When T and I went to New York this past summer, we came upon a little shop called Working Class Inc in Tribeca. Moonlighting as an advert agency, it was also knick-knack place with British-esque leanings; antique glasses, perfume bottles and table settings, postcards, coffeetable books, proper yellow slickers, and 1950’s- inspired woolen collegiate scarves. Best of all, they produced their own line of leather goods in bright and simple colors.
I fell in love with their leather school satchel. Modeled just like the classic brown/black type you imagine students in the US would tote around in the early 1900s or by school children in some rustic European village. They also look like the proto-version of the ultra-expensive, serious-looking gakuesi-kaban, a leather briefcase Japanese middle-to-high school students might carry, although this term also means generally, “student’s bag.”
Leather school satchel, Japanese school briefcase, whatever, they are built like a work horse and put through a lot of damage. They can also inflict a lot of damage, too.
At $350 Working Class Inc’s version was a wee bit out of my price range. They’re currently advertised as $275 when I last checked.
You can find authentic satchels through Ebay.co.uk, although everyone seems to want them too. When did a student’s leather school satchel become so fashionable, so trendy, so it?
If you’re into leatherwork, some of the older books will have a pattern or instructions to make your own. Of the dozens of books I’ve read so far, these are two promising patterns that I’ve scanned for you. Myself, I plan to make one, as soon as my projects stop looking like the product of a disgruntled Boy Scout. The project tutorials are in PDF format, and need to be rotated in order to be read.
Working with leather by William R Guy (1967)
Can’t remember too much about this book, save for this project. Actually, it’s for a strapless briefcase but you can easily add your own.
Guy’s pattern
Creative Leathercraft by Grete Peterson (1960)
Attractively nostalgic with lots of retro photos. Projects are all right, although somewhat dated. Leathercraft technique is skimpy. Not sold on the project photos, which look too nice to be done by hobbyists. But you can aspire to make your satchel look like his! Also without a strap.
Peterson’s pattern
Material-wise, 5-7 oz. cow leather with a regular to firm temper would work well. Machine-sewing is dubious.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Comment (1)
I like how this briefcase is from a company called “Working Class, Inc.” yet it’s beyond the reach of the working class =)