Date Posted: November
20, 2006 Title: Gorgeous briefcase I only have time for a very brief briefcase review. But I just got this bag and I absolutely adore it. My goal in this purchase was to limit myself to a reasonably sized and stylish bag with a post-modern, minimalist theme, and to stop using a backpack when I work in our hospital clinic.
Looks: The Jack Georges bag is every bit as beautiful in person as it looks. It's made of gorgeous leather and is very nicely finished. The hardware is satin-coated and is well-suited to the bag. I've definitely received compliments from fashion-conscious people for this bag. And although it is just a black flap-over briefcase, it very easily sets itself apart from other products in a way that is stylish but not gaudy. The only slight difference in appearance was that the bag I received did not have a Jack Georges emblem key attached to the outer handle, as pictured.
Functionality: This is not the most functional briefcase in the world.... there is a definite trade-off for cuteness. There are two major interior compartments; one has only a full-size zipped folio and open space, and the other has several pockets. The open side is big enough to easily store my Apple iBook G4 / 12" in a Tucano sleeve (it looks like it is probably big enough to fit a MacBook; I'm not sure how a 15" MacBook Pro would fit in it, although I'm sure this can be ascertained from the dimensions). I can store a few papers / folios or a small notebook in addition. If I don't bring my iBook along, there is certainly room for several small composition books and so on. I sometimes fit my empty coffee mug and/or a 20 oz soda bottle in at the end of the day
(to take home and clean / recycle), but the compartment is really not deep enough for that. The other compartment has room for several pens; the three pockets are just big enough to hold, respectively, a full-size iPod (and I put my BT headset in there also), a Motorola RAZR, and a Windows Mobile PDA (Dell Axim x51v) in a leather case. That means that my keys, sunglasses, and wallet usually end up loose at the bottom of the second compartment. That's about all it will fit. It also has a key loop inside it, but it is located along the edge of the open compartment, and I would fear that it would lead to scratching something. The bag arrived in a sort of strange Jack Georges burlap sack... which I think was just a cute way of avoiding shipping it in a transparent bag. It also comes with a leather shoulder strap that, quite honestly, I threw in the aforementioned sack and have not since given further thought, as I specifically didn't want a shoulder-strap.
Durability: One big advantage of a case like this is that shoe treatments (polish, etc) can be used to keep it looking new for years. The leather is very nice and I feel comfortable that it will last for years with proper care. The satin finish of the hardware does wear off, however. In particular, the very distinguishing latch mechanism scratches itself in common usage. There is already some minor burnishing of the coating on my latch.
Cost / LuggageOnline Service: LuggageOnline's price was very reasonable, and their service and shipping was extremely prompt. I was very happy with everything in this respect.
Overall: I love this bag and am extremely satisfied with my purchase. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. The biggest thing to be said about this bag is that it is NOT a Tumi bag with 1000 pockets that expands to six times its width and can store a desktop computer with CRT. Facetiousness aside, this bag is definitely a trade-off in the direction of stylishness and minimalism. Given its overall size and this constraint, it's an outstanding briefcase and easily worth the money.
Mohan Krishnan (Gainesville, FL)
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