4-Year Review of Cravar’s F.C., My Favorite Leather Messenger Bag

I have more than a few cool leather bags, but Cravar is something else.

Not a lot of people are aware of them stateside because they’re small, independent, and completely based in Indonesia. But their F.C. bag is so interesting that it’s become a favorite among enthusiasts. All at once it’s memorable, subtle, uncomplicated, functional, classic, and innovative.

Most guys are terrified of leather messenger bags in case someone calls it a purse, but this bag is too unique to be pigeonholed anywhere. Here’s what I liked.

Cravar F.C. 15 Pros & Cons

If you’ve got somewhere to be, here’s the breakdown of why this is my most used leather messenger bag.

What I liked:

• High quality, vegetable tanned leather
• Available in several colors and sizes
• Lifetime warranty
• Lining protects valuables from scratching
• Unique design, rainproof flap
• Attaches to rolling luggage
• Silent; metal doesn’t touch metal anywhere

Downsides, not dealbreakers

• No laptop sleeve (but they’ll add one for a surcharge)
• Leather dye isn’t struck through, so it can scuff (see above)
• A zippered pocket somewhere would have been nice
• Some guys find the acrylic lining can pile (didn’t happen to me though)

[Learn More: The Best Leather Backpacks For Men]

Cravar F.C.15’s Features

• 15.75″ x 12″ x 4.15″
• 2 load bearing body straps that close the bag with studs
• 2 book-sized front pockets, 1 external sleeve
• Fits onto rolling luggage
• Padded and articulated shoulder pad is really comfy

This is a versatile, everyday bag that’s inspired by classic leather messenger field bags.

The Pockets

The first thing you probably noticed about the F.C. is the two pockets on the front here, which have always been large enough to hold whatever book I’m carrying around with me that day.

There’s also a long open pocket running along the back of the bag that I really appreciate, because without it, you wouldn’t be able to access any of the bag’s contents without opening the whole bag.

The inside has a small open pockets on the front wall, but that’s all. Despite the F.C. accounting for nearly half of Cravar’s sales, it doesn’t have a laptop sleeve.

I’ve always just dumped my laptop in there and hoped for the best, but when I told them what a blindspot this is, Cravar said they’ll add a laptop sleeve for an extra twenty bucks if you want.

Or you can just get one of their R.F. or Rana bags, which are very similar and do have laptop sleeves.

The Straps

Then there are the snazzy body straps that encircle the bag, which serve multiple purposes: they help to cradle loads and they secure to studs to close the flap.

The studs are great: easy to open on the go (way easier then buckles) and yet they’ve never come undone when I didn’t want them to. For extra security, remember to thread them through the keeper after you’ve closed them.

The Rivets

Great bags have rivets at the stress points for maximum durability, and this bag has tons of them. You find rivets on the handle, between the pockets, and on the shoulder strap.

Note also that there are no magnets, no zippers, no buttons, nothing breakable. Great for durability, though I confess I’d have liked a zippered pocket on the inside for my wallet or passport.

It’s also an unusually quiet bag. Plenty of competitors, like the bridle ring-laced Saddleback Briefcase, jangle incessantly when they’re in use.

The Lining

The whole interior is lined with Sunbrella, a kind of acrylic that Cravar got in a sexy burgundy.

Some guys might prefer a natural material (canvas and leather go together like milk and cookies), but it’s very water resistant and easy to clean. It also acts like canvas, meaning it stays against the leather and won’t give you air pockets.

A bigger concern is piling. My pal Troy has their C.O. briefcase and said that after a few months, it started leaving red fuzz on his belongings.

I’ve used my F.C. for years and never experienced piling, but it sounds like it’s a possibility.

[Related: The Best Waxed Canvas Backpacks]

Cravar F.C.15’s Leather

• 2mm thick
• Vegetable tanned 
• Made over 2.5 months in Yogyakarta
• Dye isn’t struck through

Yoki only uses vegetable tanned leather, and it’s a recipe he developed himself with a tannery in Yogyakarta.

Most leather is chrome tanned or vegetable tanned, or made with elements of both processes. Chrome tanning was invented in the 19th century, vegetable tanning might be as old as civilization itself.

There are a lot of upsides to chrome tanned leather, especially on footwear, since it tends to be more flexible and soft. When it comes to bags, a lot of purists insist on the “veg tan” stuff — and they’ll be happy with Cravar.

It’s good leather; but it’s not dyed all the way through, so once your bag is really beat up it might have some scuffs. They’re perfectly easy to cover in shoe polish, though.

Just note that the leather isn’t the kind of oily, waxy leather that has a lot of dynamic color variance — or what they call “pull up” in the leather game. It’s relatively consistent, and after a few years of use the color hadn’t changed a ton.

That said, when it comes to messengers, a lot of guys want a bag that’s as low key and not-eye-catching as possible. Given the F.C.’s design is pretty interesting, I won’t penalize them too much for making the leather quite subtle.

Cravar F.C.15’s Price

$425, including shipping. (The “including shipping” part is important!)

You might be thinking that this isn’t jaw droppingly expensive, but if this were made in the US it’d be hundreds of dollars more expensive.

You can compare it to Billykirk’s Satchel, which is made in the US with vegetable tanned leather from the US, is way simpler and smaller and unlined and it does indeed cost $700.

So while it’s not a fraction of the cost of American made, it is still a very good buy. Plus unlike Indonesian boots, you don’t have to wait months and months for the product to be made.

If you want something a little cheaper, by the way, you can get this bag in waxed twill for just $280, which is what my Dad did — that’s his F.C. in the picture above.

The F.C. series comes in smaller sizes too. The F.C. 13 is 13 inches long and costs $385. The F.C. 11 is $355.

The Takeaway

 This is just the coolest bag. With all those little touches like the rainproof closure flap, jangle-free construction, rolled edges, and absence of breakable parts, Cravar really does balance tradition, innovation, minimalism, and functionality like no one else.

It doesn’t have any dividers inside like a lot of bags have, but their other messengers offer more of that functionality. Nonetheless, the F.C. remains their bestseller — it just has the X factor.

It’s easy to use as an everyday or an office bag, and it’s just the right amount of daring for both situations.