sourced from the hides of cows. Full-grain or top grain hides are the highest quality cow leather and are used on the best bags. This type of leather is extremely durable, has a pleasing aroma, and offers an endless variety of colors and finishes.

Are Messenger Bags better than backpacks?

It depends on what you need to carry. If you have a set of items you carry each day and they fit in a backpack, then a pack would be the best choice. If what you are carrying varies in size and shape from day to day and you want or need that versatility, a messenger bag is best.

What are messenger bags used for? 

Messenger bags are typically used to carry and transport all the things you need to get through a given day. Work items, personal items or a combination of the two are the most common items carried in messenger bags. Larger ones can be used as a substitute for an overnight bag.

Should men wear messenger bags?

It is completely appropriate for men to wear messenger bags. Messenger bags trace their origins back to the large sacks used by bike messengers to make deliveries. The majority of these delivery riders were men so it is a form that is culturally relevant and suitable for a man to wear.

How do men wear messenger bags?

Loop the shoulder strap over your head so it goes from your right shoulder to your left hip or vice versa depending on comfort. Adjust the strap so the bag lands on your left or right hip. Slide the bag rearward so it lands on the rear part of your hip.

Are messenger bags for guys? 

Messenger bags are for guys, (not in an absolute sense, but in the inclusive one.) This is due to the fact that the majority of people who wore them when they were being used by bike delivery services were men. These origins are reflected in their scale and functionality.