Satchel & Page Counselor Briefcase Review
The Perfect Bag for Grad Students, Working Professionals & Style-Conscious Travelers
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
Every year, tens of thousands of young adults make the leap from college and university into the workplace, and every year the vast majority of them make a crucial style error on the very first day on the job. No, we’re not talking about mismatching your socks and your belt, or wearing an ill-fitting suit — though, come to think of it: don’t do that either! — we’re talking about an even more egregious mistake: pairing a backpack with a jacket and tie.
We get it: your trusty backpack has probably been with you since high school, and it’s seen you through a lot. Backpacks definitely still have a place in a man’s wardrobe, but once you graduate from student to working professional, you unlock a new 9-to-5 accessory befitting your status: the briefcase.
If you want to be taken seriously by your new boss, coworkers and potential customers, you need to ditch the tattered backpack in favor of something more stylish, more professional and more… leather. And that’s where the Counselor briefcase from Satchel & Page comes in.
RELATED: Best Stylish Gifts for Men
Why Satchel & Page?
Once you’re committed to a bag upgrade, it’s worthwhile picking something special. After all, your briefcase is the one part of your outfit that won’t be changing from day to day, so you want something stylish, practical, durable and versatile. It has to be able to handle your daily workload, survive trips on buses and subway cars or being tossed in a trunk, and still look good enough to bring to a presentation in front of your boss.
And for less obvious but nonetheless absolutely ironclad reasons, it has to be leather. Sorry, we don’t make the rules, but leather goods have been synonymous with professionalism since the first white collar workers entered the first offices, so trust us on this one.
Once you accept that, you’re going to want to take a closer look at Satchel & Page. All of their leather goods — from briefcases and luggage to jackets, belts and wallets — are sourced from an Italian family business operating out of a Tuscan tannery established by the grandfather all the way back in 1986. With three generations of the family still working on leather tanning, they bring decades of collective experience to their craft, something that is extremely evident as soon as you handle one of their pieces. And if you’re going to drop big money on a statement fashion accessory, you definitely want it to have that kind of pedigree.
Standout Features of the Counselor
Satchel & Page offers multiple bags and briefcases that could fit the bill for a young professional, but if you want the best marriage of quality and practicality, we’d steer you towards their Counselor briefcase. Here’s what stands out to us:
- Style: Available in both black and brown leather, tanned and finished in Ponte e Egola, Italy, and certified by the Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, these bags project style and sophistication from a mile away. They’re professional enough to be worn with a suit and tie while still looking great if you’re traveling in jeans and a t-shirt. Antique nickel hardware, used to secure the straps, offers a bright contrast to the rich, dark leather tones.
- Practicality: This bag is deceptively capacious, with a full zipper allowing easy access to the bag’s interior. A middle laptop compartment, capable of holding up to 16-inch laptops including the MacBook Pro, keeps your daily computer well protected and within easy reach, while dedicated interior slots for pens and business cards and dedicated exterior storage for your phone and important documents ensure all your necessities are organized and accessible. An included, adjustable and padded shoulder strap offers you the option of over-the-shoulder carry, while a removable key clip (made from the same quality leather as the bag, naturally) adds even more practicality.
- Quality Construction: It’s difficult to convey in writing just how sturdy this bag is, and how every touch point showcases the bag’s incredible quality. For example, the bag uses Japanese YKK Excella zippers, which give the impression of indestructibility, while the thick Italian leather of the briefcase shell feels impenetrable, giving you a lot of peace of mind that your precious laptop won’t be easily damaged. Even the components that are treated as afterthoughts by lesser manufacturers are elevated in the Counselor, such as the interior lining (soft black suede in the black Counselor and Tobacco suede in the brown Counselor) and zipper tags (stitched leather, naturally).
In summary, think of the Counselor as the no-compromise briefcase option, combining all the style and sophistication of a briefcase with the practicality and versatility of a messenger bag. It’s the perfect option for young professionals graduating from school to work and backpack to briefcase, and something built to last (and backed by a lifetime warranty) so you can rely on it for years to come.
You Might Also Dig:
-
Accessories
Style