The R.M.Williams Briefcase is crafted from full grain leather, this premium men's accessory is both practical and stylish.
It was on sale a month ago. See the old post: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/822761.
Everywhere else, it is around $600.
R.M. Williams Mens Briefcase $300 (Was $599) Delivered @ R.M. Williams
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ProfBon on 03/02/2024 - 22:48 rmwilliams.com.au (14039 clicks)
Last edited 04/02/2024 - 06:40 by 1 other user
Last edited 04/02/2024 - 06:40 by 1 other user
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So you would pay $600 for it (the RRP) or even $1250?
Absolutely and unquestionably, for the bag from saddlerandco. It it's handmade and uses full grain leather, and is made in Aus. Labour alone would be notable portion of the selling price.
I don't know whether you noticed but labour is cheap in China and Bangladesh etc
I do, hence the $300 is justified, hell its actually good value. I daresay you'll likely find the local brands selling similar quality products at a very similar price point even in Bangladesh. Coupled with RM Williams after sales support and quality control, definitely see $300 being a deal.
At $600, it would be appropriate in terms of RRP but not a "deal". At $1200, you've entered territory where you're using expensive hardware, the choicest hide, and have handstitching (saddle stitching) on the components that are subject to most stress. Above that price point you're talking fully hand made and bespoke articles made using very expensive leathers.
I take it you grabbed one for $300 then?
One for the Mrs, yes. I prefer backpacks and mine is actually a limited edition made in the US and uses shell cordovan. It was eye wateringly expensive as it was bespoke.
Clearly not possible. The cost would skyrocket, and you'd be even more upset. So realistically, you'll never buy one
It's $300 for full-grain leather. This is the highest grade of leather there is. That is (profanity) incredible value IMHO given RM Williams' excellent build and leather quality and hardware used. If this was made in Australia, you'd need to fork out a fair bit more, so the low price (comparatively) is because
When I did leather-work as a side hobby, my handmade full grain italian leather (using Buttero leather from Conceria Walpier tannery) wallets sold for about $200 a pop. Profit was nominal
no way. I thought it is made in China
These are made in Bangladesh (I checked).
my bad i own the messenger bag which is made in Italy
Don't tell anyone they sell these at Kmart for $30
Can I see where you found that information please?
I raised a case with customer support.
Gotcha, cool!
*Imported
So it's not even made in Australia? I thought that was part of the RM Williams scam. Huksters.
Does it really matter? If it's made against rm Williams quality control standard it will be fine.
I have a great leather bag that's made in Italy and bought it for sub $200 a few years back. It's still bloody damn good. And in sure the quality control of rm Williams is better than my bag.
For reference I bought a republic of Florence leather bag.
To me it sounds more of a bag for Royal!
Ridiculous RRP.Couldn’t see shopback or Cashrewards but 4x qantas points via qantas shopping 👍🏻
Purchased black version of this bag when it was for sale over Xmas. Happy with it. Saw a bloke with the brown vers the other day and glad I went black.
Brown looks more casualIt's a decent bag. My biggest gripe is the shoulder pad isn't fully adjustable as the buckles are quite thick
Does this fit tuning fork, tendon hammer, snellen chart, red hat pin etc?
Will even fit one of the giant tendon hammers.
Perfect for real estate auction listings.
when did RM start importing their stuff
for that price it should be australian made with australian materials
Can you share even one example of that?
uhh, read the website would be a good start chief
The R.M.Williams Briefcase is crafted from full grain leather, this premium men's accessory is both practical and stylish, it features an internal padded laptop sleeve, zip pocket and phone/pen holders, over the shoulder strap, plaited handles and nickel hardware.
L40cm x H29cm x W8cm
Internal laptop pocket
Zip pocket, phone/pen holders
Plaited handles
Over shoulder strap
Nickel hardware
R.M.Williams Corporate logo debossingImported
Hey chief, I believe old mate is asking you to provide an example of an Australian made, Australian leather briefcase for $299.
Do you neg all products not made here? A noble gesture, can sometimes be misplaced. However, kindly note that if this product was made in Australia, the cost of it would be far higher, unfortunately, due to greater local costs of production, labour costs, etc, when compred to overseas counterparts. Having said that, it does beg the question, if this bag was indeed made in Australia and posted to ozbargain, would you then be negging that product because the price would be too high? I refer you to the old addage, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.
I refer you to the below link for a leather briefcase from Saddler and Co, which is made in the fine city of Dubbo. A quality and locally produced bag, to be sure. The pricetage is $1,250. I wonder if hypothetically this bag had the same discount of 50% (although extremely unlikely, but kindly humour me for a moment) bringing the price down to $625 (incl. GST), you would upvote the deal and follow through with the purchase yourself? Or would downvote this due to the much higher price when compared to OP’s deal. I am slightly curious as to your choice. But if I was a betting male, I would hope you would remain consistent with your logic and make the purchase, however I am inclined to deduce that you would unfortunately neg that deal as well, due to the price. I do hold a string of hope that you would remain consistent and supprt the local product.
https://saddlerandco.com.au/products/new-the-saddlers-briefc…
RM made its name on Australian made products
Your essay is not required, if RM had a good sale like the one on this deal and it was still really expensive but made locally - different story
Would I buy it, no - to expensive for my taste, nor do I have a use for such a fashionable item. Would I commend them for a decent deal on genuine Aussie made stuff, probs would
Satchel looks like its 50% off as well. Nice find.
I just bought a mont blanc one for 2k - it is beautiful but this is much better value.
Can anyone suggest a good leather jacket that will last a long time?
Schott.
Got a motorbike to match?
Nah. Also got RM Williams boots but no horse. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
What a about an acubra
Sadly, these are not made in Australia. Happy to pay a premium for Australian made, but $300 for an imported bag, made who knows where, is probably not the great deal it initially seems. Plenty of leather work satchels at this price point if you don’t mind where they’re made.
Can’t see how you could possibly make a high end leather bag in AU for $300. If it was AU made it would be well over 1k
Exactly - so where’s the deal? As I said, plenty of options at $300 price point (and a lot under it) if you’re happy with made in China/Bangladesh etc. Why is this worth $300 when it’s just another mass produced leather good?
It's full grain leather for interest not bonded leather etc. the quality will be still better than most at that price range. But if you can find a decent alternative. That's really good. I just don't think there is much competition honestly.
@maverickjohn: Is it waterproof? Heaps of other bags to choose from if you include satchels messenger bags laptop bags etc.
@G-rig: Sorry, leather products typically are not waterproof, unless they have been treated specifically for that. It's especially rare high quality leather to be water-resistant to any notable degree - it will protect your stuff for a bit, but running around in a deluge will guarantee water ingress.
============
Re the shit flinging at Bangladesh:It is worth $300 as it is still excellent value for a full grain high quality leather bag that confirms to RM Williams process maturity, after sales and QA. Bangladesh has a lot of industrial experience with tanneries and leathercrafting, and so it would make sense to be constructed there to minimise labour costs. Also, Aussie leather is mostly tanned overseas in any case, and typically small quantities shipped back in for construction into finished goods.
For something of this quality, made in Australia, you'd be looking at a much higher price tag (close to a grand - or well over a grand if handmade).
@G-rig: All skin per se are porous. We give a lot of topical meds as things get absorbed through the skin. I would imagine it no different for cow hide.
But there's another problem which can cause it to be not water tight and that's stitching and other parts outside the leather.. e.g the zip. Water will always try to enter the fastest route it can. So fabric/metal zippers and stitching would primarily be the culprit.
Also I would imagine that the normal regulators of cellular channels would not be as effective when disconnected from an active hormonal/neural network normal in all living species.
E.g. in winter our skin normally tries to close all glands to maintain heat and moisture. In summer they open to sweat out
So what are the other options at this price range or below? According to other posters, including people that have checked it out in person and people familiar with Bangladeshi markets, this is a cut above the lowest end imported products. Bangladesh are both capable of producing decent quality stuff.
I think the point of difference is (like countless products), a respected brand is putting their name to it. Surely that helps it stand-out.
"Better the devil you know"
probs the usual…….china/india/vietname/taiwan/etc
Happy to pay a premium for Australian made
I'm always curious why people say this - is there something about Australia specifically that would lead you to believe that we are more capable of making high quality bags than other countries around the world?
We like to believe we are buying a product where the race to the bottom isn't a key factor
Quality Trump's quantity
Quality Trump's quantity… Make Bags Great Again…
There’s a few reasons - Supporting local industry, paying a fair wage, work conditions that value human life, plus generally better craftsmanship.
paying a fair wage, work conditions that value human life
What makes you believe that this is the case?
Just had a look at some employee reviews of working at the RM factory in South Australia, e.g. https://www.seek.com.au/companies/rm-williams-813863/reviews
Plenty of reviews which would not suggest a fair wage or work conditions that "value human life"
Staff under appreciated . Heavy work load rarely had time for breaks .
Struggled every shift to get a break and made to feel guilty when taking one.
Inept and incompetent upper management and head office, no support, low salary, lack of stock, unsupportive HR department, very high staff turnover
The unrealistic work expectations, the poor work environment, no help from management and higher up, the actual unprofessionalism from managers, a company that doesn’t believe in rewarding actual merit of hard work over figures and stats. An uncomfortable and totalitarian authority.
In regards to your point on better craftsmanship, what makes you believe that this is the case?
Do you think these Australians 'making them' enjoy it and would take great pride for little pay, compared to other nations that are good at it and make a nice income relatively, working very hard?
Personally, I like the idea of supporting local. I'm not great at it, but I'm trying. With fruit and veg, I find it easy. I'm not buying asparagus that's been schlepped across the planet (from China/Peru/Mexico)
Do you neg all products not made here? A noble gesture, can sometimes be misplaced. However, kindly note that if this product was made in Australia, the cost of it would be far higher, unfortunately, due to greater local costs of production, labour costs, etc, when compred to overseas counterparts. Having said that, it does beg the question, if this bag was indeed made in Australia and posted to ozbargain, would you then be negging that product because the price would be too high? I refer you to the old addage, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.
I refer you to the below link for a leather briefcase from Saddler and Co, which is made in the fine city of Dubbo. A quality and locally produced bag, to be sure. The pricetage is $1,250. I wonder if hypothetically this bag had the same discount of 50% (although extremely unlikely, but kindly humour me for a moment) bringing the price down to $625 (incl. GST), you would upvote the deal and follow through with the purchase yourself? Or would downvote this due to the much higher price when compared to OP’s deal. I am slightly curious as to your choice. But if I was a betting male, I would hope you would remain consistent with your logic and make the purchase, however I am inclined to deduce that you would unfortunately neg that deal as well, due to the price. I do hold a string of hope that you would remain consistent and supprt the local product.
https://saddlerandco.com.au/products/new-the-saddlers-briefc…
Briefcase w@nker!
lol i thought the whole premium of RM was because its made in South Australia. No thanks - I'll just get Chinese leather for a fraction of this silly price
$300 is hardly a premium price for what this is. Full grain leather is expensive. Aus labour is expensive. No way this could be make in AU for $300 or anywhere near it
buy a fake louis vuitton on the street for same price.
both made in china
Or, support the original content creators, not thieves. Have a soul, man.
A wise man once said: don’t buy a $400 bag to look rich, buy a $40 bag at but $360 in it. (Source: Facebook)
While my laptop is broken ass POS that I cant run for work and I have a desktop for my job.
You can claim $300 as a deduction on a brief case or work bag for work purposes so if you legitimately need a laptop bag for work you can claim in at EOFY as said deduction.
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/income-deduc…
Now give me a beer or a wristy from the missus for being such a good (profanity).
This is NOT made in Australia. Chinese I believe.
Agree but where is your phone and computer made.
People get fkn sentimental about their precious Aussie leather consumables.If I am going to be spending $600 on a briefcase from RM Williams - It will be made here and not China.
I could go pick up a chinese made topgrain one for $150.
My phone is made in South Korea, with Taiwanese parts. I know and understand that.
Yeah that's fair. Someone said it was made in Italy or something. Still sounds like a waste of transporting and logistics, and still not cheap. You would expect that for $300 it would be decent quality.
I don't mind getting cheap watch bands from China and they are priced accordingly.It's not really a necessary item these days, and plenty of lawyers with CR duffle bags and stuff. Gone are the days of matching leather shoes, belt & briefcase 🤣.
Would you change your mind if it was made in Australia, with Australian leather, but the animal was from a Chinese-owned Australian farm?
I just picked up one of these. Thanks to the OP.
I went in person to a store to check it out to ensure it’s worth the 300. Anyone on the fence, ignore the naysers. It’s actually a quality bag (regardless of where it’s made). I don’t think it worth RRP 600, maybe 500 so at 300 it is a deal.
Pretty happy with it. And yes, I’ll be claiming it on Tax so will drop down a bit further.
I also saw the satchel/messenger but it looks a bit faff.
Can you elaborate on the satchel/messenger? Thanks.
I am from Bangladesh and checked the local market price. These kind of bags will go for around $150-200 from reputable local brands in Bangladesh. Got it for $270 with student beans 10% code and think it's a good price for local stock with warranty and all.
I picked up one of these at the Christmas sale and have been using it for the last month. I love it. It's honestly the best 'workbag' I have ever had.
For those that get APOD discount, it works and brings it down to $255.
What's APOD?
Checked it out in person, it's a quality bag.
The only thing missing is that it doesn't have a luggage pass-through strap. If you fly often for work, this could be a deal-breaker. If you never fly, you probably won't care.
It's overall on the smaller side - it'll fit a laptop, charger, pair of headphones, few personal accessories (e.g. wallet, keys…etc.), but not much more than that. If you omit the headphones and go with earbuds instead, you could fit a notebook instead.
If you need to carry more than that, you'd probably just want to get a backpack.
I'm Bangladeshi-Australian. This being a quality bag that's made in Bangladesh and sold by a reputed Australia brand with warranty appeals to me. Hopefully a physical RM store has this and the messenger bag in stock so I can check em out in person and compare.
There was a show Jeremey Clarkson we to India, a tanning business. It was interesting. He only bought a 2$ belt after all that and watching everyone work for ages. Slave to the rich buyers.
What's the warranty on these? Cant find it on the website so not a great sign in the same way they won't mention where it's made. Found a reseller site where they say 12 months;(
Received mine today. Quite pleased with the quality. Only issue is creases near the zipper and near the logo. Anyone else have these issues?
I'm happy with my one. Thank you OP
I took mine back. Don't think I'm hip enough.
Backpack is king.
Good idea, it's not 1989 anymore.
And I've got the receipt for tax claim ;)
Nice to come out ahead sometimes with returns.
They have messenger bags too if briefcases are too old
school for youAre they water proof and light weight?
Did you try their messenger bag? It's more modern than the briefcase but if you prefer backpacks then cool~
Nope.
<$300, no receipt needed, per year isn't it, or per item?
You must be able to substantiate your claims for deductions with written evidence if the total amount of deductions you are claiming is greater than $300.
Just an update. I bought this bag in black around Christmas holidays time. When playing with the internal zips initially to see how I was going to pack my items there was a somewhat concerning amount of stickiness in the zips. They actually caught and required a degree of force at least a couple of times to get moving. I just figured they were brand new zips and maybe needed a little bit of use to bed in. Fast forward to today less than 3 months since original purchase and the main zip has entirely failed. One of the 'zipping components' has literally detached from the bag and it's now stuck in a fully open position. I'm quite disappointed and annoyed I'll be without my work bag for a period of time. For reference this bag gets used 5-6 days per week being transported carefully in my ute and placed on the ground against a wall next to my work desk inside. I work as a Physiotherapist so hardly a tough environment for the bag.
Just wanted to update with a real life account of my user experience this far.There's a reason there were cheap I guess.
Should contact them and ask for a refund or replacement. I'd prefer something harder wearing like a Crumpler bag or decent backpack.
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So you would pay $600 for it (the RRP) or even $1250? I don't know whether you noticed but labour is cheap in China and Bangladesh etc.
I take it you grabbed one for $300 then?