Right now I don’t use a satchel. I carried one for school for 12 years and then for about four or five years I used one as a handbag. I find them rather stiff, unaccommodating and heavy. But I think they are beautiful and they are definitely hardy and hardwearing. A classic which can be used for business and pleasure. They are also unisex and suit all ages. And all in all, considering the craftsmanship required to make one and the tough leather needed, very reasonably priced.
Here is the last one I owned (now sold) – handmade for me at a country fair. I sat and chatted to the man who made it, while he sewed every stitch by hand. His poor fingers!
And here is me using it so you can get an idea of size and colour. This one was a little too small for A4, which made it a bit awkward for me as I then needed a second bag to carry all my papers, making my burden even heavier.
So this is probably what you think of when you think of satchels, right?
Well, think again! Here is a selection from The Cambridge Satchel Company, The Leather Satchel Company, and Zatchels
And as if that is not enough, look how customizable they are!
I’ve only started using satchells in the last couple of years – it was backpacks all the way at school for the number of books we had to carry, and I got the Union Jack Zatchell (albeit in black) off Ebay for just £45. Bargain.
My first two were, shall we say, generic brands. Never again. They don’t use good enough leather, and the first one wasn’t real leather at all. The handles on both broke after varying lengths of time, and I upgraded to my Zatchell, which was actually cheaper than the leather not-a-Zatchell.