[jdandy]

Alberto.......It appears your briefcase thread has transitioned into a general briefcase discussion. Your beautiful new Saddleback Leather thin briefcase is definitely in a class of its own but would never have served me well because I would have destroyed it from abuse over the years, plus it doesn't provide the internal volume I needed for carrying all sorts of files, photos, plans, etc.

My briefcase of choice for the past 25 years has been the Samsonite Classic. Before retiring I carried this briefcase every day, in and out of the home office and jobsite office trailers all over the country. The first Samsonite Classic lasted me about 15 years of daily abuse before I finally purchased a second one. This one only saw about three years service before I retired and has been lounging in my home office since then. I always carried my laptop computer and accessories in a separate leather laptop bag, so both hands were typically full when moving about.

The Samsonite Classic has some useful features that always appealed to me and the manner in which I used the briefcase. It has a special set of latches inside that allow the briefcase to be opened for file access while it is being carried by the handle without having the briefcase opening completely. It also has a feature that keeps the latches from opening if the briefcase is upside down. There are two zippered pouches attached at the top that are convenient for storing my electronic measuring wheel scale, extra mechanical pencil lead and erasers, pens, colored high light markers, etc. The file folder section remains closed when the briefcase is opened until you release the latches on each side for it to fold open. The combination lock is secure and can be set to the numbers of your choice. All in all, the Samsonite Classic has proven to be very useful, tough as nails, stands up to travel and extreme daily use, and is attractive enough look good no matter your daily attire. This one should now last me the rest of my life.