Five Ways to Close a Briefcase
Buckle, brass lock, Italian lock, my latch, or two pieces of aluminum that click: why the Achilles 43.3 uses the last one
Every briefcase eventually asks one question of its owner: how much do you want to fight it? I’ve answered that five different ways over the years, and the Achilles 43.3, in light Havana and chocolate bridle leather, is my answer for the person who wants to fight it least.
Video: “My latest #briefcase design,” Marcellino NY Briefcase Maker on YouTube, September 24, 2024. This is a different case from the Achilles, and it’s where I talk about these locks.
The buckle
A buckle holds anything and looks right. You also have to undo it every time, and a person who opens a bag all day eventually resents that. I tell customers that real buckles beat the cheap snap catches that break, and I stand by it. But a buckle is a decision made fresh each morning.
The English brass lock
This is the classic. In a 2017 video I showed how the English lock on a strap briefcase works: it needs something inside so the flap seats on it, then a push is all it takes, and the key only locks it. I said then that I expected the maker to stop making them. That’s a prediction, and the jury’s still out.
Video: “How To Use An Authentic English Briefcase Lock,” Marcellino NY Briefcase Maker on YouTube, May 13, 2017.
The Italian lock
The best ones I’ve handled are Italian, in solid brass with palladium plating. Nickel and zinc cost less. I like to set my locks with real rivets that pierce the leather, because screws and prongs hold less well under a heavy load. A combination version suits a lawyer who wants to set a number, leave the case on a desk or in a courtroom and walk away. A key lock has the opposite problem: you have to take the key with you.
The Marcellino latch
I built the latch for the lawyers who wanted the brass look without the buckle. It’s solid brass, with a loop that can come off and a chain. It takes a beating. It also asks you to lift a loop.
Two clips, one click
The Achilles closes with Cobra quick-release locks, made by Austrialpin in Tyrol, Austria. The maker says its PRO STYLE models open only when both release clips are pressed together, close with an audible click, and cannot be opened while under tension. The company lists military, rescue and law-enforcement users. (I’ve said Swiss in older videos. Austria is right.)
On camera I said these are the most durable, easiest and longest lasting closure I know of, and the only real drawback is that they can look tactical. If you want something classic, buy the brass. If you open a bag forty times a day, buy these.
Light Havana, chocolate
The leather is English bridle, in a color I call light Havana. Bridle is dyed in drums with waxes and tallows and hot stuffed afterward, and the UK bridle I use carries a heavy wax and stays glossy. I caught it once in the right light and posted it on Instagram, because it shines.
Chocolate covers the lock housings, the handle and the logo tab. The two browns sit so close that the case reads as one object, with the dark pieces drawn on top. That pairing is getting harder to source. When I have it, I use it.
The case is 16 by 12 by 4, two sections of 2 inches, unlined, with my cross stitch at the base of the handle. The strap adjusts and has a 20-inch drop.
Who it’s for
The Achilles suits people who go in and out of their bag constantly. A litigator, since lawyers are the ones who told me they open a case all day. A physician moving between rooms. Anyone who wants the thing to get out of the way. Someone who prizes the ritual of a brass lock won’t be happy, and I’d rather say so than sell it.
The listing is live and the button at the top leads there. Builds take up to six months.
Sources
- My latest #briefcase design (Marcellino NY Briefcase Maker, YouTube, September 24, 2024)
- How To Use An Authentic English Briefcase Lock (Marcellino NY Briefcase Maker, YouTube, May 13, 2017)
- Cobra Compendium (Austrialpin)
- What is English Bridle Leather, How It’s Made and Used (Buckleguy)
- Achilles 43.3 post (Marcellino NY on Instagram)
- Achilles reel (Marcellino NY on Instagram)
- Facebook reel (Marcellino NY)
- Achilles 43.3 Lt Havana Chocolate (product listing, Marcellino NY)
