There are only two kinds of expensive gear worth buying: performance-boosting stuff, like fat skis or carbon-fiber bikes, and stuff that will last forever. I never really saw much use for the latter until the Christmas I received a handcrafted leather briefcase from my wife. It’s now my favorite possession. Just like this one by American craftsmen Lotuff and Clegg ($750; ), it smells of handworked leather and stands out among a legion of messenger bags and black-canvas carry-ons. While the outside is charmingly old-school, the inside is loaded with smart concessions to the modern world: room for a 17-inch laptop and sleeves for a smartphone and business cards. It won’t make you faster, and it won’t make skiing powder more fun. Then again, it will never go out of style or need to be replaced—and that alone justifies the investment.
Lotuff and Clegg Leather Briefcase
Lotuff and Clegg Leather Briefcase