The Maple is the briefcase you’ll carry in your hand. It has two rolled leather handles that arch up from brass D-rings, so it feels more like a structured handbag than a flap satchel. The cognac brown leather is full grain water buffalo, with a stitched band around the base that keeps the corners from wearing out first. A long zip pocket runs across the front, and our “HLB Leather Co.” stamp sits low on the leather.

How it carries

Pick it up by the handles for a walk into a meeting. When you need your hands free, clip on the shoulder strap, which has a leather pad where it sits on your shoulder and brass hooks at each end. The bag is 4.2" deep, so it sits close to your side and doesn’t swing out on stairs. 

What goes inside

The main compartment has a padded sleeve for your laptop, with room beside it for a notebook and a few documents. Inside, there’s a zip pocket for valuables, three pen slots, four card slots, a phone holder and a key holder, all against a canvas lining. The zip pockets on the front and back hold your phone, tickets or a passport. 

Who it suits, and who should skip it

The Maple suits you if you carry a laptop and papers and want a slim bag that looks sharp. It won’t suit you if you carry a lunch box, a book or a change of clothes, since 4.2" doesn’t leave much room. For those days, look at our deeper leather bags.

Specs at a glance