Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

Style Battle: The Rugged Brief – Filson, J. Crew, Jack Spade

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Filson Org. Briefcase – $210 | J. Crew Rugged Twill – $128 | Jack Spade Swiss Brief – $379

Is the traditional hard edged, leather attache dead?  Not a lot of guys carrying those around anymore.  Instead, no matter how urban the environment, everybody looks like they’re on their way to Tombstone to defend Wyatt Earp in court.   And that’s not a bad thing either.

The standard formula for a rugged brief seems to be canvas sides, leather accents, a detachable shoulder strap, and two leather handles that meet at the top.

The Filson is hard to argue with.  They’re one of the original heritage American Brands, and their brief is still made in the U.S.   J. Crew offers a less expensive version that must be inspired by the Filson, and the addition of the over the top buckle strap looks terrific.   Jack Spade is a high end name, and their Swiss Brief merges the Filson’s flap and the J. Crew’s buckle.  And then Jack tacks on an extra $100 – $150 for good measure.

If you had to pick… which one are you carrying?

Leave your vote, or a write in addition in the comments section below…
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Comments

  1. Considering price I’d have to go with the J. Crew. The other two are a bit more structured and office appropriate though…

  2. I own the Filson 256 and have been truly impressed by its functionality and durability. The size is perfect, as it holds a laptop and folio, but remains light and easy to carry. The rugged yet tasteful canvas has an understated quality that is not too flashy, but has already drawn much praise. The thick canvas could take a bullet and the zippers couldn’t be ripped off by a tank.

    No question among these briefcases… as Filson says, “Might as well have the best.”

  3. I’d go with the J. Crew. It looks more ‘rugged’ to me, and by the same measure more durable. I want my bag to withstand a few dings without falling apart. Doesn’t hurt that it’s the cheapest of the three as well.

  5. I have the Filson 257, so I guess that’s my pick. I absolutely love it, it’s got about 6 months on it and gets better daily.

  6. I prefer the looks of the J. Crew bag to the other two. That being said, it’s hard to argue with a classic, so the Filson would be a close match.

  10. They all look good to me…for a more affordable option also try the lands end canvas bags they are a great vaule and seem to be good quality. I have the tote and love it.

  13. @Mike: I have one. It’s black, and it’s decent quality (for the price), but I carry my bag by the top grab handle, a lot. And this one is positioned on just one side, not dead center on the top, thanks to the flap. It kicks out at an almost 45 degree angle every time. I eventually ended up getting one of these.
    @Travis: Guess I was in a Tombstoney mood after making the reference? Maybe it was too late of a night…

  15. I like the looks of the Jack Spade the best, but the price is way beyond reason. Of the other two, I think the J. Crew is a bitter nicer in the looks department, but after having their Bowery duffel bag start tearing at all the handle/strap attachment points after about 4 uses, I’m not very trusting of their quality on this type of product. The Filson is certainly a lot more plain looking than the others, but you know for sure it will last a lifetime.

  16. I recently splurged and bought a Belstaff 554 (that’s the one Will Smith uses in “I Am Legend”) and absolutely love it. You can see its smaller brother the 556 (with a link to the 554 along with review and pictures).

    I love the look and the quality, but I think it’s too rugged for formal business use. That’s when I take out my Saddleback Leather bag I bought on eBay.

  17. A Filson will last you a lifetime and maybe two, so it hard to argue with paying a little extra for that kind of quality.

  18. After going through a cheap briefcase or laptop case a year I decided it was time for something that will last. The Filson briefcase is designed flawlessly for what I’m looking for and feels like it will stand up to anything. You can always tell the quality of something by the details and this bag is spot-on down to the key holder in the front pocket.