Which travel bag suits you best?
There is a lot to consider when searching for the perfect leather travel bag. You may ask yourself; how big of a bag do I need? What leather variation suits me? What kind of closure do I want? We created this guide for you to weigh all of your options in one space. Continue reading to compare the size, weight, buckle closures, and leather options of our five travel bags.
Lightest to Heaviest
Travel in style with this vintage-inspired leather duffel bag in Vintage Brown American Steerhide or American Alligator.
Featuring solid brass hardware, our unique lever-action buckling mechanism, and an unusual strap arrangement make the Colonel’s No. 1 Grip a travel bag with “instant” heritage – not to be checked, and not to be confused with all the other bags out there. Your bag is so unique that we’ve placed a serial-numbered brass plate on the inside front of the bag.
This bag opens wide and packs easily. There’s plenty of room to carry everything you need for an overnight stay, or as your personal carry-on bag for extended trips.
The Colonel packed his No. 1 Grip with a pair of khakis, two folded shirts, shoes, socks, two t-shirts, two boxer shorts, a bandana, a belt, and his No. 2 Shave Kit.
Dimensions: 11″ (H) x 19″ (W) x 10 1/2″ (D)
Weight: 4.3 lbs
Vintage Brown American Steerhide
Made in the Col. Littleton Workshop in Lynnville, TN, this weekender bag is composed of vegetable-tanned vintage brown polished leather for strength, while the flap and ends of the bag are made of our dry-milled leather to give it character and softness.
American Alligator
American Alligator bags have always been considered luxury items. Over the years, Colonel has haunted antique shops around the country in search of vintage alligator bags made by superior craftsmen in the late 1800s/early 1900s. He can tell you they are few and far between and costly when you’re lucky enough to stumble across a viable one.
A bag like this doesn’t just roll off some assembly line. It is planned and orchestrated to the smallest detail. Due to the nature of alligator, there’s usually a lot of scrap left over when making a product. It took the premium cuts of three hides to make this bag.
The ultimate weekender bag is available in easy-going, dry-milled American Buffalo as well as luxurious American Alligator.
One of the No. 2 Duffel Bag’s most convenient features is that it opens all the way for easy packing because it is not restricted by a zipper closure. Outside pockets on each end of the bag, measuring 7 ½” (W) x 5” (T), with ball stud closures, offer you quick access to necessary items. Wrap-around straps culminate in buckle closures with solid brass hardware. Convenient carry handle and an adjustable shoulder strap with comfort pad finish the look. Each bag is serial-numbered on the front Pommel Shield.*
Dimensions: 9 1/2” (H) x 19 1/8” (W) x 10 1/2” (D)
Weight: 5.65lbs
Tobacco Brown American Buffalo
Can you wad it up and throw it in the corner – well, no, that was not Colonel’s vision . . . it isn’t made of canvas, nylon or any man-made material. Colonel designed the No. 2 Duffel Bag in our full-grain, wonderfully textured, Tobacco Brown American Buffalo which he had dry milled to achieve a soft, lived-in look and feel. The bag is trimmed in our Vintage Brown polished American Steerhide and fully lined in Calfskin to add an extra measure of quality.
American Alligator
Colonel also designed this exceptional bag in American Alligator and trimmed it in full-grain American Steerhide. The American Alligator edition is fully lined in soft calfskin. “The romance associated with American Alligator is legendary, and I can tell you for a fact that it’s easy to fall in love with the timeless elegance of this bag.” Even though it was destined to become a work of art from its inception, it is user-friendly and quite serviceable. There’s plenty of room to carry everything you need for an overnight stay, or it serves well as your personal carry-on-bag for extended trips.
You don’t want to hang just any old luggage tag on an American Alligator bag as fine as this one. When you buy the bag, Colonel will include an American Alligator Luggage Tag ($210 value) free of charge, so your tag will match your bag in style and quality.
Grab attention with this full-grain, dry-milled American Buffalo duffel. Perfect for weekend travel.
Don’t mind a little extra attention? This is your bag. This duffel makes a great carry on for travel. Weekend warriors, outdoors enthusiasts, and gym-frequenters will love this bag. It’s big and roomy and unlike most duffel bags, the top opens completely with no zipper to restrict access.
The No. 1 Duffel is handmade by skilled artisans in the Col. Littleton Workshop in Lynnville, TN USA with our full-grain, dry-milled, Tobacco Brown American Buffalo and trimmed in Vintage Brown Polished Steerhide. Our dry-milled buffalo is vegetable tanned, then tumbled in wooden barrels to achieve a soft, lived-in look.
Dimensions: 11” (H) x 21” (W) x 11” (D)
Weight: 5.7lbs
This Hand-Crafted Travel Bag will have heads turning wherever you go.
If you think the No. 3 Grip Bag is the perfect size for you, you have one more tough decision to make… Which leather suits you best? The No. 3 Grip Bag is available in American Steerhide, American Buffalo and American Alligator.
In each leather option, the beauty is undoubtedly in the details. Solid copper tubes and solid brass fixtures set the Steerhide and Buffalo bags apart from any piece of luggage you’ll ever see. On the American Alligator edition, you’ll find the same solid brass fixtures but with solid wooden rods in place of copper.
The No. 3 may be carried by either the leather handle or the adjustable shoulder strap. Personalize the brass oval plate with your initials. The front brass pommel shield is serial numbered, noting the exclusivity of the piece.
- Dimensions: 11” (H) x 21” (W) x 9” (D)
Weight: 6.2lbs
Turn heads in the airport when you travel with this leather Gladstone-inspired duffel bag.
“While rummaging through my collection of vintage travel grip bags, I came upon an old Gladstone Bag which rekindled my long-standing desire to make one. Named after four-time Prime Minster of the UK, William Gladstone, the bag was prevalent in the late 1800s/early 1900s. I had always shied away from making it due to the complexity of the design; however, I loved the look so much I decided to muster up some turn-of-the-century British fortitude and go for it.”
– Colonel Littleton
Keeping with the Gladstone protocol, Colonel kept the hinged-frame design which allows it to open wide and pack easily, and added an adjustable shoulder strap with comfort pad for the convenience of today’s traveler. The No. 5 Grip Bag is available in Vintage Brown American Steerhide as well as Tobacco Brown American Buffalo trimmed in contrasting Steerhide.
Leather straps encircle the bag, culminating on top with buckle closures. The No. 5 Grip Bag features convenient carry handles, brass feet on the bottom which protect the bag from wear and solid brass hardware. You will find a hidden, removable 7.75”H x 9.63”W panel inside the bag at the bottom, providing space to record your name and the year you purchased or received the bag for future generations.
Dimensions: 12 1/2” (H) x 20 1/2” (W) x 9” (D)
Weight: 7.6lbs
