Commuter-Style Leather Backpack

Do you commute to work or school around the city? Tired of cheap and flimsy vinyl backpacks? I know I was.

After some years of experience in leatherwork, and decades of experience hauling stuff around the city in a backpack, I decided to create a leather backpack with all the features I needed, and none of the useless bits that get in the way.

Rather than post a step-by-step explanation of how I constructed mine, I'm going to break it down into features, and explain how I implemented each one. Use what you like, ignore what you don't.

Materials:

10 oz "Stoned Oil" leather - You'll need most of a side for this project. I think it worked out to around 8 square feet.

25 yards cotton waxed thread - You'll need a lot of thread. Get a big spool.

Leather glue - Get a bottle or two.

6 yards twine - For the welting. Any stiff cord will do.

2" strips upholstery/misc leather - for the welting. Thinner than the backpack leather, but still tough. Use scraps if you can.

Hardware:

40+ 1/4" rivets - You'll need a lot of rivets.

6 D-rings - For the handle and shoulder strap attachments

2 buckles - For the main closure

Snap buckle - For the chest strap

4 swivel clips - For the shoulder straps

Assorted leather hardware - You'll know it when you need it.

Most of the hardware can be acquired easily online. Take care to order the correct size. Pay attention to the inside width of items like D-rings. Also take note of the thickness. Cheap rings are plentiful, but you'll want to search for beefy rings that are at least 1/4" thick.

Tools:

Awl and harness needles - For sewing.

Utility knife - For cutting.

Assorted tools - You'll know it when you need it.

I designed the bag to be tall and slim. This gives it a decent interior
volume, but also allows me to wear it in a crowd without bashing it into people behind me. There's an absence of exterior pockets, which makes it easier to slide under a seat or stash in a locker. Air travel is a breeze, as well; this bag qualifies as a carry-on and even fits perfectly in those TSA tubs.

I've attached the basic pattern that I drew up, both in PNG and InkScape format. I'd love to provide more detailed drawings, but most of this was designed on-the-fly.

The main bag is made out of only two pieces of leather. The less pieces, the less sewing.

Due to the thickness of the leather, leave about 1/2" seam allowance.

To keep the shape, I added a welt. This is just a long strip of leather, wrapped around a length of twine, and then sewn into the seam. Without the welt, the bag tends to collapse.

A leather cord through some heavy-duty grommets creates a draw-string
top. This isn't designed to close tight. It just narrows the opening a bit to keep everything in place under the flap.

I also sewed a small piece to the top of the flap on either side, helping it to keep its boxy shape.

For the main flap overlaps about 2/3 of the length of the bag. I originally had one strap in the middle, but the flap tended to flare out on either side. Two straps work much better.

The straps are made from two strips of leather glued back-to-back, then sewn all along the perimeter.

All attachments are made with the same "shield" shape, reinforced with rivets. ALWAYS sew pieces together, and use rivets for added strength. Rivets alone are fast and easy to do, but they are vulnerable to fail. A stitch distributes the load over a wider area.

The bottom of the bag has a piece of hardboard (or masonite) to hold its shape. This allows me to load the bag with cans of soup without the bottom of the bag stretching out.

I also added four metal feet, so I can place the bag on dirty or wet ground. These feet are usually used for purses. I don't even notice them when I'm wearing the backpack. Definitely a good investment.

The handle is made out of thick pieces of leather, stacked up and glued, then carved into a handle shape. This is then covered with a piece of the same leather that the bag is made from, and stitched up.

Again, invest the time to sew the shields in place, then reinforce with rivets.

If I were to make this again, I'd consider attaching a thick piece of metal cable to each D-ring, and building the handle around that. I haven't noticed any stretching, but a metal cable would remove any doubt.

One of the few exterior features is an umbrella holder. You don't want a wet umbrella in your bag.

Instead of attaching the straps directly to the bag, I sewed a couple of slotted panels to the side, then slid the straps through. This gives me the option to remove or replace the straps.

The straps themselves work in the same way as those canvas belts that seem to come with every pair of cargo shorts. Two small D-rings are on one end, and the other end is threaded through. It's much easier to remove or secure the umbrella from this setup than fumbling with little buckles while everything is wet.

Shoulder straps on backpacks have always bothered me. When you're not wearing the backpack, they tend to drag on the ground, or get caught on everything. I made four attachment points with large D-rings. The shoulder straps attach to these with swivel snaps.

This gives me the option to remove the shoulder straps completely and stash them inside the bag. No dangling bits.

It also means that the straps are replaceable.

An important part of creating the sturdy strap system is the stiff
leather yoke inside the bag. The top two attachment points anchor to this, and the load is distributed across the top of the back. I used a piece of 12 oz veg-tan leather.

I opted to make the straps out of cotton webbing rather than leather. While leather is tough and abrasion resistant, it is also prone to stretching. If I were to improve the straps, I'd wrap leather around a cotton core.

You'll notice that there is no padding. I've tried a few different designs and have yet to find something that works for me. But trust me, you're going to want to add padding. Then tell me how you did it.

The inside of a backpack inevitably gets dirty. I sewed a simple liner out of some sturdy fabric. I partially attached it to one side of the pack, which enables it to be turned inside out and cleaned. If I were to make this again, I'd make the liner completely removeable.

This bag has seen a lot of use over the past few years, and has exceeded my expectations. I was worried about stretch at the attachment points, but it's held up well, even after hauling loads of groceries. (And all my luggage across the globe.)

The shape, overall, works very well for me. It's rather slim, but what it lacks in depth it makes up for in convenience.

The most important piece of advice that I'd like you to take away from this instructable is that you should make a pack to suit your needs. Don't feel beholden to the standards of mass-produced packs.

Please feel free to reach out in the comments and ask about any specifics that I haven't covered. Also, please take a look at the many entries in the Leather Contest, and vote for your favourite! (HINT: This instructable is entered in the contest)