Some people like shoes while others like jackets. Me… I’ve always had a thing for notebook cases. There is something about the combination of function and style that draws me to a new case when I see one. So when the opportunity to take a look at Rivet’s new Vertical Leather Bag came up I jumped. It looked nice and, perhaps more importantly, it looked DIFFERENT from the other bags available.
Let’s take a look…
Rivet describes their bag this way.
VERTICAL LEATHER BAG For Apple MacBook Pro 15″ And Letter-size/ A4 documents
Rivet´s sleek bags are the perfect solution for modern, urban, design-savvy students and professionals. The Vertical Leather Bag is an original Rivet design entirely made with high quality leather and a perfect fit for your laptop or most important documents. The adjustable shoulder strap and the soft construction make it easy and comfortable to carry.
The first thing you notice about the Vertical Leather Bag is the quality of the leather. I love leather bags and this one is made from leather that is both heavy and soft. The interior is suede and the outside is best described as cowhide- brushed but tough. The construction is excellent and the design unique enough to stand out from the crowd.
The bag is a messenger-style bag with a large central pocket, a small zippered pocket on the front and a larger zippered pocket on the back. None of the pockets offer any padding whatsoever. A large, heavy flap covered the open compartment and the entire front of the bag.
Embossed in it is the company logo. I’m not a big fan of high end products that force you to advertise their company but in this case the design is subtle enough to look like a design feature rather than an advertisement.
The flap is secured by a single, heavy clip. Rivet first made their name thanks to their unique rivet hardware and this clip reflects the company’s heritage.
A thick woven shoulder strap runs along both sides of the bag.
It is sewn into the bottom and secured in two locations on each side by heavy duty rivets before extending above the bag to create the shoulder strap. I am often amazed had how flimsy the straps are on so many cases. Not here! This strap isn’t going ANYWHERE!
As previously noted there is a pocket on both the front and the back of the bag. Both are secured with heavy zippers.
The pockets are small and flat and not usable for anything other than some accessories. This is definitely not for people who carry a lot of extras! If, however, you tend to carry too much with you this bag is a good way to discipline yourself to carry only the essentials.
The Rivet VERTICAL LEATHER BAG For Apple MacBook Pro 15″ has an MSRP of $139 and is available directly from Rivet.
What I Like-
Beautiful leather that will gain personality with use and time
Excellent construction. This bag was made with years of use in mind
Stylish and unique. The bag doesn’t look like every other bag
Perfectly sized for the 15″ MacBook Pro but works fine with the 13″ too
What Needs Improvement-
No padding to protect the notebook or any other electronics
Pockets aren’t designed to hold much
No quick access for phone or mp3 player
Conclusion- I like this bag a lot. I’m not sure I would use it as a day to day notebook bag, but as a messenger bag that can carry a notebook when needed it can’t be beat.