When we introduced our Original Briefcase in 1994, our mission was clear: use the best materials available to manufacture a briefcase that would live up to our legacy of providing customers with gear that stands up to the rigors of hard use, year after year. More than a quarter-century later, it remains our best-selling bag–a testament to the old-fashioned idea that if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
Because it’s manufactured with the sturdiest materials and construction, we’ve had customers report logging over a million air-travel miles with their Original Briefcases. Our industrial-strength Rugged Twill is a 2-ply by 3-ply twill with exceptional resistance to abrasion and wear. It’s lightly waxed, so your valuables stay dry. The leather handles and straps are cut, burnished and edge-dyed from premium Italian cow leather hides vegetable-tanned. Each hide is slowly steeped in a special bark-tannin solution, with tallows and waxes “hot-stuffed” into it during the final stages. This eco-friendly tanning process transforms cowhide into durable, pliable leather suitable for horse tack, saddlery, as well as Filson briefcases. The heavy-gauge brass zipper is rustproof, virtually indestructible, and reinforced with premium Italian cow leather. All of this is stitched together with heavy-duty, cotton-wrapped polyester thread, to ensure a briefcase that will provide decades of unfailing durability.
Every design detail of our Original Briefcase was carefully considered–even the ones that aren’t obvious, such as the binding on the interior seams that prevents fraying, and the double-layer bottom for added protection and durability. While its trim design wasn’t intended for carrying large computers, the two interior dividers can accommodate tablets or smaller laptops. With slotted interior pockets for pens, tools and cards, keeping organized is a cinch. The premium Italian cow leather shoulder strap is removable and adjustable for a custom fit, and features a sliding shoulder pad for comfort with heavier loads. Custom solid brass hardware is sand-cast and debossed exclusively for Filson, because every detail matters.
