Leather Backpack

Well... the answer to that is a bit complicated. When we researched the difference between a rucksack and a backpack, we got a huge list of dissenting opinions. We got to the bottom of it and aim to uncomplicate this age-old debate.

Do you remember learning in school how all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares? That's pretty much what happened with rucksacks and backpacks. Essentially, a rucksack is a kind of backpack.

Rusty on your geometry skills? No worries, let's break it down. We'll define what makes a rucksack a rucksack, and it's similarities to a backpack, and what splits the difference.

There's nothing in the world like leather. It's been used for thousands of years as a textile to create durable, protective, and fantastic looking goods. It is a time-honored material and turning it into useable objects has been honed into an art that is like none other.

However, if you are anything like us when we started this journey, we had no idea about leather grades, quality, tanning processes, or how to tell a good piece of leather from a cleverly painted piece of scrap hide.

The truth is, not all leather is created equal. When buying a fine leather bag, leather jacket, wallet, iPad Case, or anything else, knowledge is power. Many so-called "leathers" are not what they appear to be. So this series will explore the amazing world of leather so you can avoid getting burned next time you are in the market for some great leather goods.

At Pad & Quill, we use extremely high-quality full grain leathers from one of the most reputable leather tanneries in North America. Our leather bags and cases are fully oiled, tanned, and waterproofed from day one. We are confident in the quality of the leather, and it's workmanship, which is why we guarantee it for at least 25 years.

However, well-maintained leather can last much much longer if it is taken care of properly. There are leather bags from over 100 years ago that are as good now as they were the day they were made and maybe even better!

All products made from leather will age with time. The aging effect on leather is called a "patina" and can't be replicated by any artificial means. A patina develops from everyday use and handling of your leather product. As you use the bag, it gets marks and scratches, lighter spots where the leather flexes, darker spots where your hands touch frequently, and smoother spots where it rubs. The oils and waxes from the leather move around and balance everything out into a bag that has a character and life-story that is as unique as you are. These leather goods become true heirlooms to their owners.

This is why we are proud to release three new leather care products: our waterproofing Leather Balm, conditioning Leather Oil, and our deeply restoring Leather Cleaner. With proper care, your leather bags, wallets, and cases will stand the test of time and age beautifully as well.

Backpacks are all-American. Sure we didn’t invent the concept, but we did coin the term around the turn of the century. Before “backpack” was common lingo, the German derived “rucksack,” “money bag,” or “packsack” was widely used. While the history of the backpack is an extensive one, the American chapter of its evolution is rich and varied.

Whenever Siri sasses me, as she is frequently wont to do, my rejoinder is inevitably that of Linus, as spoken to his femme fatale, in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “Jezebel was the evil wife of king Ahab in the Old Testament. In II Kings, it says that her servants threw her out the window and she landed on her head.”

Just as Linus’ new love interest was intent on keeping him guessing, so Siri Apple Watch changes identities faster then Ilsa Faust in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.  (Loved this character!)  Last week, Siri and her Activity Watch app went all in as psychotic personal trainer.  Mr. PQ and I took some much-needed time away, reviving ourselves in the brilliant, blue-sky town of Breckenridge, CO.  While Apple Watch granted me 9 minutes of heart pounding exercise for 2 hours of bear climbing up a bowl with a 40 percent grade, Mr. PQ was gifted 40 minutes just for ambling down the street

Mr. PQ was busy becoming a major radio star the other evening but I had no idea what his topic was to be, I wasn’t allowed to be at the PQ World Headquarters while he was participating in 9to5Mac’s weekly podcast.  This has nothing to do with the fact that the FIFA Women’s World Cup is competing in Canada this month.  My exclusion from the taping also clearly has nothing to do with my propensity to scream insanely at the television when a goal is scored or mutter incoherently at the oops-I-fell-so-clearly-Christie Rampone-knocked me-over smathlete.   Who am I kidding?  When it comes to world-class soccer, I revert to my 18-year-old Colorado self; this would be the self, weaned on Bronco football, who lived in the mile high city where exuberant

“You’re wearing that, I didn’t know you wore that.”  The “that” Mr. PQ is referring to is an exquisite leather and copper bracelet he bought for me while on a recent visit to our manufacturing partners in Mexico.  It is also the “that” which has been on my wrist constantly for the past 6 weeks, how it took him that long to notice is beyond me.  The man is a stickler for fashion details.  This is never more apparent than when he is talking product design and Apple accessories.  Mr. PQ can spot a hand pounded copper rivet on a backpack or a Japanese nickel cast zipper on a briefcase from a mile away.  While the aesthetic

Mr. PQ forwarded an article to me that was written by a fellow early adopter, he thought it was insightful and humorous.  The author offered some simple, straightforward advice regarding how to introduce one’s friends and coworkers to the wonder that is the Apple Watch.  As I still wrestle daily against the Activity Target of Tyranny, driven to complete all three circles every 24 hours, the haptic tapping of impatience becoming yet one more voice of “I need” and “I want” amongst a cacophony of voices, I probably am not the model spokesperson.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the breakdown of data in the Health app, and I’ve figured out how to skip around to my favorite Miranda Lambert songs while running, so yea me.  However, I can’t escape the feeling of being shackled to the modern world.  So I’ve done what so