Those looking for the history of the leather work bag need not go that far back in time. The leather work bag has not been around for very long. Throughout history people have carried important things with them, but that has usually been with the aid of a pouch, bag, suitcase, box, crate, bag or bundle of some kind. One of the most necessary things to have with you was money. Keeping money in your hand is fine, but a whole day is almost impossible to do. This is how the money bag was created, which was later also used to carry personal belongings such as documents, tissues and cosmetics. The pouch was carried in the hand or on a belt. The ladies often wore the pouch under the skirts.
Leather work bag
In the 17th century, the 'budget' was created in England, a briefcase-like handbag mainly used for documents. This is actually the first known form of a leather work bag. After that, many different leather work bags were created. The leather doctor's bag is of course well-known.
Leather work bag = leather laptop bag
Nowadays a requirement for a leather work bag is that it can easily accommodate A4 format documents. In addition, the leather work bag serves as a laptop bag. Because the laptop is getting smaller, you also see the leather laptop bag getting smaller. These are often barely larger than A4 format. Because there is a lot of cycling in the Netherlands, a work bag requires a long shoulder strap. This way you can hang your work bag at an angle and you have your hands free for cycling. A leather backpack is also popular as a work bag in the Netherlands. The weight of documents and laptop is nicely distributed over 2 shoulders, so that your back is less likely to suffer.
Overall you see 2 models of leather work bag. One model has a flap that hangs over the opening. This model is derived from the 'postman bag'. You hang this model over your shoulder. The second model has a closure at the top. This can be either a zipper or a metal bracket, making your leather work bag look a lot like a doctor's bag.
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