Review: Why Frank Clegg’s Briefcase Costs So Much

If you’re on the hunt for the best American-made leather briefcase, one company appears in your search again and again: Frank Clegg Leatherworks.

I can understand why that might be surprising: they’re not a very big brand, they’re not sold in many places, and you probably haven’t heard of them before you started looking. Wouldn’t a better known leather goods company get talked about more? Allen Edmonds is probably the biggest American maker of leather dress shoes, why aren’t we talking about their briefcases?

I’ll tell you why in this review but off the bat, I’ll give you the main reason: they’re such a small business that they don’t have much of a budget to advertise or to give commissions to bloggers like me — believe it or not, I’m making zero dollars off of this review.

But I’ve been the proud owner of their Zip-Top Briefcase for over a year now, so I feel qualified to give you the lowdown. And since I’m not making commissions, you can feel assured that my thoughts really are unbiased!

[Further Reading: The 10 Best Leather Briefcases for Any Man]

Frank Clegg Briefcase Pros and Cons

If you’ve got somewhere to run and can be satisfied with such a truncated look at such a nuanced and iconic briefcase, here’s an easy to scan, bullet-point summary.

Pros

• American made by a small, family owned business
• Lifetime warranty
• Vegetable tanned leather is ideal for bags and ages beautifully
• Meticulous clicking; different parts of the hide are used for particular parts of the bag to maximize consistency, aesthetics, and durability
• World class finishing; the edge burnishing is the brand’s pride and joy
• Two options for sizes
• 14+ options for leathers
• Timeless design
• Option to monogram

Cons

• Not everybody values the finishing to the point that they’d want to spend $1,500
• No zippered pockets anywhere; just the briefcase’s opening is secure
• No laptop sleeve; there are two compartments, but a laptop bounces around if not secured
• Mighty pricy, starting at $1,250 for the smaller version

Who Is Frank Clegg?

Frank Clegg’s quest to make the finest American-made briefcases was inspired by his father’s career as a leatherworker and began way back in the year 1970 — he’s been handcrafting these bags for over fifty years.

On a trip to visit a boot workshop in Maine, I stopped by Frank’s operation outside of Boston and was delighted by what I found: hardworking and passionate people led by a visionary leatherworker and his similarly talented sons, who will carry the torch after their father’s retirement.

“I’m here every day. I work with my kids, and they learn to do things, and they’re very good at what they do,” says Clegg. “We never think of price when we buy our products. We just buy the best we can find, and if someone shows me something better, I’ll probably switch. Unless I’m dedicated to that supplier. I’ve had suppliers that have taken care of me for forty-five years. I wouldn’t jump ship for money, it’d have to be an unbelievable product.”

We all know how hard it is to find goods that are both American made and American owned (they don’t always coincide), let alone products that are still owned by its founder and kept at the small scale of a boutique operation. But that’s all Clegg is interested in.

“We’re lucky in that we don’t have to compromise on anything,” he says. “We just find the best leathers we can find, we don’t hurry people, we’re not on our employees to go faster. They all do a nice job, and that’s what matters. At the end of the day, if you ruin two bags as you try to go fast, they lose the products! If you do the best job you can, you’ll always be busy. And we’ve always been busy.”

Frank Clegg’s Leather

• Vegetable tanned leather
• Described as European “bullhide”

Most leather on Earth is chrome tanned, a process invented in the 19th century that’s dramatically faster than the millennia-old method of vegetable tanning. But while chrome tanned leather has its advantages (it’s typically more comfortable for footwear), I’m a believer that vegetable tanned is ideal for bags. And it’s all Frank Clegg uses.

According to his site, European “bull hides are (their) choice,” but I’ve found this term can be a misnomer. Many brands that call their leather bullhide, like Iron Boots, use the term to refer to a thicker shoulder cut from steer. True bullhide would come from an uncastrated steer and have a slightly different weight and temper due to the animal’s extra testosterone, but I digress.

This is vegetable tanned leather that’s drum dyed to ensure that color penetrates all the way through the material (this way it can’t scuff off with wear) and most of the Zip-Top Briefcases are made with what Clegg categorizes as Harness Belting Leather.

While there’s no one mandating every brand use these terms the same way (as exemplified by the fuzziness surrounding “bullhide”), harness leather is also called bridle leather and, as the name suggests, is ostensibly strong enough to use on horse bridles and saddles. Pennsylvania’s Wickett & Craig is closely associated with this product, and they provide the bridle leather used on Filson bags.

Since I’m more likely to wear a tie with tweed and loafers than a corporate-typical suit, I opted for one of the funkier leathers they call Shrunken Grain. It’s an underrated kind of leather that shouldn’t be confused for the countless similar looking leathers that are just stamped with this pattern. As the name suggests, true shrunken grain is made by shrinking the leather.

This is why it looks like you’ve taken a magnifying glass to the bag, and because of the shrinking process it’s a denser product that packs more leather into each square inch. It’s more resistant to water, heat, and stains, though it’s a little more resistant to developing the nice patina that bridle/harness leather is known for.

One might consider it less corporate friendly than the smooth leathers, but I think the black shrunken grain would look pretty cool with a suit. Plus, it’s a cheaper alternative to Clegg’s 15,000-dollar alligator leather Zip-Top.

[Further Reading: How to Buy a Good Leather Briefcase]

Frank Clegg’s Zip-Top Briefcase

• Dimensions: 17” x 12” x 4” (double gusset)
• Weight: 4lb, 3oz (with strap)
• Material: Shrunken Grain Leather
• Zip-top opening; no zippered pockets
• Single internal divider with slots for wallet, pens, notepad
• Two external slip pockets
• Unlined

Three briefcases sell about as well as each other: the Commuter, the more old fashioned English Briefcase, and above all — it’s at the top of their Briefcases page, anyway — is my model, the Zip-Top Briefcase.

What I like the most about this briefcase is its straightforward good looks, uncomplicated design, and meticulous finishing, which I’ll break down in the next section.

There are still some elements that might surprise you, though. It’s unlined, which really lets the leather shine, though you might have preferred something like the synthetic nylon lining you find on a Carl Friedrik bag because it’s easier to clean. In my many years of reviewing leather bags, I’ve found that people overstate the value of lining: unless you’re spilling soup in there on your commute, you’ll probably never feel a need to clean the briefcase interior. I’ve never cleaned any of mine.

Indeed, it’s actually a pretty bare bones briefcase. Don’t expect bells and whistles, a dedicated laptop sleeve, or even a zippered pocket. You get one divider down the middle with a few slots to fit a wallet and notepad, two external sleeve pockets, and that’s about it.

This design speaks to Frank Clegg’s dedication to minimalism and the brand’s disinterest in catering to modern tastes, but while the lack of zippers means there are fewer breakable parts, I really would have liked a secure pocket to leave my wallet or keys in.

On a similar note, it’s possible Clegg hasn’t updated the design since laptops became a ubiquitous everyday carry item. I can handle the lack of a laptop sleeve because I’m usually transporting a book or gloves or something else to keep the Macbook from to-ing and fro-ing in the briefcase, but there’s a decent chance you won’t be charmed by the lack of laptop sleeve.

The Big Deal With Frank Clegg: The Edge Finishing

The leather’s great, the company’s great, but as Frank says himself,

Our edges are truly remarkable (…) We have invested significant effort in perfecting those edges (…) Every single edge is polished and buffed. We could make two or three times the bags if we didn’t do our edges — and we could sell ’em for a lot cheaper.

A lot of the cost is because of the edges. Briefcases and messengers that are more casual will leave the edges “raw”, or as is. It frays a little with time but hey, it’s a casual bag, that looks cool, and raw edges keep the cost down a little.

There are other ways to finish edges: a simple one is to treat them with wax to add a little protection, a more complex one is to bind them by stitching a thin strip of leather over the edge. Clegg’s are all burnished: polished and buffed to gradually create enough friction and heat to leave the leather glossy and shiny. This seals the edge, protecting it against fraying, helping the leather retain its natural moisture, and adds a nice aesthetic element.

Given Clegg’s quote above, these bags might cost half the price if not for the time consuming burnishing. But his customers love it.

Wrapping Up: Are Frank Clegg’s Briefcases Worth It?

There’s certainly something enthralling about a briefcase that refuses to cater to modern whims. No, you don’t get a laptop sleeve. No, you don’t get an attachment for your rolling briefcase. No, you don’t get extra zippered pockets or space-age lining and no, we aren’t lowering the price.

Frank Clegg Leatherworks stands firm as trends swirl around them, and it’s something to respect. There’s no one better if you’re looking for a briefcase that’s made in the states in a small workshop by an expert leatherworker who has been honing his craft for decades. What you’re getting is a testament to timelessness and quality and durability. Trendsetters need not apply.

It’s up to you to decide whether or not that’s an enticing proposal, but I certainly feel like I’m wielding something special when I go out with my Frank Clegg briefcase.