Italian Leather blog

May 29, 2009

Using a Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag

Filed under: Leather Briefcases — Tags: , — admin @ 10:44 am

The Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag – an overview

Starting last year, manufacturers have begun to produce the checkpoint friendly laptop bag which reduces hassle for a large number of travelers in airports. This article tries to describe what these bags are and what makes them checkpoint friendly.

Airport Screening Delays

Air travel has been a commodity experience for quite some time now. However, airport restrictions and procedures relating to screening have only become stricter over time. From removing shoes to being unable to carry liquids and creams. Frequent business travelers tire of this and seek the most efficient way to get through these procedures to save time.

Laptops and Screening

Current regulations for those carrying laptops require that they be removed from their cases and laid onto the scanner’s conveyor belt. This is done to ensure that a clear view of the laptop is obtained without obstruction. While this procedure makes sense, it’s an increased burden for passengers who sometimes have to dig through their luggage, retrieve their laptop, and finally store it away again. Saying that this is inconvenient is an understatement.

Enter the Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag

In 2008, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approached the manufacturers of laptop bags and asked them to design bags that meet certain criteria which would allow passengers to leave the laptop within their bag without compromising the security scanner. The five criteria included specifications such as no zippers inside or outside the bag and no pockets either. Manufacturers responded fairly enthusiastically to the idea and created the checkpoint friendly bags according to the specifications.

Laptop bag styles

The primary feature of checkpoint friendly laptop bags is that they must have a section within them that is dedicated for the laptop only. In addition, the bag must be constructed such that it enables that particular section to be exposed and laid flat on the conveyor belt, thus giving an unobstructed view of the laptop.

The other main feature is that there must be nothing between the laptop section and the scanner – no pockets, zips, or any other item other than the laptop. There are three primary styles of laptop bags. They are:

  1. The Butterfly Style
  2. The Trifold Style
  3. The Sleeve Style

The three styles are show below:

Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag

Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag

Summary

With the advent of checkpoint friendly laptop bags, passengers don’t need to inconvenience themselves anymore by fumbling in their cases. These bags are a welcome addition to the range of laptop bag choices available on the market.

May 22, 2009

The Leather Travel Shoulder Bag

Filed under: Leather Briefcases — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:34 am

Traveling casually

We’ve seen in earlier posts what to look for when carrying a briefcase on your travel trips. However, those were only for formal trips where it was important to convey an air of sophistication and importance. For those sort of trips, we saw that the briefcase styles must be sober and yet strong. The overall image was one of a careful business person. A leather travel shoulder bag however, creates an entirely different impression.

What if you want to convey a more rugged look? What if you’re not the serious sophisticated kind of guy, but a more fashion savvy and modern type? Carrying a slick leather briefcase just doesn’t cut it. It stands out like a sore thumb. In such cases, you need something that suits your style and is yet properly functional and suited to your needs.

The leather travel shoulder bag

A leather travel shoulder bag is one that you sling over either of your shoulders instead of carrying in your hand. It’s more informal and is amenable to a wide range of styles – each of which conveys a different impression. Such is the power of leather, that it can portray several completely different types of people!

The Leather travel shoulder bag

The Leather travel shoulder bag

For example, a leather travel shoulder bag that is distressed goes well with the rugged jeans look. The sort of wolverine type. There is a prevailing impression that shoulder bags are girly, but that certainly isn’t so. Hugh Jackman himself has been spotted carrying one, and so it certainly can’t be all bad! They can even come in double strap styles which allow them to be slung over both shoulders. However, that look isn’t for the macho types. It’s for a more college going hip sort of guy.

Features to look for

Basically, since leather travel shoulder bags come in so many different sizes, you have to look out for what purpose you want to use it for. For frequent travelers and students, you might want to carry a laptop. However, if it’s a netbook type of laptop, then it needn’t be very large. In any case, the type of image conveyed doesn’t really go well with a business laptop, so my guess is that would be less of a consideration.

However, other factors like proper cushioning and plenty of pockets still hold. Adjustable straps that can go all the way without hitting the shoulder pad are important. Unlike a briefcase however, they need not be detachable.

Summary

It’s good to have different sorts of accessories to carry around. A leather travel shoulder bag is certainly useful when you just want to chill out and not take yourself too seriously!

May 12, 2009

Can an American man carry a small leather shoulder bag?

Filed under: Leather Briefcases — Tags: — admin @ 12:41 pm

The “Feminine” shoulder bag

Women have always got the better deal when it comes to choice of accessories. Take handbags for example. There are a wide variety of bags that women can choose to keep all their little gadgets and nick knacks in and look sexy. Large, small, leather, strapless – the list is endless. Why should this be so? What do men do if they have to carry around a medium sized assortment of items?

Traditionally, the man carries a briefcase or a large shoulder bag for these items. But both of these are overkill, and a briefcase doesn’t fit nicely over a shoulder for everyday wear. It’s too formal as well. What about for casual wear?

A growing number of fashion designers are realizing that men need to have options with regard to these sort of accessories too. To cope with the demand, several really cool man-bags or shoulder bags for men have come out that maintain that masculine image and yet include the functionality. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Single Strap bags

Celebrities like Jack Bauer (the protagonist of the wildly popular TV show “24″) have helped the single strap shoulder bag gain widespread acceptance. The most important design consideration – and understandably so – is that they should not look like a woman’s purse. This is achieved by making it hang lower than regular purses and including a more rectangular sort of design with a brute focus on functionality over aesthetics.

The size of these man bags make it very easy to carry around a small collection of items without committing too much into a large sized briefcase. They’re perfect for two types of men – students and travelers. Students, because they always need to carry their books with them, and frequent travelers, because some of them travel light and just need to have the basics.

And of course, secret agents :) .

Double Strap leather shoulder bags

These are a little more difficult to carry off well with men, but there are some that do an exceptionally good job. Most useful for students – once more for the same reason noted above – they’re easier to cart around and don’t get in your way when you walk.

As with shoulder bags, care is taken to make sure that they’re not feminine, by making them hang lower and stitching them in unique shapes that don’t make them look like the sort carried by women.

Celebrities carrying leather shoulder bags

The leather shoulder bag for men is carried off by several masculine celebs like Seal, and Hugh Jackman (Jackman’s bag got a 66% approval rating by fans). Even Ryan Reynolds comes out of the man bag pictures looking like a total badass! And of course, Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer.
So in summarizing, we should note that men’s leather shoulder bags are coming into vogue. While they can certainly be pulled off, they require careful choice and selection to ensure that they don’t detract from your macho image!

May 11, 2009

What features to look for in leather duffel bags

Filed under: Leather Briefcases — Tags: — admin @ 10:11 am

The leather Duffel bag

Modern duffel bags are quite different from what they used to be. When the term first came into popular use, they were cylindrical “hold all” type of bags most commonly carried by soldiers. The word duffel came from a German town which used to manufacture the cloth. These days however, the leather duffel bag is any bag which is used to hold a large number of items for easy carrying – from clothes to gym equipment.There are many factors that go into choosing a leather duffel bag. We look at some of them below in the hope that you will be able to find one that is versatile and long lasting.

Shape and Size

Depending on your uses, you get duffel bags in all shapes and sizes. You often see travelers on airplanes trying to squeeze their luggage into overhead compartments. This is because they haven’t taken care to choose the right bag for their needs. Leather duffel bags have the inherent advantage of being able to mold themselves according to the shape in which they need to be stored. But that is restricted by the size of the framework.They can come in small to large sizes. Small duffel bags can be below 4000 cubic inches, whereas the large ones can be over 9000. Most people will need something in between. 9000 cubic inches is really a lot. Ensure that you are able to easily and gracefully carry it in your hands by the straps. To an extent, the size of the bag is determined by your height.

Wheels and Framework

Leather duffel bags can have optional wheels on their base. They’re not for everyone and are suitable only for some purposes. Obviously if you’re only going to use it for small distances like from the car to the gym, wheels are unnecessary. But if you plan to use it for your trips, then you will feel the need for them.

Long airport halls can wear out your arms very quickly and you frequently need to switch from one hand to the other. You will bless yourself for choosing a bag with wheels! Some bags also have an opt in framework that you can attach whenever you need to. They cost a bit more, but they greatly enhance the bags usability as they can be utilized in a variety of situations, giving you much better returns on your investment.

Straps

These will be handy for anyone and for all purposes. Leather duffel bags come with detachable straps so that you can have them on only when needed. As with briefcases, the straps need to be comfortable with a generous pad that allows cushioning on the shoulder. This provides yet another way to carry the bag when wheels will not be very appropriate.

Summary

Leather duffel bags have a wide variety of characteristics that can be used for several purposes. Try and find one that suits your needs best and you will have an item that lasts you for life.

May 7, 2009

What features to look for in a fine leather briefcase

Filed under: Leather Briefcases — Tags: — admin @ 11:46 am
Fine leather briefcases have undergone several changes over the years as a demanding public changed its needs, its budget, and its sense of style. From the old days of Kennedy carrying a large strong briefcase for all his papers, briefcases nowadays have grown even more functional with spaces for laptops and more convenient slots for PDA’s etc.

Also, many briefcases today can be carried either by men or women – a reflection of the gender neutral attitude of society. Nevertheless, if you’re a man and are buying a fine leather briefcase, you might want one that is distinctly masculine. So what do you look for in such a case? Let’s find out.

Leather Briefcase Size

It might seem obvious, but as with wallets, the size of the briefcase is the primary factor. For this you need to critically evaluate your needs. Do you carry around a phone, and a camera separately? Do you carry a laptop? How many folders and papers are required on your person? For example, lawyers constantly need to have dozens and dozens of papers around them for quick reference. Their needs will be very different from someone who has all their papers on a computer.

Also take into consideration how organized you are. If you’re the kind of person who prepares for each day, then you can get by with less space as you remove stuff you don’t need. If you find your briefcase getting overstuffed, then a bigger one is the right choice for you.

Straps

For frequent travelers, a good set of straps for the briefcase is essential. When walking down the long corridors of an airport from terminal to terminal, a heavy briefcase can easily become a huge burden. A pair of straps to dangle it from your shoulder is essential. Ensure that the straps are strong and have a good padding.

Sometimes, the padding piece hits against the buckle when the strap is really short – making it impossible to position it over your shoulder. Test all this out before you make a choice. Take care to see that the pad is nice and roomy and is properly cushioned. If you have shoulder pain, this point is a very important factor.

Laptop space

Most fine leather briefcases come with a dedicated laptop area. Ensure that there is still plenty of room for other things besides the laptop. Some manufacturers make the mistake of taking up all the space for it, and this is a huge no-no from the point of view of usability.

Also make sure that there is sufficient padding for the laptop in case it falls down.  Fine leather briefcases almost always have some padding, but you can’t be too careful.

Leather quality

Whole grain leather is the best for briefcases – both for style as well as longevity. As good leather ages, it becomes softer. You want your briefcase to be like a good friend – adapting to your needs more and more as time goes by. Get the best quality leather, and you won’t regret it.

Have fun shopping for your fine leather briefcase! Hope it lasts as long for you as Kennedy’s did.

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