Custom Hide briefcases

[Colonel]

For something a bit more vintage-looking, consider this pouch set from Duluth Trading Company. I have the set on order, but it hasn't arrived yet. I was planning to use them for my weekend bag, but you never know where something like that will end up. It is made from their "firehose fabric" and has leather reinforcing at the corners. It sort of reminds me of the zippered tobacco pouch that my grandfather always had with him. At $18 for two of them, it's hard to beat.

 

[fluteplayer07]

As far as the organizers go, I'd say the first one. I think it looks a bit nicer, and has the added pocket thing attached to it. Thanks for all the links!

 

[fluteplayer07]

Got the ball rolling last week. I told them what I wanted on it, but they still haven't emailed me back in about 4-5 days with a price quote yet. Wonder what's up.

 

[Colonel]

I haven't heard from them yet either, but since mine was scheduled to ship on the 24th, which was Saturday, I can understand. We'll see what happens in the next day or so.

By the way, I received the zippered pouches from Duluth and they are excellent. The large one is now in my weekend bag and the small one is now in my current briefcase. I will probably just use that rather than the Levanger organizer.

 

[Colonel]

Custom Hide backlog

FYI,
I checked with them since my briefcase was scheduled to be shipped last week. Here is the reply:

"Due to a medical emergency; and the subsequent passing on of our senior production foreman, we are experiencing a substantial backlog in filling all custom orders. He has been the main person building our custom orders for the last 14 years."​

They apologized and said they now expect a date of May 21, but would understand and give me a full refund if that was not acceptable. I have written back to say that I would like to continue with my order.

 

[univibe88]

Wow, that is sad news.

 

[David Conwill]

I’m very sorry to hear that. The man was truly talented.

-David

 

[John in Covina]

In a small operation the loss of such a key person can be a devistating setback. Unless others are being trained to fill in, replacement is extremely difficult.

 

[fluteplayer07]

So is it a bad idea to order from them right now? And my condolences for their devastating and painful loss.

 

[Colonel]

So is it a bad idea to order from them right now? And my condolences for their devastating and painful loss.

It could go either way. I am betting that because there will be someone new doing the custom work (presumably, it will be someone who has previously been doing the standard orders), there will be additional quality control. I will certainly be looking at mine carefully when it arrives and will be reporting what I find here on FL, including photos. A business that intends to stay in business will be paying extra close attention at a time like this.

I will have to admit to some amount of trepidation on this - I am betting that they are in this for the long haul and will do whatever they have to to make sure everything is done right. We will see what happens.

 

["Skeet" McD]

"It takes one to know one...."

I had occasion yesterday to wait for about 10 minutes on Boston's Newbury Street (The Hub's high-priced-fashion-shop-trendy-restaurant-see-and-be-seen street; our Provincial Rodeo Drive or Ku-damm). As the tide of trendoids ebbed and flowed, a gent came around the corner of Hereford Street. He stuck out: panama hat; blue blazer; four-in-hand; khakis—I guess he was similarly drawn to the large gent in the linen suit and cap lounging against the iron railing...so I wasn't surprised when he made straight for me and asked "do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Turns out, he had just had lunch with his son, who had urged him to get a proper briefcase to replace the canvas bag he was carrying...and he fixated on the custom hide 1945 3-fold I had with me. Out came the notepad; "FEDORA LOUNGE" "CUSTOM HIDE 1945" and a good deal of urging to come and join our merry band. Unfortunately, he was lost in the crowd of fashionistas by the time I remembered that I hadn't told him my FL name....

So, Gary, if you do finally make it here: you'll know your chance (but very well-timed) acquaintance by the name of

"Skeet" McD

 

[Colonel]

I just received an email from UPS saying that my Custom Hide briefcase is on the way! I'll provide a review and photos when it gets here.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Great, thanks!

 

[brucewilcox]

I'm not sure what to think right now. I placed an order with Custom Hide for a moderately customized briefcase (a Large Scholar with Pockets with backpack straps and an umbrella pocket) on January 25th and haven't yet received it.

When I placed the order I received an emailed receipt with a note that I'd be emailed again when my order was shipped. In late March I emailed the company to let them know I'd be out of town for a few days in late April and was hoping to have the Scholar by then, and I received a message back saying that shipping my bag in time for the trip would not be a problem. A few days before the trip I emailed again and received no response.

On May 19th I called the company to ask the status of my order and was told that it had been shipped, and I received an email shortly after that saying that the bag had been shipped on May 11th and that I should have received it by May 14th. I've been at home late afternoon every day in May, and there's a business in the front part of my residence that has accepted shipments for me successfully for years, so I don't believe that there would have been a problem with someone receiving the package or getting it into my building.

Custom Hide said they would ask UPS for a tracer on the package last Friday, but I've not heard back from them since. I understand the turmoil that the passing of one of their key staff would have, and I understand that shipping companies do occasionally lose track of packages, but I'm not sure what to do. I've not received any tangible evidence, tracking number or otherwise, to prove that the briefcase did actually ship via UPS.

This would be my second Custom Hide case - I have a Classic Briefcase from a few years back that I love, but I need more capacity. I'm not a fan of Saddleback Leather's briefcases, and even the price of the custom Scholar has stretched my budget. In any event, I've been out the price of the custom Scholar for seventeen weeks and have nothing to show for it.

Suggestions, anyone?

BW

 

[univibe88]

I'm not a fan of Saddleback Leather's briefcases,

If you don't mind, please explain more.

 

[brucewilcox]

I misspoke.

If you don't mind, please explain more.

My apologies - I misspoke when I said I wasn't a fan of Saddleback Leather. I do admire Dave's philosophy and his decision to hire his own craftspeople, and I'm impressed with his products. I have a coworker who has one of Dave's briefcases, which I've been able to examine closely and "try on". It's a marvelous bag, but after much deliberation and comparison to my Custom Hide Classic Briefcase, I decided to go with another Custom Hide bag for the following reasons:

- Appearance and finish of the leather. I've had my smaller Custom Hide case for a few years now and with minimal care the surface of the leather has held up extremely well. One would have to look very closely to see any scratches, as opposed to the Saddleback Leather bags I've seen - the latter seem to display scratches proudly as part of the bag's overall appearance. I don't see this as a defect at all, but it's not the look I'm going for.

Also, I spend a lot of time walking in the rain here in Portland, and the Custom Hide bag has held up beautifully in the rain (with just a bit of Montana Pitch Blend dressing and mink oil). My favorite Saddleback color is the Dark Coffee, and the folks at Saddleback told me that this and the Chestnut would fade more quickly in the rain than the black and tan versions.

- Weight. The Saddleback bags are substantial, indeed, and I don't doubt Dave's claim that they'll last 100 years. With the substantial build comes a lot of weight for a briefcase, more than I prefer.

- Ease of use as a backpack. With the "pass-through" nature of the strap when the bag is set for use as a backpack, I find it a little difficult to get enough slack to get my second arm through without significantly lengthening the strap and needing to spend time tightening it each time it's put on (admittedly this is based on two tries with my coworker's case). I'm not very limber and prefer two separate fixed backpack straps.

- Ease of closing. While they don't feel like super-tough fixtures, the pushlock closures on my Custom Hide case make locking it closed a breeze. When I'm in a hurry I struggle with pull-through buckle straps.

- Price. I'm on a social service income, and even the price of the Custom Hide bag is a bit of a stretch.

All that said, I do like Saddleback Leather's bags, and I've suggested them to many of my friends and coworkers. They're great products. Based on what I value most, however, I've decided on a second Custom Hide bag for myself. If I can just get it delivered...

BW

 

[univibe88]

Bruce, thank you for the honest comparison. That's exactly the response I was hoping for. You don't owe any apologies. Your comparison was very fair and your preference comes down to specific features that work better for *you*

I own a Saddleback. I like it very much, but I haven't held many other bags. So I really can't say if it is perfect. My only complaint is the sheer size of it. I had to go with the large because of the width of my laptop.

I understand how you are anxious to get your new Custom Hide. I hate waiting for things myself. I hope you get it very soon and post pictures for us!

 

[prufrock]

I'm not sure what to think right now. I placed an order with Custom Hide for a moderately customized briefcase (a Large Scholar with Pockets with backpack straps and an umbrella pocket) on January 25th and haven't yet received it.

. . .
BW

I am concerned reading your post because I have been experiencing a virtually identical scenario. I ordered a custom 1945 Army briefcase on February 2, which was confirmed with an email advising that I would receive tracking information upon shipping. UPS has apparently now lost the package. I guess I will update my post when I hear anything new. Please let us know if your package arrives, or if your situation is otherwise resolved.

 

[Colonel]

I hate to add cold water to this, but that sounds like what is happening with me also. All I have received is a UPS notice that said:

This message was sent to you at the request of Custom Hide to notify you that the electronic shipment information below has been transmitted to UPS. The physical package(s) may or may not have actually been tendered to UPS for shipment. To verify the actual transit status of your shipment, click on the tracking link below or contact Custom Hide directly.

When I click on the UPS link, that's all it says - "Status: Billing Information Received".

I WILL be calling them tomorrow morning, and I will let them know that I know of two other people who are currently having the exact same experience. I will report back with what I find. This does NOT give me a very comfortable feeling.

On the good side though, here is what I found when I looked them up on the Better Business Bureau site:

BBB Rating

Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of A+ on a scale from A+ to F.

 

[prufrock]

By way of update, I had a pleasant conversation with a representative of Custom Hide this morning. I requested a refund in light of the lost shipment, to which the company agreed. The person I spoke with apologized several times. While I was excited about the briefcase, and am disappointed I will not receive it, I am satisfied with the response by Custom Hide.