Monday, May 16, 2011

Aligata Messenger Bag






Many years ago I had a leather briefcase that I bought from the old Conran's Habitat on Astor Place in NYC. It was made of a thick harness leather, very much like the leather on the Aligata iPad case in the review below. That bag lasted me about 20 years. All I could remember about it was that it was made in Poland, the same country where Aligata's iPad cases are made. On a whim, I decided to contact Tom SkalczyƄski, the owner of Aligata and ask him if he was aware of any sellers of the bag I was looking for. It seemed ridiculous to think that he would be able to help but I figured, why not try. Well, sometimes you've really just got to ask a question if you want a good answer. This was one of those times.

Not only did Tom know of the kind of bag I wanted, he was in the process of finishing a series of prototypes of it. He offered to sell me one of these and I readily agreed.

The bag arrived in a very light tan finish, almost exactly like the original bag I had 20 years earlier. I treated it with oil to waterproof it and darken the leather a bit. The results are just perfect to my eye. The Aligata Messenger Bag is a flap-over design with two zippered internal pockets. The interior is one large storage area that will handle quite a bit of cargo. The bag ships with a removable shoulder strap and includes a lockable catch located under the flap-over. There is a key fob on the inside of the bag as well. The handle is a sturdy piece of reinforced leather that is heavilly stitched to the top of the bag.

I'm reasonably sure that this briefcase will last me for many years to come. Everything about it says quality and durability. In a world where disposable junk is the rule, Aligata's workmanship is a welcome exception.

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