The Value Of Leather Briefcases For Working Men
American author Mario Puzo wrote in his book The Godfather (1969) that “a lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns”. Lawyers are among the individuals who most usually carry leather briefcases. Nevertheless, these bags are also being used by businesspeople and other professionals to carry important documents as well as laptops.
Briefcases are flat, rectangular cases with or without handles, made often from leather, that are used for carrying books, papers, etc. Be it a man or a woman, these bags are an integral part of every office goers. The word “briefcase” was derived from the word “briefs” which refers to the reports being presented in courts by lawyers-who, in turn, originally exclusively used briefcases. But where did these leather briefcases come from?
Businessmen in the 14th Century used satchels, which was then referred to as “budgets”, to carry their money, valuables, and other important documents. These budgets are carried on the shoulder with a loop that minimizes strain. By the 18th Century, people began replacing budgets with carpetbags, which are bags literally made from old carpets. Carpetbags were preferred to satchels as the former are more rugged and durable. In 1826, to allow his bag to carry more weight with less strain on him, Parisian Godillot attached an iron hinge on his carpetbag. This bag of Godillot’s is the father of today’s modern leather briefcases.
Throughout the centuries, Godillot’s carpetbag underwent various transformations. Today, one can find five general types of briefcases. These are portfolios, folio cases, padfolios, attach, and travel briefcases. Portfolios are a type of briefcase that are designed without a handle and are carried under the arm while folio cases feature a retractable handle. Padfolios, on the other hand, are briefcases characterized by induced writing pads, credit card pockets, and calculators they feature. The biggest type of briefcase is the attach which opens up in two separate compartments to accommodate huge amounts of documents and other important stuffs of office goers. Travel briefcases, on the other hand, resemble attach. These briefcases also open in two compartments; however, one is specifically designed for clothes while the other is used for carrying documents.
Various categorized are also used to classify briefcases. First category is the type of material used to manufacture these briefcases. Included in this category are leather briefcases, nylon cases, and fabric briefcases. Briefcases can also be categorized depending on how things can be stored in them such as double compartments, detachable wheeled case, expandable double compartment case, belting leather case, three way zip women’s tote, and so on. Briefcases also come in various colors from black, brown and blue to pink, green, orange, yellow, and red. Among the notable brands of briefcases now available in the market are Samsonite, Swiss Army, Kenneth Cole, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.
Business goers cannot deny the vitality of briefcases, whether they are leather briefcases or made from fabric, especially with the important documents, whether in paper or digital form, they carry in their daily work in the office. Nevertheless, one can’t just pick any simple briefcase; one must make sure to select the briefcase that exactly matches one’s requirements.
Mr. Stewart works as a messenger at the Admin Office of a department store in Germany. As his position requires him to carry a number of important documents in different places regularly, he makes use of his Aktenkoffer Leder (leather briefcase) to hold these files in-between trips.


July 23, 2011 | Posted by Mendel Churchton
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