Visconti Visconti Leather Distressed Messenger Bag Harvard Collection Black One Size

-Design- The bag is very high quality. The front panel is made of one piece of very nice leather, and the entire bag is leather except the strap backing and the lining. The stitching is excellent. The brass accents are tastefully dull and aesthetically pleasing without being overbearing. The strap is very nicely done, giving the appearance of a full leather strap, but retaining the strength of nylon. The strap is also a good length: I stand 71" but do require almost the full length of the strap in order to rest the bag on my hip. I would guess a person up to 74" would be comfortable with the strap length. The Visconti branded black nylon lining is subtle and tasteful. The bag is reasonably light. -Functionality- The magnetic clasps on the front cover hold nicely as long as the bag is not overstuffed. They sometimes require some guidance, but generally closing the bag is no-fuss and the clasps do "snap" shut if positioned correctly. The compartment design is extremely well done. Many of the bags I looked at suffered from "feature clutter" in the form of extraneous compartments. This bag achieves great functionality without going overboard. There is a large zipped pocket on the rear of the bag, one on the front of the bag beneath the cover panel, and a smaller one on the interior of the bag. There are two smartphone sized pockets on the interior, and also a large non-zipped pocket beneath the front cover panel. The front non-zipped pocket is large enough to hold a file folder. One minor flaw is that the zipper-pocket on the bag interior has a tendency to catch on things as I place them in the bag. I would have preferred the zipper be recessed or removed altogether. As a student and occasional intern, I wanted to be able to hold my Surface Pro computer, and at least one if not two textbooks. The interior of the bag is big enough to hold a small laptop (my HP Envy 14" fits snugly) and one textbook. Two textbooks require some struggling and that the front flap remain unclasped (For certain thick books or with a large laptop, two textbooks will not fit.) During the Summer I am able to comfortably fit my laptop and anything I am working on. -Durability- I've had the bag for about 6 months, and the leather has retained its great looks. The front panel and strap have softened up nicely. The brass accents have taken some scratches but in my opinion it only increases the natural good looks of this bag. Overall the bag has become better looking as it has aged. Judging from how it's held up so far, I would expect this bag to last for a dozen years or more. -Miscellaneous- For me, this was the perfect bag. I specifically wanted a relatively small bag that did not look like a laptop bag. I purchased about 4 bags from Amazon before deciding on this one. Most of the bags were entirely too large for my purposes. I also bought the oiled brown leather, but I ultimately felt the Harvard brown had a more professional appearance. Also, the Amazon photos make it look very shiny, but it is not as shiny as the pictures look. Read more

I searched for months and could not commit to a work bag. I tirelessly researched and read reviews on every brand of leather messenger bag. I wanted something high quality, but did not want to break the bank for a nice bag. Unfortunately, prices range from very cheap to ultra expensive (some over 2k!). In the end, I narrowed it down to this Visconti bag and a Frye bag from Nordstrom that is approximately 5x the cost of this bag. Ended up going with this one and I am SO happy with it. I have used it every day for a few weeks and can confidently say I made the right choice. This bag is truly the best combination of price and quality. It is beautiful and looks like very expensive leather. I receive complements on it all the time. It is distressed, so any marks or nicks only add to the beauty and character of the bag. I have not had any problem with color rubbing off on my clothing or with the material falling apart or fading. In fact, everything seems well made and high quality! As for functionality, there are other reviews with pictures of each pocket. Suffice it to say there are A LOT of pockets and will likely fit as much as you want to take to work, including your laptop, files, power cord, food, and water bottle. My work laptop is 15" and it just fits so beware in case you have a large laptop. There is one review that raised concerns about the size of the bag. I will admit that this is not the largest bag so if you are particularly tall or large then the bag might seem a little small. But, for the vast majority, it should look great! To sum it up, I would say if you are on the fence about a bag then stop thinking and get this one. It really is a great buy for the price! Read more

The leather is very durable and the stitching is precise. It is, however, quite heavy due to the thick leather. The space is also quite limited, thus, prospective buyers must purchase accordingly. Overall, it is very comfortable and there are plenty of compartments. The mocha colour is also the one to go for. EDIT: been a year now. Looks even better than the day I bought it. Also still has that delightful smell if authentic leather. EDIT 2: It's been 3 years! Still holds up pretty damn great. The Leather aged well and the seams still are pretty strong. Still a great buy. EDIT 3: Some stitching is starting to be strained, but can't complain. Still looks awesome and the leather has absolutely held up. EDIT 4: 5 years in! Despite daily use and regular abuse, the leather has held up fantastically. I treated the leather with some leather conditioner/polish and the patina looks amazing. Still think it is the perfect size since it isn't very large and cumbersome. Would absolutely recommend, it is a great investment! Read more

The quality of the bag is excellent, however, the oil brown stains comes off staining your clothes. My white coat is permanently ruined because of this bag! Very disappointing. Read more