Having a good product can make a company good. Having a great product can make a company good. But standing by a great product is what makes a good company a great company, and Will Leather Goods is a great company.
A few years ago (I’m not sure how many exactly), my father bought what Will Leather Goods calls the Liverpool Tote for himself. The bag is pictured to the left, and it was a great bag. Leather accents on a heavy Canvas in Charcoal grey, burnished metal attachements, zippered umbrella holders on either side, plaid-lined interior and complete with a padded laptop case. My Dad handed it down to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it until a few months ago when one of the metal grommets broke. You can see the hole where the grommet on the left side used to be, near where the shoulder strap attaches: It is actually the intended attachment point. When I noticed the damage, I emailed Will Leather Goods about a repair. They offered to repair it free of charge, all I had to do was ship it to them. It took me a while to get around to sending it off, but I did.
Unfortunately (or fortunately as it turns out), the bag could not be repaired. So, their customer service offered me a replacement in the form of a Liverpool Tote in a current color, one of which was very similar. I was slightly concerned that the metal grommet might break on my new bag, so I asked about replacing the Liverpool with the slightly cheaper Hopper Messenger in Khaki. Will Leather Goods sent me one as a replacement for my damaged Liverpool bag. And I cannot recommend it highly enough.
No bag should ever be photographed empty, and this is my typical ordinance for my daily commute. I loaded the bag up with a legal pad portfolio, a small 13 inch laptop with snap on case, charger, a few pens (including a Cross Fountain Pen I plan to write about later), a classic Kindle, my favorite pair of sunglasses, and a few accessories. The roses on the table are for my Girlfriend, and I will not be ruining the bag, the roses, or our relationship by trying to stuff the roses into the bag.
While it looks cool to have all your stuff hanging out the top of a bag like this, you don’t get a good feel for how the bag actually operates with all the stuff in there. But I do like the layout of the compartments: The laptop and pad-folio are in the main compartment, while the Kindle and Sunglasses case are in a more accessible flat compartment that is perfect for holding a newspaper or Kindle. The exterior pocket is mostly empty here. A separate zippered compartment on the back, underside of the flap is actually empty.
This is what the bag looks like full. Still able to handle much more capacity, this bag should be able to carry anything extra I would need to take home on a given day, from my textbooks to Wefty’s TPS reports.
The inside stays nice and organized with the laptop tucked away in it’s own padded section, and special pockets for pens and other accessories.
The pocket on the back is leather lined, with the same interior plaid as the rest of the bag. The rivets appear hand-completed and solid.
This is where the old bag needed repair: While the Liverpool uses a stylish grommet to attach the shoulder strap to the bag, I don’t think that the grommet is really meant to handle the weight of a fully loaded messenger. The Hopper utilizes a classic D-ring that is secured with a strong metal strap that should be able to handle the higher weight. All the metalwork on this bag is antiqued bronze, and compliments the brown leather and khaki canvas nicely.
Buttons are sturdy and housed securely in finished leather pieces. The Trademark is branded into one of the leather pieces, as well as a coin-design built in to the bottom of the bags.
Conclusion
I am really happy with Will Leather Goods. They make a great product, and they stood behind it when it didn’t meet my expectations. Their bags are made in factories around the world including some in the US, and the extra steps they use constructing them make for a really nice finished product. If you are in the market for a messenger or backpack, I would definitely recommend checking out their website.
As always, thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with your friends who might enjoy as well!
-Mash