Leather Bags

Good leather bags don't wear out, they wear in. Every Vendrossi bag is cut from thick buffalo leather – most of it full-grain, the top layer of the hide with the natural grain left on – so it darkens, softens and picks up a patina the longer you carry it. No painted-on finish, no bonded leather, no plastic feel.

This is the whole range in one place: leather backpacks with padded sleeves for laptops up to 17 inches, leather duffel bags from carry-on 20-inch sizes up to a 30-inch heritage duffel, and leather briefcases and messenger bags for the office and business travel. Choose vintage brown, waxed Crazy Horse leather that shows every scuff as character, or black for a cleaner look. Every order ships free in the US, comes with 30-day returns and is covered by a 2-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

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How to choose a leather bag

Start with how you carry, not with how the bag looks. A bag that suits your day gets used; a bag that doesn't ends up in a closet, however good the leather is.

Carry it on your back: leather backpacks

If you walk, cycle or take the train, a backpack spreads the weight across both shoulders and keeps your hands free. Our backpacks run from the compact Bolzano – a cotton-lined, button-snap design for work, school or a day out – to the Cortina travel backpack, which has a padded compartment for a 17-inch laptop and room for a weekend's gear beside it. The Aosta is a Crazy Horse design with a 17-inch laptop compartment and hidden security pockets; the Trento, also Crazy Horse, has a padded sleeve for a 15.6-inch laptop plus a slot for an 11-inch tablet; the Assisi fits a 16-inch laptop and weighs about three pounds; the Bologna is a classic buckle-front backpack measuring 17 × 12 × 5 inches.

Carry it by hand or on one shoulder: leather briefcases and messengers

If your day is meetings, a briefcase keeps a laptop and papers flat and looks right across a table. The Lucca holds a 16-inch laptop in a padded section and has a trolley strap that slips over a suitcase handle. The Verona and Milano are the large formats – the Verona takes a 17-inch laptop, the Milano is 19 inches wide with YKK metal zippers. The Bergamo comes in 15, 16 and 18-inch sizes, the Napoli and Pisa in 15 and 17 inches, and the Ravenna messenger is the lighter, top-grain option in 15 and 17 inches.

Pack it for a trip: leather duffel bags

For weekends away and longer trips, a duffel takes clothes, shoes and a wash kit in one open compartment. The Genova, Orvieto, Torino, Como and Matera each come in 20, 24 and 28-inch sizes; the 20-inch is the carry-on size, the 24 is a weekender and the 28 is for longer travel. The Siena is the biggest of the range, a heritage water buffalo duffel in 26 and 30 inches.

The leather in Vendrossi bags

Full-grain buffalo leather is what most of the range is cut from. It is the outermost layer of the hide with the grain untouched, which makes it the strongest, thickest part and the one that ages best. Buffalo hide has thicker fibers than ordinary cowhide, so these bags hold their shape under a heavy load and build a deep patina rather than wearing thin.

Crazy Horse leather is full-grain buffalo leather finished with a wax. The wax moves when the surface is pressed or scuffed, which gives the leather its two-tone, distressed look; marks rub in over time and become part of the bag. The Parma briefcase, Trento and Aosta backpacks use it.

Vintage and aged finishes start with the same buffalo hide and distress the surface, so each piece looks slightly different from the next – the Bergamo briefcase, Assisi backpack and Matera duffel are examples. Top-grain buffalo leather, used on the Ravenna messenger, has the very surface lightly sanded for a smoother, more uniform, lighter-weight bag.

Because the leather is natural, color, grain and small marks vary from bag to bag and from the photos. That variation is the signature of a real hide, not a defect, and no two Vendrossi bags are exactly alike.

Sizes and laptop fit

  • Up to 15" – Bergamo (15"), Napoli (15"), Pisa (15"), Ravenna (15")
  • Up to 15.6" – Trento backpack (plus an 11-inch tablet sleeve)
  • Up to 16" – Lucca, Assisi backpack, Bergamo (16")
  • Up to 17" – Verona, Cortina, Aosta, Napoli (17"), Pisa (17"), Ravenna (17")
  • 18" and larger – Bergamo (18"), Parma (18"), Milano (19-inch wide executive build)

Where a bag comes in more than one size, pick the one that matches your laptop's screen size. Duffels are sized by length: 20 inches for cabin baggage, 24 for a weekend, 28 or 30 for extended travel. Airlines set their own cabin limits, so check yours before you fly.

Caring for a leather bag

Full-grain leather needs very little. Wipe dust off with a soft, dry cloth; for marks, use a cloth lightly dampened with water and let the leather dry naturally away from heat. Avoid soaps, household cleaners and alcohol wipes, which strip the natural oils. An occasional light coat of a conditioner made for full-grain leather keeps it supple, especially after dry heat or rain – test on a hidden spot first. Light scratches usually fade when rubbed with your fingertips; on Crazy Horse leather, scuffs blend into the finish and become part of its look. Store the bag in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, lightly stuffed to hold its shape, and never sealed in plastic.

Why buy a leather bag from Vendrossi

We sell direct, so you pay for the leather and the build rather than a logo. Every bag is checked before it ships from Middletown, New York; US standard shipping is free on every order; you have 30 days from delivery to return it; and every bag is covered for 2 years against defects in materials and workmanship. If you are not sure which bag fits your laptop or your trip, email support@vendrossi.com and a real person will answer. You can also browse by type – backpacks, briefcases and duffel bags – or by finish: Crazy Horse and black leather.