Ordered one of these a few months ago. Have been able to use it a while now, including one trip to visit family. It's as amazing as you describe in your video. There's so many little quality details that you don't go over or highlight here, but further highlight the effort and quality they put into these bags. I would absolutely recommend it. I'd buy another again tomorrow if needed!
Great review. Beautiful bag. Jim, your channel is the absolute best leather review channel on RUclips. There is not even a close second. You know your stuff, give us a great summary and never ramble on. You are the best, my friend. Thank you
This review sold me on this bag a year ago. One of the best purchases I ever made. It's over $1100 now! I got it for $800! That's crazy. And it was crazy then!
Thanks for your thorough, high-quality review of the product. Your review provided the insight needed to feel confident making a purchase without the ability to examine the product first-hand. I placed an order and was extremely impressed with the customer service of The Leather Shop when requesting a custom dye.
Based on your adv eview of the original I purchased a small black one that I use daily! Get compliments all the time on it.Glad to see this review as I am going to purchase the small natural one of this bag this week. Thanx again.
Ordered this bag couple weeks back for my 5 yr Company anniversary based on this review after my current Amazon bag blew out. Thanks so much. Great job.
I have bought this bag from The Leather shop. The key leach did not come with the bag and I ask them by email many times. Never get a response from them. They were good at communication before close sales. After-sales? They never respond to anything at all.
Is your bag considered the Medium or Large size according to their website? I've been looking at their website and note that most of their bags are listed at "In Stock". Does this mean these are usually ready to ship right away? Was there a wait time when ordering your bag? I like the listed tan color but perhaps it may be too reddish and flashy looking for me. If a custom color is requested I assume this will add an additional wait time to the purchase of the bag? Not sure how long though.
Hello Mr. Crane and thank you for the wonderful review. I am looking at the Heirloom Messenger 2 as a gift for my daughter as she starts her career. You spend considerable time on the latches and the engineering behind them. Have you noticed a decrease in the pre tension on the latch system after using the Heirloom 1 for several years now? How has the functional integrity of the bag overall changed with the relaxing of the leather? Thanks and looking forward to your next video review.
Great question Gregory, even after several years of heavy use, I find the latch system is still functioning as it did when it was new. Having tension on the latch system so that it will operate properly is only critical when the bag is empty or nearly empty. When the bag is full, the contents put more tension on the latch system and it works even better. I have no reservations that the latch will ever fail or stop operating properly on this satchel, it's so well though out and constructed!
I ordered one of these largely because of this review. I got the small one with a single buckle in tan. While the bag is nice, and a good value for the money, it’s not the kind of value that stops you in your tracks. Ordered mine with slight aging which softened the leather somewhat. The tan color is very red, far redder than I hoped for and certainly redder than what you see on the website. My real issues were with the company. While the website indicated that each bag is hand made, and will take up to three weeks, four weeks after order I got mine, but in the WRONG color - natural rather than tan. I returned it and was told they would quickly make another in the correct color. Fast forward an additional five weeks and the correct bag arrived, but without the key leash. Emails were exchanged and a week later they sent the key leash to the wrong address. Now I suppose I’ll have to wait for them to make another one. For the bag, a generous eight out of ten. For the leather shop, four out of 10.
Chris, thank you for telling us about your experience with The Leather Shop. I think it's important for viewers to hear the good, the bad and the ugly experiences out there.
Thanks for the great videos they are always helpful. I just purchased the Heirloom Messenger based on your video. I was wondering of you were thinking of reviewing the new luggage line from Lucchese that just came out recently. I would be interested in what you though about it. Thanks as always. JC
Hey Jim, Great content! Just placed an order for the original Large heirloom 2 days ago, went on their website now and it's yet not posted! I really would like to upgrade to this one now. The inside is also fully leather lined? And hope you don't find this off topic question rude, but may I ask about your blue stone ring. What it is and to buy it? Thanks a bunch and keep up your excellent videos.
morris jones thank you! Yes this bag as well as the original is fully leather lined, no nylon or acetate fabric. My ring is a blue star sapphire; etsy.me/x4IEn8
Could you please share your views on marcellino briefcases...they are much costly but dont look as attractive as these...could you kindly provide your expert advice on the quality comparison
Hi James, After a week of researching and researching messenger bags upon seeing this video and hearing your description I have found the one! I’m going to buy this as a graduation gift for making it through UCLA and starting a new job! I just have one quick question… just to be sure does the bag have a pocket for a pair of sunglasses? Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
It does have a couple of pockets that one can put sunglasses in. The inside pocket on the side gusset would hold a small pair of sunglasses, but the pocket on the center of the front panel would hold any size sunglasses. Thanks for the question.
Chrome tanned leather certainly has its place for upholstery, garments and shoes, but as far as heirloom quality messenger bags and briefcases, it's the least desirable because of it's tendency to loose structure, requiring nylon webbing reinforcements, stretches out of shape and propensity to fade from UV light. Thanks for the question!!!
Could you please give some names of makers who build heirloom quality messenger bags, mailbags, and briefcases made from chrome tanned leather? I’d love to get my hands on some to review!
Thank you, if you’re talking about the Folsom Bridal leather Field Satchel, they are approximately the same weight, with the Folsom being the slightly heavier one.
Beautiful bag. I think I’m in love. 💕 I can’t find it on their website. Is it out for sale to the public yet? Not on the Instagram feed either. Wondering how much more it costs versus the original version. Thank you for the great review.
Interesting dodge regarding the weight. It still would have been nice to know because THAT would determine how much one would put in the bag, practically, not the other way around.
Hi James, as usual I have a question :) have you ever had an experience with glovetanned leather from Coach? What do you think of it? The softness, durability, look and ... , is it in your list of nice leathers?
Hi, I'm not a big fan of glove tanned leather. It does have a purpose I know, but unfortunately there is a lot of very poorly made glove tanned out there. It is suppose to be made from the top grain yet most of it is made from deeper and poorer quality leather and simply coated then textured with a product that resembles top grain. This product, sometimes made from real bits of leather powder and synthetic binders is not very durable. After brief use it wears thru revealing the poorer quality leather underneath. The color is mixed into the top coating and so on surfaces of highest wear, seams, edges, bottom, piping, etc. the color vanishes leaving the gray cheap leather showing. Coach used to be very high quality, but a lot of their products are made in China and are of dubious quality in my opinion.
How does the internal size compare to the first generation messenger? What about the color. Is it the same shade as the original (when new). Finally, can you provide me with the actual size of the laptop pocket? Will it fit a16 inch laptop that is just over 14 inches wide? Thanks for your great review.
Hi Joel, the internal size is appx. 30% larger than the original Heirloom. The back internal pocket is just a shade over 14" wide. I believe with usage, the leather would relax and soften making it easier to inset and remove a 14" laptop. The front pocket is about 13" wide. The main compartment would easily accommodate a laptop up to 15.5" wide.
Do you think going from the single lever latch of the first gen to the double lever latch was necessary? I prefer the single latch for looks, speed and convenience but worry the new centered handle may rely on the double latch system for weight bearing support. Thoughts?
@@jameswilliamjones Hi Bill. I actually ordered it and asked them to only put the single latch like the first version. They did and it is an amazing bag. Customer service was great.
All of the inside pockets are stitched and riveted in the most professional method I have ever seen in any maker. This makers build quality is second to none, top of the mark!
I love your videos. I’m getting into leather and plan on making a leather mailbag and I’m find inspiration from your videos. I ordered some Wickett & Craig English bridle. Just trying to figure out if the inside pockets get stitched into the side gussets.
@@richadamo6458 Yes, for a mailbag I would stitch the inside pocket or divider into the side gussets, which is a fairly straight forward method and fairly easy when making a mailbag style bag as it can be turned back out fairly easily when the stitching is finished. I wish you much success!
Jim - I value your opinions and appreciate your responses to my questions. With respect to the heirloom messenger 2, do you think the small or the large would be better for a guy that's 5'7, 14 inch laptop?
@@randalhutson6464 The small is only 15” wide which means a 14” will be a snug fit. The Medium size is 16” so your laptop will fit nicely, and will also have more of traditional business look to it. For business, if it was me, I’d go for the 16” wide model.
Hi James love your reviews, this is a lovely bag, you have a lovely collection of leather goods. I am a big fan of saddleback leather because firstly there are no broken parts that can be broken with saddleback leather, there is no point spending hundreds or even thousands on a bag if the zipper fails or the latch/locks fails. Leather lasts a life time but zippers and latches on a bag don’t. Also saddleback leather bags have good resale value, with other leather goods I notice there is no resale value, Your reviews are great!
This is the most beautiful bag I’ve ever laid eyes on. Thank you for the review!
Wow that is one beautiful bag...this one is a looker! Thank you for introducing me to a new company!
Ordered one of these a few months ago. Have been able to use it a while now, including one trip to visit family. It's as amazing as you describe in your video. There's so many little quality details that you don't go over or highlight here, but further highlight the effort and quality they put into these bags. I would absolutely recommend it. I'd buy another again tomorrow if needed!
Great review. Beautiful bag. Jim, your channel is the absolute best leather review channel on RUclips. There is not even a close second. You know your stuff, give us a great summary and never ramble on. You are the best, my friend. Thank you
Thanks for watching David, glad you enjoy it!
This review sold me on this bag a year ago. One of the best purchases I ever made. It's over $1100 now! I got it for $800! That's crazy. And it was crazy then!
Incredible craftsmanship. I bought one and a large natural color. Surely we need a group to show the old aging of bags
Excellent review. Wonderfully detailed. Thanks
Well shoot.... I own and love the original, but now it looks like I'm going to have to order this one as well. Thank you for the detailed review!
Thanks for your thorough, high-quality review of the product. Your review provided the insight needed to feel confident making a purchase without the ability to examine the product first-hand. I placed an order and was extremely impressed with the customer service of The Leather Shop when requesting a custom dye.
Light brown with burnt edges.
gorgeous Bag, wow. I may purchase this one. Gorgeous bag, very impressive. Nice taste too.
I just ordered one in small. Can't wait!
Based on your adv
eview of the original I purchased a small black one that I use daily! Get compliments all the time on it.Glad to see this review as I am going to purchase the small natural one of this bag this week. Thanx again.
James, I couldn't love your reviews more... Cheers...!
Keep up the great work with the reviews.
Very good looking bag! love it
Ordered this bag couple weeks back for my 5 yr Company anniversary based on this review after my current Amazon bag blew out. Thanks so much. Great job.
@@dougquesnel5613 It is top quality. A daily user for me. Could not ask for more. Highly recommend.
@@deech2086 Thanks. I've been hovering over the purchase button for the last week. It looks great.
Very beautiful bag!! 😊
I have bought this bag from The Leather shop.
The key leach did not come with the bag and I ask them by email many times.
Never get a response from them.
They were good at communication before close sales. After-sales? They never respond to anything at all.
Gorgeous Bag!! Did you ever get your hands on the expedition bag from that company?
Is your bag considered the Medium or Large size according to their website? I've been looking at their website and note that most of their bags are listed at "In Stock". Does this mean these are usually ready to ship right away? Was there a wait time when ordering your bag? I like the listed tan color but perhaps it may be too reddish and flashy looking for me. If a custom color is requested I assume this will add an additional wait time to the purchase of the bag? Not sure how long though.
Hello, this bag is the large one, and yes if they are in stock, you get it right away. Thanks for watching!
@@JamesCrane Great, thank you. Their large size is 17.5". It think medium will probably work for me at 16" wide.
Hello Mr. Crane and thank you for the wonderful review. I am looking at the Heirloom Messenger 2 as a gift for my daughter as she starts her career. You spend considerable time on the latches and the engineering behind them. Have you noticed a decrease in the pre tension on the latch system after using the Heirloom 1 for several years now? How has the functional integrity of the bag overall changed with the relaxing of the leather? Thanks and looking forward to your next video review.
Great question Gregory, even after several years of heavy use, I find the latch system is still functioning as it did when it was new. Having tension on the latch system so that it will operate properly is only critical when the bag is empty or nearly empty. When the bag is full, the contents put more tension on the latch system and it works even better. I have no reservations that the latch will ever fail or stop operating properly on this satchel, it's so well though out and constructed!
Going to order one in natural with some tan trim...
Not wearing a watch? But the bracelet as always attractive to my eyes...great bag collection, great watch collection and the bracelets too....
Hi James amazing reviews! I was just wondering if you had a chance to try our Cravar leather bags and what you thought of them?
How is this bag holding up now? Are the latches still holding up well?
Very nice bag indeed..
I ordered one of these largely because of this review. I got the small one with a single buckle in tan. While the bag is nice, and a good value for the money, it’s not the kind of value that stops you in your tracks. Ordered mine with slight aging which softened the leather somewhat. The tan color is very red, far redder than I
hoped for and certainly redder than what you see on the website. My real issues were with the company. While the website indicated that each bag is hand made, and will take up to three weeks, four weeks after order I got mine, but in the WRONG color - natural rather than tan. I returned it and was told they would quickly make another in the correct color. Fast forward an additional five weeks and the correct bag arrived, but without the key leash. Emails were exchanged and a week later they sent the key leash to the wrong address. Now I suppose I’ll have to wait for them to make another one. For the bag, a generous eight out of ten. For the leather shop, four out of 10.
Chris, thank you for telling us about your experience with The Leather Shop. I think it's important for viewers to hear the good, the bad and the ugly experiences out there.
So good to hear from you!! And such an elegant bag. I want to try something from the Leather Shoppe. Maybe the will have a black Friday sale 🤔
@@theterriblepuddle1830 clearly! 😩😩😩
Thanks for the great videos they are always helpful. I just purchased the Heirloom Messenger based on your video. I was wondering of you were thinking of reviewing the new luggage line from Lucchese that just came out recently. I would be interested in what you though about it. Thanks as always. JC
Been awhile, huh? Hope all is well...nice bag/commentary.
great review thank you.
Amazing bag. I wonder how heavy it is
Hi James, good review. I want to ask about the tan colour, does it appear to be darker/brighter in real life than on the website? Cheers!
Superb review!
Shawn Hampton thank you buddy!
Hi. Is that a small or medium sized bag?
Nice!
Hey Jim, Great content! Just placed an order for the original Large heirloom 2 days ago, went on their website now and it's yet not posted! I really would like to upgrade to this one now. The inside is also fully leather lined? And hope you don't find this off topic question rude, but may I ask about your blue stone ring. What it is and to buy it?
Thanks a bunch and keep up your excellent videos.
morris jones thank you! Yes this bag as well as the original is fully leather lined, no nylon or acetate fabric. My ring is a blue star sapphire; etsy.me/x4IEn8
@@JamesCrane Thank you so very much indeed sir!
Is this the medium or the small size? The difference only appears to be 1" in height and 1" in length...
This is the medium size Ben.
James Crane I purchased the small size in natural. I think what they call small is still a medium for me :)
How do you like the "natural" color? It looks nice, would you recommend it?
I would highly recommend the natural color, it will develop a natural patina with usage and time.
James, I hope you are well. Any interesting finds of late?
Could you please share your views on marcellino briefcases...they are much costly but dont look as attractive as these...could you kindly provide your expert advice on the quality comparison
Very interesting
Hi James,
After a week of researching and researching messenger bags upon seeing this video and hearing your description I have found the one! I’m going to buy this as a graduation gift for making it through UCLA and starting a new job! I just have one quick question… just to be sure does the bag have a pocket for a pair of sunglasses? Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
It does have a couple of pockets that one can put sunglasses in. The inside pocket on the side gusset would hold a small pair of sunglasses, but the pocket on the center of the front panel would hold any size sunglasses. Thanks for the question.
@@JamesCrane Hello again,
I just received the Heirloom Messenger 2 in tan and it is more beautiful in person! Thanks for such a great video.
Seems very functional, and expensive, I guess that’s like Hermes bag for men
Lol, more on the desired level
Why the harsh words about chrome tan? Lol
Chrome tanned leather certainly has its place for upholstery, garments and shoes, but as far as heirloom quality messenger bags and briefcases, it's the least desirable because of it's tendency to loose structure, requiring nylon webbing reinforcements, stretches out of shape and propensity to fade from UV light. Thanks for the question!!!
Pretty sweeping generalizations
Could you please give some names of makers who build heirloom quality messenger bags, mailbags, and briefcases made from chrome tanned leather? I’d love to get my hands on some to review!
Thanks for the review!
About the weight, I have filson briefcase which i find too heavy to my liking. How do this one compare?
Thank you, if you’re talking about the Folsom Bridal leather Field Satchel, they are approximately the same weight, with the Folsom being the slightly heavier one.
Beautiful bag. I think I’m in love. 💕 I can’t find it on their website. Is it out for sale to the public yet? Not on the Instagram feed either. Wondering how much more it costs versus the original version. Thank you for the great review.
This is the first peek, it will be available soon on The Leather Shop's website.
James Crane Any idea of price?
Reggieee I’m sorry, I don’t know the price of this bag yet.
The leather shop makes beautiful products, but they easily break. I've bought 2, and something on both of them broke. Not made strong enough.
How big laptop can I put in there
Interesting dodge regarding the weight. It still would have been nice to know because THAT would determine how much one would put in the bag, practically, not the other way around.
It’s leather, it’s gonna be heavy dork
How heavy are these bags?
Hi James, as usual I have a question :) have you ever had an experience with glovetanned leather from Coach? What do you think of it? The softness, durability, look and ... , is it in your list of nice leathers?
Hi, I'm not a big fan of glove tanned leather. It does have a purpose I know, but unfortunately there is a lot of very poorly made glove tanned out there. It is suppose to be made from the top grain yet most of it is made from deeper and poorer quality leather and simply coated then textured with a product that resembles top grain. This product, sometimes made from real bits of leather powder and synthetic binders is not very durable. After brief use it wears thru revealing the poorer quality leather underneath. The color is mixed into the top coating and so on surfaces of highest wear, seams, edges, bottom, piping, etc. the color vanishes leaving the gray cheap leather showing. Coach used to be very high quality, but a lot of their products are made in China and are of dubious quality in my opinion.
Many thanks James
What size is this?
16" wide, 12" tall and 6" deep, cheers!
@@JamesCrane thank you
How does the internal size compare to the first generation messenger? What about the color. Is it the same shade as the original (when new). Finally, can you provide me with the actual size of the laptop pocket? Will it fit a16 inch laptop that is just over 14 inches wide? Thanks for your great review.
Hi Joel, the internal size is appx. 30% larger than the original Heirloom. The back internal pocket is just a shade over 14" wide. I believe with usage, the leather would relax and soften making it easier to inset and remove a 14" laptop. The front pocket is about 13" wide. The main compartment would easily accommodate a laptop up to 15.5" wide.
James Crane perfect! Thank you. Now I just need to wait to see when they plan on releasing it!
@@JoelTurnerPhotos It will be released tomorrow and I've been told, sold for the same price as the original Heirloom Messenger.
Do you think going from the single lever latch of the first gen to the double lever latch was necessary? I prefer the single latch for looks, speed and convenience but worry the new centered handle may rely on the double latch system for weight bearing support. Thoughts?
@@jameswilliamjones Hi Bill. I actually ordered it and asked them to only put the single latch like the first version. They did and it is an amazing bag.
Customer service was great.
Hi James would you suggest the original or 2?
Hey SM, I actually prefer the version 2. Thanks for asking.
How are the inside pockets attached to the sides and bottom
All of the inside pockets are stitched and riveted in the most professional method I have ever seen in any maker. This makers build quality is second to none, top of the mark!
I love your videos. I’m getting into leather and plan on making a leather mailbag and I’m find inspiration from your videos. I ordered some Wickett & Craig English bridle. Just trying to figure out if the inside pockets get stitched into the side gussets.
@@richadamo6458 Yes, for a mailbag I would stitch the inside pocket or divider into the side gussets, which is a fairly straight forward method and fairly easy when making a mailbag style bag as it can be turned back out fairly easily when the stitching is finished. I wish you much success!
Jim - I know I'm late here. Do you recommend this or the briefcase 2 for a professional office job? Which would you get, if only one?
Randal, I think the Briefcase 2 would be more suited to a professional carrying documents, laptop, etc. Thanks for the question.
@@JamesCrane Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question. I appreciated it.
Jim - I value your opinions and appreciate your responses to my questions. With respect to the heirloom messenger 2, do you think the small or the large would be better for a guy that's 5'7, 14 inch laptop?
@@randalhutson6464 The small is only 15” wide which means a 14” will be a snug fit. The Medium size is 16” so your laptop will fit nicely, and will also have more of traditional business look to it. For business, if it was me, I’d go for the 16” wide model.
@@JamesCrane again, thank you!
👍
Hi James love your reviews, this is a lovely bag, you have a lovely collection of leather goods. I am a big fan of saddleback leather because firstly there are no broken parts that can be broken with saddleback leather, there is no point spending hundreds or even thousands on a bag if the zipper fails or the latch/locks fails. Leather lasts a life time but zippers and latches on a bag don’t. Also saddleback leather bags have good resale value, with other leather goods I notice there is no resale value, Your reviews are great!
But the color for a men is not really good it's to red.
What size is the bag?
The bag is 16" by 12" by 6"
What size is this bag?
It is 16” wide, 12” tall and 6” deep. Size medium.
@@JamesCrane Thank you. It is hard to tell how big the bags are on the website.