VISCONTIHarvard Distressed Leather Messenger Bag, Brown, One Size

-Design-The bag is very high quality. The front panel is made of one piece of very nice leather, and the entire bag is leather except the strap backing and the lining. The stitching is excellent. The brass accents are tastefully dull and aesthetically pleasing without being overbearing. The strap is very nicely done, giving the appearance of a full leather strap, but retaining the strength of nylon. The strap is also a good length: I stand 71" but do require almost the full length of the strap in order to rest the bag on my hip. I would guess a person up to 74" would be comfortable with the strap length. The Visconti branded black nylon lining is subtle and tasteful. The bag is reasonably light.-Functionality-The magnetic clasps on the front cover hold nicely as long as the bag is not overstuffed. They sometimes require some guidance, but generally closing the bag is no-fuss and the clasps do "snap" shut if positioned correctly.The compartment design is extremely well done. Many of the bags I looked at suffered from "feature clutter" in the form of extraneous compartments. This bag achieves great functionality without going overboard. There is a large zipped pocket on the rear of the bag, one on the front of the bag beneath the cover panel, and a smaller one on the interior of the bag. There are two smartphone sized pockets on the interior, and also a large non-zipped pocket beneath the front cover panel. The front non-zipped pocket is large enough to hold a file folder. One minor flaw is that the zipper-pocket on the bag interior has a tendency to catch on things as I place them in the bag. I would have preferred the zipper be recessed or removed altogether.As a student and occasional intern, I wanted to be able to hold my Surface Pro computer, and at least one if not two textbooks. The interior of the bag is big enough to hold a small laptop (my HP Envy 14" fits snugly) and one textbook. Two textbooks require some struggling and that the front flap remain unclasped (For certain thick books or with a large laptop, two textbooks will not fit.) During the Summer I am able to comfortably fit my laptop and anything I am working on.-Durability-I've had the bag for about 6 months, and the leather has retained its great looks. The front panel and strap have softened up nicely. The brass accents have taken some scratches but in my opinion it only increases the natural good looks of this bag. Overall the bag has become better looking as it has aged. Judging from how it's held up so far, I would expect this bag to last for a dozen years or more.-Miscellaneous-For me, this was the perfect bag. I specifically wanted a relatively small bag that did not look like a laptop bag. I purchased about 4 bags from Amazon before deciding on this one. Most of the bags were entirely too large for my purposes. I also bought the oiled brown leather, but I ultimately felt the Harvard brown had a more professional appearance. Also, the Amazon photos make it look very shiny, but it is not as shiny as the pictures look.

The leather is very durable and the stitching is precise. It is, however, quite heavy due to the thick leather. The space is also quite limited, thus, prospective buyers must purchase accordingly. Overall, it is very comfortable and there are plenty of compartments.The mocha colour is also the one to go for.EDIT: been a year now. Looks even better than the day I bought it. Also still has that delightful smell if authentic leather.EDIT 2: It's been 3 years! Still holds up pretty damn great. The Leather aged well and the seams still are pretty strong. Still a great buy.EDIT 3: Some stitching is starting to be strained, but can't complain. Still looks awesome and the leather has absolutely held up.EDIT 4: 5 years in! Despite daily use and regular abuse, the leather has held up fantastically. I treated the leather with some leather conditioner/polish and the patina looks amazing. Still think it is the perfect size since it isn't very large and cumbersome. Would absolutely recommend, it is a great investment!

I have been looking for a professional-looking messenger bag for my Microsoft Surface Pro 3 - and this is the ONE. I've bought and sent back the 'small' version of this bag as well as some other messenger-type bags. The 18548 is PERFECT for the Pro 3 in its neoprene sleeve. Fits into the single main compartment with only 1/2 inch to spare on either side (surface pen on the side included). More than enough space for the power brick, external BT mouse, and VGA cables. Also can fit in magazine-sized papers. A single 1/2 sized leather compartment sits at the back of the main one, and it is perfect for USB sticks and knick-knacks. This is not a high capacity bag, nor was it why I bought it. The whole idea of getting the Surface Pro 3 was to travel light and sleek, and sleek it is ! I like the way the front flushed down in front, and the two magnetic snaps are very firm, once seated it will not open accidentally. Overstuffing the bag means that the flap won't close properly. No trouble whatsoever with dye transfer (I have the brown) nor excessive smell. Unexpected benefit: it will sit straight up (!) when you put it on the floor. Strap sits nicely, leather on canvas very nice. SIZING ALERT: the measurements on the web are accurate but be aware that the leather is stiched such that it bows INWARDS into the main compartment and robs you of about an inch on either size. That's why I sent back the smaller version of this bag. Love it, would buy again. It has become my everyday and travel bag.