'Si quid Latine dicatur, profundum videbitur'

I don't have any of the items in stores and we're not big fans of folks coming to our home in San Antonio because of the weirdo factor. My sister, Patricia and her husband (my Chess and Scrabble nemesis), send out the leather from their place near Ft. Worth, Texas, but again, because of the weirdo factor they're not set up to show either. If it helps, everyone tells me that they look better in person.

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Back when I was really dumb, my friend Steve and I hiked up Mt. Hood, starting at the treeline, from 2:00 a.m. 'til 8:00 a.m. in the snow with big fat inner tubes over our shoulders. We were going so fast down the super steep groomed corduroy-like icy glacier that when we finally got stopped, Steve smelled smoke because of the rubber that had melted off the back of his boots trying to slow down. Luckily there were no trees to hit. Anyhow, the half hour of pure joy flying down the mountain was well worth the lack of sleep, the hours of hiking straight up the mountain, the risk of getting hurt and the cold snow and ice down my pants.
I evaluate everything in life to see if the pain or trouble is worth the result. There isn't enough joy in the extra money made by selling wholesale to stores to make it worth the trade of time with my wife and our baby Sela.
All that to say...No. Plus, I don't want everyone in the world owning my bag. Exclusivity is almost as attractive as my hot wife Suzette. I do want to be a household name, but only in a few homes.

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We, at Saddleback believe in our leather, thread and craftsmanship so strongly that we warranty every one of our products against defects in materials and workmanship for 100 years. If you or one of your lucky descendents should have a problem, send it back and we'll repair or replace it for free (be sure to put this guarantee in your will). We'll even pay for normal ground shipping if you're returning it because of a defect.
Saddleback Leather products are made to last a lifetime or two, but they're not bear or bullet or semi truck proof. The warranty covers normal wear and tear and does not cover misuse or abuse.

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Yes, you must send it back in brand new condition within 30 days for a different color or size. You must pay for all shipping, but we won't charge a restocking fee.

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You may return your leather piece only in new condition within 30 days of the date you received it. Please allow ten business days for your refund once we receive it. There is a $25 restocking fee on all leather pieces except the small 6 x 8 pouch.

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Email me and I'll get that right to you with our procedure for returns and exchanges.

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Measure your laptop from side to side since a laptop's advertised size is defined by the diagonal width of the screen. Most 17" laptops have a 15.4" wide body. Measure your laptop and see how wide it is and then buy a 12", 14", 16" or an 18" bag accordingly.

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You want the bag to fit your body size. If you're huge, then you'll look even bigger with a smaller bag and if you're small then a big bag will make you look like a real little fella. In my humble opinion:

• Pituitary Giant circus performers and men over 6' 5" I recommend an 18"
• People 5' 10" - 6' 5" I recommend a 16". It's a nice size for air travel and for larger laptops.
• Folks 5' 4" - 5' 10" should get a 14".
• Smaller framed folks - 12".

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Usually, but not always. The leather in the pictures has been used, burned by the sun, oiled or is wet. Some are just really dirty. Expect a possible 10% lighter or darker variation from the pictures.

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Pick the one that fits who you are. I've observed what the bag owners tend to be like based on the color they have chosen over the years. The category below that fits you best is probably the color you'll enjoy most. Also, to help you decide, you can take this test http://www.oneishy.com/personality/personality_test.php
You"ll be amazed at how it helps you decide. Remember, your first inclination is usually the correct one. Tobacco Light Brown (Sanguine)

• Easy going
• Laid back and casual
• Likes old Land Cruisers
• Forgives quickly
• Creative (enjoys writing)
• Loves big dogs
• Traveler
• Never met a stranger
• Low maintenance
• Lots of random thoughts
• Inventor
• Funny
• Loves the outdoors
• Adventurous
• Only wears clothes because you have to

• You look good in a thick black leather jacket
• Rides a cruiser type motorcycle
• Wear thick black framed glasses
• Drives a Volvo or Saab
• Perfectionist
• They know your name at the coffee shop
• Sci-Fi is your favorite genre
• Are very interested in Oriental culture
• Prefer cats over dogs
• Loves modern contemporary style square furniture

• Professional
• Highly educated
• Belongs in a Mercedes Benz or Jaguar
• Classier than most
• Perfectionist
• Has excellent taste in dressing and decorating
• Great sense of humor
• Intellectual
• Smokes a pipe instead of a cigarette
• Appreciates the finer things

• Loves the outdoors
• Is the best friend of many people
• Reads a lot of books
• Loves big dogs
• Intellectual
• Loves adventure
• Independent
• Musical

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Zacatecas, Mexico - Tobacco with 2 coats of dark "Paramo"
Oil (not sure of translation)
Mexican Federale - Dark Coffee Brown
African Desert - Tobacco well traveled
Bled, Slovenia - Tobacco well traveled, lightly oiled and soaking wet outside, dry inside
Punchbowl Falls Oregon - Tobacco
Costa Rica - Tobacco
Mexico/United States - Tobacco used as backpack
Budapest, Hungary - Tobacco well traveled and dirty
Bocas del Toro, Panama - Tobacco well traveled
Sahara - Tobacco oiled and dirty used as backpack
With side satchel connected - Chestnut Reddish Brown
South Pacific - Tobacco honeymoon bag
Krakow, Poland - Tobacco oiled and soaking wet
Tahitian Islands - Dark Coffee Brown
Salzburg, Austria - Tobacco
Red Sands, Texas with Blue-Tobacco w/ lots of Blue drool
Jack Anderson's "Antarctica Penguins" Photo 18" Tobacco
Benson Ward's "Machu Picchu" - 14" Tobacco
Brian Dewey's "End of the Day" - 14" Dark Coffee
Geir Baekholt's "17th Century House Norway" - 16" Chestnut
Dustin Ballard's "Grand Tetons" - 14" Dark Coffee
Tom Thurman's "Kandariya Mahadeva" - 18" Dark Coffee
Max and Mistress Bag 'n Satchel - 14" Dark Coffee
Brett's "Tyrannosaurus in Costa Rica" 16" Dark Coffee
John's "Great Wall of China" - 18" Tobacco
Franck's bag in Hollywood – 14" original Tobacco w/ dark oil
Curtis' bag at Black Hills Biker Rally - 16" Tobacco
David Bouchard's "Indian Elephant" - 16" Dark Coffee
Marco's "Harmonica" Bag in Switzerland - 14" Dark Coffee

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We take between 1 - 3 business days to process your order, go over the bag with a fine toothed comb and give it to the carrier. How long it takes from there depends on which method of shipping you chose and how close you are to Texas. In Texas, it's usually next day. New York, Miami and Seattle are usually 4 - 5 days using basic ground shipping. Outside the United States is usually 6-10 business days with 2 -3 days in customs.
If money is no object for shipping overseas, then use UPS and DO NOT USE USPS. They are much cheaper but because they are an inefficient government agency with no real competition, they are horrible to deal with if there is a problem. They are great 99% of the time, but if they don't have an answer for you then they either hang up on you (really) or they tell you, "Call back later because our system is down."

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You have 12 hours to change your order. After that, it could already be en route.

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Yes.

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UPS doesn't require a signature and USPS does. If you ask us when you buy, we can require a signature. You can also call or email the carrier and give them specific instructions e.g. put it on the back porch, leave it with the neighbor etc.

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Yes. I will accept any form of payment as long as it clears my bank. Sometimes it takes several days before the bank gives the thumbs up.

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Oil or condition it after you've had it for 6 - 12 months then, once a year or so after that. You don't want to do it too often, because you don't want to saturate the leather. It's just not good for it. And, it won't kill it if you wait a little longer than 12 months.

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Baby Oil is good and smells great. Mink oil waterproofs whatever it touches and darkens it some. Lexol Conditioners and Oils are great, and can darken it a little. Not really sure about Beeswax.

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DO NOT USE DYES OR STAINS. Use only oils. Mink oil darkens leather and so do a number of other oils you can find at a feed store or leather supply shop online. I'd recommend putting the oil on a small inconspicuous part of the leather first so that if you don't like it after it's dried, then you can try something else. Sun darkens cowhide like it does human hide it just takes a little longer. You can only get it lighter by bending or scratching it.

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Our leather laughs at water. The leather is tanned with oil and therefore repels water after a few hours or even a few minutes. The tobacco and black leathers are 100% waterproof like quality hiking boot leather is. Your leather will be fine if it gets rained on and there won't be spots afterwards.
If you fall in the ocean with it, then soak it in freshwater for 24 hours. Change the water about 12 hours into it. That's what I did when I took my bag shark diving with me for pictures. I now use it as my diaper bag. If you only get a little salt on it, then clean it off with water and then oil it. The rivets corrode though.

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Cheap leathers fade, black to grey, red to pink etc. Our leather is not cheap. It won't fade but will usually darken a little in the sun.

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Elbow grease is the best for scratches. Rubbing the heck out of it with a rag and conditioner or oil should do it. Personally, I like scratches. They tell stories and make people wonder.

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Well, you're pretty much screwed. But, there is something you can do. Take it to a tattoo artist and have him make a sun or cross or something like that with it. It'll look cool and you'll have a good story too.

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Let me think about it for a sec........ Nope. But, you can email me your idea, because I may have already thought of it and it might be just about ready to put on the website for sale.

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No, I'm afraid of fire. Actually, it's a great idea to have it done somewhere. No one will want to steal your bag as much and it will look even cooler.

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No. It sounds really easy to have one made without d-rings or with an extra pocket, but it really is a whole lot of work. Please believe me.

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There will be one winner June 21st (my birthday first day of summer and longest day of the year) and two winners on Dec. 7th (Pearl Harbor). Credit on the website for $535 will be given to the taker of most unique or furthest away or most interesting picture of their bag or suitcase somewhere in the world on June 21st and Dec. 7th. Also, on Dec. 7th, credit will be given to the most creatively boring picture with the bag e.g. in a great library or in study hall at a high school or of the bag waiting in line at a government office. There must be over 7 entries on that one or I’ll give it to another person with an interesting photo.

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It started Dec. 2nd and will end Dec. 7th of the following year.

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If you work at a bank, then maybe get a picture with your bag with $1,000,000 cash or that much in your suitcase. If you live in London, maybe a picture of it being run over by a double-decker bus or with Big Ben. If you know someone famous, take a picture with them with it. If you live in the country, leave it out in the field with deer feed laying around it overnight and then in the morning with your telephoto lens, get a picture of it with deer all around it. If you're a surgeon, take a picture of you performing a surgery on it with nurses all around. Be creative.

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Yes, I've put in extra holes in the shoulder strap for men just like you. You can also take the strap to a shoe repair person and have them take out the rivet that holds the clip on, cut the appropriate amount of leather off and rivet the clip on again. I make the strap long enough for anyone to wear and easy to tailored for a custom fit. They do the same with quality suits.

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Try tying on a memorable piece of something that has a story behind it like a shell necklace from a vacation or a keychain from your alma mater. That's what I do on my bags on trips etc.
If you really want one of those old 5 peso coins then catch a plane to Mexico City. Get off the plane and go to the western most bus station "Observatorio" via "El Metro" (the subway). Catch a bus to Toluca and then get on a bus headed for Ixtapan de la Sal. When you get off the bus, catch one of the green and white taxis and tell them "Tecomatepec" OR there's a guy who lives kind of behind the bus station and to the right named Pedro. He has a burro he'll let you use if you tell him you know Dave. Don't worry, his burro knows the way.
Several hours later, when you get to Tecomatepec 3 miles away, get off the burro at the corner where the drunk guy with the missing teeth is (you'll know) and walk up the alley about 3 doors past the tortilla factory and ask for Senora Lupita and tell her Dave sent you. She should have one or two left. Hope that helps.

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Well, I lived for three years in a $100 a month apartment in Mexico with no hot water, because of these bags. My dog, Blue, and I drove for thousands of hours all over the North American continent because of these bags. I had a crooked Federale sent to kill me because of these bags (I convinced him that Señor Alarcon would never pay him) and we became friends). I've shed gallons of blood and tears and sweat and at least a quart of other people's, because of these bags. I've slept in my car or on the rack of my old Land Cruiser at least 150 times because of these bags. I've lost weeks of sleep and have gone hungry for days because of these bags. I was broke for years and even had to trade two of Blue's little puppies for a month's worth of tacos in order to eat because of these bags. I've been detained by who knows how many Mexican police because of these bags. I've thrown away thousands of dollars and made hundreds of mistakes because of these bags. I've been stolen from, taken advantage of and robbed because of these bags (they even stole Blue once, but I got him back). All of these things and more have happened to me because of these bags. They cost me a lot.

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Buy the best, cry once. It's all about the cost per year. In college, I bought a pair of very expensive shoes for my job as a waiter. I couldn't afford them, but I bought them anyhow. They were really light and comfortable and took me through two years of waiting tables and one year as a limo driver and another year of occasional use. And then they still looked good for a month of Sundays. Cost per year was about $25. Most of the other waiters bought a new pair of $55 heavy and uncomfortable shoes every 6 months because theirs wore out and looked ratty by then. One of the principles the successful in the world understand is this: If one buys quality from the start they save money. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. This will be one of the most savvy investments and inexpensive leather pieces you'll ever have. And remember, you must truly love yourself before you can love others. A couple of other things to think about you'll be more popular. Everybody isn't buying one. I'll invite you to my birthday party. What's wrong, you chicken?

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I once used it for about 6 weeks as my daily backpack. It's not as comfortable as a true backpack. You'll be the coolest cat on the bus for sure.

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Disconnect the shoulder strap completely. Attach the end of the shoulder strap that is closest to the buckle of the shoulder strap to a rear bottom d-ring. Run the shoulder strap through the d-ring beneath the handle along with one shoulder pad and then attach the other end of the shoulder strap to the opposing rear bottom d-ring.

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