Hard Graft Leather Laptop Cases - Avoid at all costs!

I purchased a Hard Graft Flat Pack Heritage ($375 USD) after ordering a new 13" MacBook Pro late in October of 2012. A month ago I noticed that the leather was cracked . . . through the material in one of the corners. Pls note all I carry in the bag is the laptop with no power cord since I use it to clear TSA w/o the need to remove the computer. I wrote Hard Graft detailing the problem that was accompanied by a photo and a request for them to kindly support their product. Below are excerpts from their reply.

"Thanks for your message, I'm as surprised as you are about this tear in the leather
and I can honestly say hands down that it is absolutely not due to a defect in the
product or weakness in the leather . . . but I know how annoyed you must be after using
the bag for a year now . . . I can only imagine that something has caught onto and torn the leather from the outside
whilst traveling . . ."

I will poke my eye out with a stick before I do business again with a company that attempts to shift blame to their customers , and lacks the integrity to stand behind their products.

Caveat Emptor

gfenner

 

Hmmm. I guess my review was spot on then.

I haven't used it enough in the course of the review for it to wear catastrophically, but I know second-rate leather when I see it. Who knows, you could have hooked it on something - but I do have to say the hide on their stuff isn't luggage-grade: As I said in the review it's 'those shoes which are just above the rock-hard cheap ones' grade, and once again as I said it looks like they're learning on the job, even on the more 'classic' items in their inventory.

It appears they rely on blog buzz based on first impressions for their sales: That, and given their Apple focus I guess it's predictable - as Apple lovers by association wouldn't know genuine quality if it came and punched them in the face...

 

I have to disagree with that somewhat.

I've been using one of their wallets for the past year and it's been excellent.
Obviously I realise that a wallet and a laptop bag are very different things but I would say it's unfair to sum their products up in that manner.

 

No, I think it's totally fair since I have four bags and two shoes from them bought at different times - none of which are still in use, since every single one of them exhibits the 'beta' element I noted in the review.

Now admittedly as someone who has commissioned luggage on more than a couple of occasions I might have a different take on quality, but even when lined up against some of their lower-cost competitors such as Knomo, Hard Graft does not quite add up. As such, as I mentioned again in the review the decision to buy from them is primarily a stylistic one.

And if you can't get a wallet right, you might as well give up.

 

Ok, that's a slightly different situation to what I had interpreted.
I concede that's fairly damning.

Perhaps.
Though I'd say no imperfections and practically zero wear in a year of daily use must meet most people's definitions.

By that measure I would have to say that every other company who makes wallets should give up - I searched for ages and even consulted yourself trying to find a wallet that did the simple things well.

 

Hmmm...

All this with a wallet, while not even owning a single bag (or indeed, anything where the leather will actually get wear worth discussing in the context of quality) let alone the one discussed herein...

Do I detect a hint of defensiveness?

 

Which is why in the last post I deferred to your experiences with the bags.

Not particularly.
My posting in this thread was more one of surprise that yourself an the OP had had such bad experiences, everything that followed I simply see as naturally progressing conversation.

 

That is insanely expensive for a laptop case

 

Mind you, anyone would have every right to be a bit suspicious of an OP who drops a dump-on-it post then apparently effs off never to be seen again...

Oh BTW, it's not just my own opinion with the leather and the general attention to detail in the construction: there are people who look after my (proper) bags and shoes and they've shook their heads (and in some cases laughed out loud while shaking heads) at the Hard Graft stuff as well.