Bags & Leather

A leather bag is one of the few purchases that can genuinely improve with age — but only if the leather underneath is the kind that ages rather than peels. Grade, tannage and hardware decide that, and all three are usually disclosed if you know the words to look for.

What full grain leather is is the single most useful page here: it explains the grading ladder that determines whether a bag develops a patina or simply wears out. Nappa leather covers the softer, more delicate end of the same scale, and how to clean a leather bag covers keeping one alive once you own it.

The roundups span work bags, totes, weekenders and backpacks. We record the leather type, dimensions, hardware and compartment layout each listing publishes, note the brands whose catalogue numbers make sizing confusing, and say plainly when a category is dominated by one maker rather than pretending at a brand comparison the inventory cannot support.