Maverick & Co. Manhattan Leather Briefcase – The answer to your everyday carry

How often do you find yourself carrying a portable gaming console? Are you a mobile gamer, preferring to play on your phone with the ability to play at a moment’s notice? How about someone who likes the beefier consoles, like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck? Maybe you carry a gaming laptop because you’ve found a good balance between using it for work/school and using it to play your favorite releases. For gamers, the bag or case we choose ultimately impacts which category you fall into.

That’s where I found myself with Maverick & Co.’s Manhattan Leather Briefcase. I needed something that was thin and more easily portable but could still carry items like a 16” laptop, food containers, notebooks, phone, etc. Maverick & Co. reached out around that time, and their Manhattan Leather Briefcase piqued my interest.

But what makes this briefcase so special? Why has it become my new everyday carry? At first, I thought it was the body material, the Saffiano leather, or the polyester lining that eventually grew on me. But in reality, it’s a combination of all these things and more that makes the Manhattan briefcase so incredible.

Speaking of leather, the choice of Saffiano seemed somewhat strange to me at first. A briefcase that uses a very taut material like Saffiano to wrap itself in, rather than a more plush leather draped over metal lining like normal leather briefcases tended to be, felt like it strayed too far to the side of utility than it did luxury. But after using it for a week straight, it grew on me. Maverick & Co took the idea of form vs function and decided, to hell with it, let’s find a good balance. Saffiano is not only an aesthetic choice, but a purpose-driven one, one that does provide a feeling of luxury when you touch it, but is also highly water resistant. That’s what sold me. For someone who tends to be caught in the rain frequently, or routinely spills liquid on their desk, this has certainly saved all my electronics and notepads while still staying undamaged.

One other feature that confused me at first was the choice to line the interior with polyester. It’s coarse to touch and feels out of place when the outside is covered in high-quality leather. But, much like how the Saffiano provides a balance to aesthetics and use, it makes complete sense. The Manhattan Leather Briefcase is designed for the long term. Using a softer fabric might lead to tears from rough use or stains from leaking food or drinks. It’s durable, and at the end of the day, that’s more important than just a softer fabric. All that being said, lining one of the pockets with a softer fabric would still be a great choice. I worry that if I put glasses in one of them, the polyester might scratch at its surface.

It’s clear that this briefcase is designed for you to use and abuse, to last the test of time so you don’t need to upgrade or swap to something else. And that’s clear even in the design of its compartments. On the outside, there’s a pocket large enough for a phone and thick enough to provide it with a decent amount of protection. Make your way past the two-way zip and inside you’ll find a padded laptop compartment that fits a 16” laptop. It’s huge, enough to fit the beefiest of gaming laptops. There are enough organizational pockets as well; one with a magnetic closure large enough to fit a couple of books or handheld gaming peripherals, two spots for writing utensils that glide in and out against the polyester, and a smaller one that offers easy access to your essentials. From the average student or worker to the most hardcore of portable gamers, the Manhattan Leather Briefcase covers every use case I could think of.

But it’s not just a leather exterior that makes it so aesthetically pleasing, nor is it the polyester lining that’s tasked with promising long-term protection. It’s also the little exterior enhancements to the briefcase that really ties off why I love this briefcase. The Maverick & Co logomark in polished silver, the leather-wrapped section of the sling and the thick Saffiano-covered handles that make it easy to transition to a carry bag. Every item that’s been crafted and included on this briefcase feels meticulous and deliberate, making that $352 price tag worth every penny.

For me, this is an aesthetic statement that also found an amazing balance with usability. It’s beautiful on the outside, but what matters most to me is how long you can expect things at this price tag to last. The choice to include multiple pockets, and to line them with polyester, not only means protection but also a lower likelihood of damage from roughhousing it daily. It’s a briefcase that’s designed for the long haul, and the one I’m going to be using for the years ahead.

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