Satchel for letter carriers
The flap of the leather satchel opened to reveal an interior with a leather divider spanning three-quarters of the length and attached laterally. The flexible leather and two pleats on the front created a roomy interior. A leather strap with six holes riveted to the lower center of the flap secured to the buckle, which was riveted on the lower front. Both sides had a narrow strip of leather riveted near the rim for reinforcement. The bottom and sides are joined by rivets and stitching. The satchel was carried by a shoulder strap attached to the two D-rings secured to the back by leather strips.
Commonly referred to as "satchels," letter carriers used the leather over-the-shoulder mailbag on their delivery and collection rounds. This form of satchel was used predominately in city delivery service from the 1860s until the 1980s. Carriers could tote as much as seventy pounds of mail in a pair of these durable satchels, which lasted an average of six years. Preference for the traditional, leather satchels endured years after the 1973 introduction of lighter-weight canvas versions.
