Saddleback Leather
Full grain leather bags, 100-year warranty, Texan manufacturing
Production has been offshored to Mexico and prices keep climbing. The leather is still decent, but the value proposition that built the reputation has seriously eroded.
Philosophy
Full grain leather, copper rivets, waxed linen thread, no zippers. Saddleback Leather makes brutalist pieces with a 100-year warranty. Their motto: 'They'll fight over it when you're dead.'
History
Dave Munson pulled a marketing masterstroke: a website that explains leather grades, recommends competitors, and convinces you he's the most honest guy in the game. It worked. Saddleback Leather became a les passionnés legend with its 100-year warranty and 'They'll fight over it when you're dead' slogan. Full grain leather, copper rivets, waxed linen thread, zero zippers. But the specialist forums consensus has shifted: 'good-ish but extremely over-priced'. Production moved to Mexico (rebranded as 'Old Mexico' to soften the blow), prices went up 2-3x, and les passionnés artisans rank the leather B-tier, not A-tier. Customer service still works - the warranty holds - but the brand is clearly living off its past reputation.