Alternative to Saddleback Full Grain Leather Vagabond Trav

[keysignify]

Man-bag? :/

[meh3884]

Someone may have mentioned, but Saddleback bags are made in Mexico. Not the US.

[sevenboarder]

Thanks for the review bro!

[glenninmd]

Yeah, I am glad I saw this vid when I did. Almost bought a Saddleback today, but it's good to see an alternative I hadn't known about - further food for thought. Years ago I bought a relatively small Hartmann briefcase off Ebay. It's beautiful and rock-solid, but so heavy I stopped taking it to work. It's in my closet gathering dust.

[jasonwallacek]

leather bag trolls.. what next

[falahtheblindog]

hey man, thanks for sharing this. nice review.

[deanwhitehead]

Wow, some really mean comments here. Why? I appreciate that you share this information, Timothy, since it adds to people making more informed decisions and comparisons. If made in USA from US hides is important to you, add it to your list. In the meantime, how 'bout trying to remain civil. Thanks for your video, Tim.

[321554221]

Wow, I just visited the site. What garbage your products are! And on the web, too. You'd think that you could use photographic tricks to make your material look better, but my god - they're so crappy that the crappiness shines right through. Good luck! Don't quit your day job!

[julietteASallison]

im a girl.. and i like it, off to get one!! what is the address?

[carlobi]

I've had a dark brown L63 for a week now and I think it's great for the price. Nice room on the inside, stitching is quite nice, leather is 4mm thick which makes it supple enough to stand on its own while not being too stiff. The reason I went for this instead of the SB was because of the dimensions. The SBs were either too big or too small for what I needed. Mine got shipped from the USA. Who knows where it's made but SBs are made in Mexico aren't they. Good bag. Just ordered 2 wallets as well.

[danielyeh]

i don't get the hate, thanks for the info.

[snackman8080]

I am an owner of the Saddleback Large Classic Briefcase. For starters the pigskin lining allows me to clean the inside easily after travel mishaps. When you held up the other bag it looked all weak and flimsy. My saddle back stands out strong. I agree that your back looks raw and rough, but then I am a professional and really like the perfect stitching, the total quality look and of course the compliments. You only get what you pay for. Premium Quality always cost a little more. It's worth it!

[dvlchris1775]

Nice Chinese or Taiwan made murse, from watching your video you look like something that would carry a man purse. I was on there site and i don't know if i just overlooked it but i don't see anywhere on there site that there bags are made in the U.S.A. ! like i said maybe i overlooked it. But i think the real reason why the VB bag is cheaper is first and for most is a knock of and second its probably made in in another country. "MAN BAG" WTF?

[TimmyDFrost]

@dvlchris1775 Here's WTF: My number is 603-531-7655 and my address is 338 Kenney Ave, Pitcairn, PA 15140. Send me or bring over a Saddleback bag, since you can afford to call me a "something," I figure you could afford sending me a real "MAN BAG," sorry, a murse or whatever you call the thing I want to force you to cut up and eat for dehumanizing me. But hey I just got a $1900 Supertub 200 hot tub for Christmas, so I'm just going to relax. Call me. Come take a dip. You're very welcome.

[CanadianSnicker]

garbage.



[TimmyDFrost]

@CanadianSnicker "Garbage?" "Ass clown?" How does hater, snob, brand prostitute/zombie sound as a retort. Innovation, intellectual property, design? We're not building a rocket to Mars here: cowhide, stitching (sorry, but neither bags are kevlar), and buckles - shouldn't cost half-a-G to put those things together to make a bag right. If you're looking for innovation, VT innovated on price point without compromising quality (by quality, I mean it kicks butt, not that you'll see it in Milan.)

[CanadianSnicker]

@TimmyDFrost quality is compromised. pigskin lining is a big deal. those bags just look like a floppy, cheap, ripoff. Which they are. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

[jahastings3]

The owners of the Vagabond Traveler are nothing but no talent ass clowns who have opted to knock off the brilliant design and uncompromising quality of Saddleback Leather's bags. They have shamelessly stolen SB's intellectual property. Further, they have done it in a half assed manner. VT, as a company, is a graceless weasel farm and its products appear to be something that even a pimp operating a cut rate whore house out of an abandoned refrigerator box would be too embarrassed to carry.

[TimmyDFrost]

@jahastings3 Sound and fury.

[HotMedic]

Dude, the seams ain't straight and the hardware ain't set level. Worse they staright out knocked off Saddleback designs. Why? Because they don't have designers, don't know what works, and can't come up with an original idea. Save a hundred bucks on a knock off? Not on you life, especially since it is so obviously a knock off. I would never mistake this bag for a Saddleback. On an airplane I would inquire, "How much did you pay for your Saddleback knockoff?"

[TimmyDFrost]

@HotMedic First you save $300. To your last question: it would never happen. Greyhound all the way for me, my VT sittin' by my side (so someone smelly doesn't take it). But a good reply would be, "$170, sir, and thank you for reminding of Mean Girls, great movie!"

[APretender]

Yeah. They're just like twins. Saddleback is Arnold and Vagabond is Danny.

[TimmyDFrost]

God you're old. Clever, but old.

[redazi1]

nice you re right why pay for a name instead as beatiful sheap and high quality bag will make more happy

[TimmyDFrost]

@redazi1 Pay for a name only if you routinely go to swanky cocktail parties.

[SethVandenberg]

Even their webpage is a refection of the Saddleback Leather Website.

Nothing personal, but it looks like a crappy knockoff. Buy the Best and leave the rest. You'll never look back

[stlallstar]

I appreciate you looking out for other guy's looking for a nice bag but in all honesty, this brand doesn't compare to the quality of Saddleback. There's a reason their bags are so exspensive. Pay for quality 1st so you don't have to buy the cheap stuff twice and judging from you stating that you've never seen a Saddleback bag in person, I almost stopped watching lol! Before reccommending (IYO) a worthy alternative you should first have a hands on observation of the standard (Saddleback).

[john4m]

Grafea leather bags are much better than that bag and saddleback bags.

[SethVandenberg]

You're kidding right . Stitching is poor, ZIPPERS ?! and the hardware is cheap crap. But good luck with that Grafea stuff :)

[stlallstar]

@SethVandenberg LMAO I said the exact same thing when I read that guy's comment and looked at their website lol. I was like "Dude...was he serious when he said THESE were better than Saddlebacks!?!? With zippers?? C'mon LOL."

[john4m]

@SethVandenberg im speaking from actual fact. i have a large saddleback satchel and Grafea holdall and barrel bag. from stitching to hardware to leather quality, hands down, Grafea wins hands down. remember, i have BOTH products.your bag looks nice though. if you order ANY bag from Grafea, you will without a doubt, agree .

[SethVandenberg]

@john4m Okay john. I don't have a Grafea bag hence I am speaking from observation. I went to their website and looked at the Lg Barrel Bag and Large holdall. I respect your opinion, just don't understand the criteria for " wins hands down " To each his own John.

Enjoy your bags, there is something very alluring about quality leather bags. Kind of Indiana Jones attitude. Cheers :)

[imn8]

Of course they are cheaper than Saddleback bags. They don't have to invest in any R&D!

They also have a poor excuse for a website. It's a blog format, with no information about the company, and complete with spelling errors.

[TimmyDFrost]

I'm such a dork for putting up a YouTube consumer video, but I really got a lot out of the other videos when I was looking for a John Wayne bag - geared me up to buy. Love VT and Saddleback bags and love the competition, may make for better bags at lower prices. I bought my VT at a 20% discount for maybe $170 on eBay, but I paid with BillMeLater: 29% AR and three late fees later, I paided saddleback prices in the end.  John Wayne, Celebrity: Saddleback; John Wayne, Character: VT. You choose.

[stlallstar]

@TimmyDFrost Do a review a year from now and show us all how the Vagabond stands up against heavy use the MAAYYYBEE some of us will be a believers lol. (Although...I may have a COUPLE of Saddlebacks by then lol)

[TimmyDFrost]

@stlallstar I will do a review, if anything just to show how much weight I've lost. (I'm so chunky in this video!) I do agree with almost everything said here. Is it bad form to start a discussion on man bags? I don't know. What I do know is I love my VT bag still. I had a Carnegie Mellon student comment on my "Saddleback" bag. He was very excited, but then a bit disappointed when I told him it was a knock-off. Saddleback is a good brand, but my VT is also legit full grain leather.

[stlallstar]

@TimmyDFrost LMAO!! Bad form? Lol I don't know why I lol'd when I read that. But seriously, your VT looks like a nice sturdy bag. But really, any bag that is FULL grain leather and has some heft to it will be great no matter the designer. I don't know if it's the exclusivity or the quality (maybe it's both lol), but it's just something about Saddleback leather bags that make me not want to purchase any pretenders.

[TimmyDFrost]

@stlallstar Most honest, insightful post yet.

[WaysunJohnnyTsai]

@stlallstar I have had 3 SB bags including the backpack (backpack review is on my channel). Sold them all and bought a VT backpack, it just as durable and I am just as happy (will film a review on the VT soon). 3 of my friends have VT briefcases, I will be buying one in 18" in about a week. WAAAAY better value for the money over SBL, ZERO COMPLAINTS HERE.

[TimmyDFrost]

@WaysunJohnnyTsai Yes! And who cares where or who makes them, or what design they use. If is has intrinsic value and quality you can touch and see, who really cares about all the other stuff, mostly branding.

[TimmyDFrost]

@stlallstar Will do. But the bag already kicks butt. Also I hear people calling it a knock off. Tell that to the cow. How do you "knock off" full grain leather? We're not talking a ladies Coach purse, as much as some people want their man bags to be, but that's another issue I'm not going to touch.

[jtwarshak]

BOOOOO!!!!! Sandleback leather will always be better!!!!

[W4DM]

umm... no offense, but quality-wise, this bag is nowhere near the quality that saddleback leather produces, and thats why the price is so high. but yes, this is a great alternative for those that want the "look" of a saddleback bag that can probably take a beating... but wont last anywhere near as long as the real thing. im just glad that thing has an "as long as you own it" warranty. iv had both bags, and the vagabond got sold to buy textbooks...which are carried in the saddleback.

[domojumc]

What size is the bag? And whats the name I want the exact same bag :€ really bad. I liked your video, and how you explained everything haahha.