Review: The Briefcase from Pad and Quill is a beautiful gear bag that’s built to last a lifetime (+giveaway)

Being a writer and video creator, my bags are easily some of the most important possessions I have. The reason is obvious: they protect my essential tech and gear. I’m always super picky about which bags or backpacks I choose for this hefty task, and most of them come at a steep price. They hardly every look what you may call “good” though. I’m usually all about function over form when it comes to my bag decision. Choosing durability and features like pocket space usually means you’ll need to compromise on design.

With that said, I don’t consider myself a “briefcase” kind of guy. The style has just never been my thing because briefcases tend to be rather conservative on space and stiff in shape. So what’s with all of this talk over bags and briefcases? It just so happens that I’ve found a briefcase that’s actually kind of a bag, and it delivers both form and function. If this is what you’d call a briefcase these days, I’m all in. Meet The Briefcase from Pad & Quill…

This is definitely one of the more interesting bags I own. Truthfully, I hate calling The Briefcase what it’s named after though. It’s a canvas bag that’s beautifully design and sports leather accents with silver hardware. It’s quite beautifully hand crafted from some of the best materials that can be used to make something like this. The main compartment is crafted from a 24-oz waxed canvas which is quite thick for protection and along the top there’s the beautiful leather for style and durability.

The Briefcase has a comfy leather strap that clasps onto either side of the bag for over-the-shoulder action, but it also features dual recessible straps or handles along the top that allow you to just carry it around. That’s where the tribute to briefcase-style bags originates, thus its name.

Looking deeper than its exterior, Pad & Quill’s Briefcase has a heart of gold. Beauty and brains or something like that, right? It’s rocking a healthy number of pockets on the inside, which I’m always a big fan of as someone who totes a lot of gear. Fully stocked up, I was able to fit the following items with room to spare:

• 15-inch MacBook Pro + charger
• 12-inch MacBook
• iPad Air 2
• Sony RX 100M IV
• Passport
• JayBird BlueBuds X headphones
• Miscellaneous charging cables
• 10,000 mAh external battery pack

I’m not saying I’d actually need all of this stuff in a single bag while on-the-go (though it has come to that in the past), but it’s nice to just shove all of my gear plus more in a bag and have it when I need it. It’s especially nice to have room to do so in style, and that’s the key factor to this equation. The Briefcase nails this.

Form and function are great, but they mean nothing without some durability to keep them going. I’m not going to say that this bag will protect your pricey MacBook and cameras if you drop it all down a flight of stairs. (It probably won’t, and I’m not willing to test it. Sorry.) But durability doesn’t always mean hard-shell, impact-resistant, bulletproof protection. Sometimes it’s more about longevity than anything else. This bag will last you a lifetime. I realize this sounds a little crazy, but you could seriously pass The Briefcase down for generations and it would likely survive thanks to the rich materials behind it and quality craftsmanship.

I’m not a professional bag collector or anything, but I know nice things when I see them. This is a nice thing. With that being said, nice things come at not-so-nice prices, or at least your wallet may think so. The Briefcase will set you back $295 (yes I realize that’s a fat stack of George Washingtons), but consider what you’re getting here: a hand crafted leather and canvas bag that will truly last generations if you’d like it to. If I add up the cost of all the inferior, throwaway bags I’ve purchased over the years (which have ultimately failed me), I’m definitely ballparking or over the price point for Pad & Quill’s Briefcase.

Obviously, it’s definitely not for everyone. If you’re not a huge bag person who appreciates rich materials, it may not be for you. It’s kind of like the comparison between analog and smart watches. Technology will always become dated, but a true timepiece will last lifetimes. The Briefcase from Pad & Quill is the fine timepiece equivalent of the bag world and a worthy bag to tote your expensive gear. Check out the gallery below for a closer look at The Briefcase from Pad & Quill (click to enlarge):

Pad and Quill has offered up a free giveaway to someone who retweets this post or likes it on Facebook.  We’ll pick a winner and update here next week.