This thing is rugged and looks and smells great. No pesky zippers.

This is the best backpack EVER! Love the leather smell, color, brass hardware, quality of leather. Perfect for traveling, school or everyday use. It was absolutely perfect for what I was looking for. Would definitely purchase more Polare products.

... and it still smells like mushrooms... but I get compliments on it all the time, and I really like it, style-wise.

I was sent a replacement bag to challenge the review I left below. On the second one, the strap has not broken and the leather has held up well. I get many compliments on the bag. Even on the replacement bag there has been about two centimeters of stitching to come undone. But the bag is otherwise holding up. Id recommend it for very light sparing use. But wouldnt recommend it for daily use because of my overall experience. So I wrote this review because they offered to send a follow up package if I did, and did not. Over the next month that I owned this bag the stitching came undone. Even as I did not put a lot of weight in it, the shoulder strap broke. Its the size of a standard backpack, which was great since it fits everything I need in it. Everything seemed like high quality until it started falling apart. The leather is thick but even with proper care cracks quickly. Not too happy.

Sadly I had to replace my last leather bag that had been a travelling companion of mine for thirty years. This one is great and in just a short decade I wont even miss my old one (it needs some break in time).

Awesome! Thick genuine leather backpack constructed with quality craftsmanship. I am so happy about this purchase!

Good leather, bad fasteners.

My favorite bag

I just received my new Polare leather bag today. This thing is exactly what I was hoping for. The bag itself is beautiful! The leather is thick and has that wonderful leather smell. It seems to be very well made. I love all of the closures that they used on this bag. It will be perfect for my needs. I have searched for some time for a bag like this and the majority of the makers were way over priced IMO. This was a steal for what you are getting. If you’re looking for a genuine leather bag with great looks and functionality, pull the trigger. You won’t be sorry.

I was a bit shocked that the bag is bigger than I expected. I was thinking of making it my everyday bag but it looks so big for my frame. Pros: - sturdy even after washing it from the machine (I know, this shouldnt be done but it still looks great) - thick leather - strategic placement of pockets - cheaper than the usual genuine leather backpacks Cons: - bigger than expected - not for traveling since its quite heavy (something that you would expect from authentic leather) - stitches & glue are not perfect (but still works)