The Wild Librarian is a handmade vegetable-tanned leather backpack for people who carry their work, their books and their life with them every day — and want a bag that improves with every year of doing so. It transforms between backpack, shoulder bag and hand carry, fits a 13" laptop, is made to order in Estonia, and is signed inside by the craftsperson who made it.

Laptop Compatibility — Please Read Before Ordering

The Wild Librarian Medium's dedicated laptop compartment fits laptops up to 13 inches. If your laptop is 14" or larger, this bag will not accommodate it comfortably — please measure and confirm before ordering, as a made-to-order bag cannot be returned because the laptop didn't fit. If you need a 14"+ compartment, contact us before ordering to discuss options.

Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Most leather bags, even expensive ones, use chrome-tanned leather — a 1–2 day process that produces a uniform, predictable surface. Vegetable tanning takes weeks, using plant-based tannins, and produces a material with fundamentally different properties: a denser structure, greater natural water resistance, and a surface that develops a patina over years of handling rather than showing wear as degradation. The leather that arrives is already good; at year ten it is better. It's responsibly sourced with a traced supply chain and environmental tanning standards, with no waste from offcuts — Stella Soomlais's Round 2 circular design system in practice.

Three Ways to Carry It

A transformable strap system gives three distinct modes from the same bag. Backpack: both shoulder straps, weight distributed evenly — the standard mode for commuting and full loads. Shoulder bag: one strap, worn across the body or over one shoulder for shorter trips and urban navigation. Hand carry: the top handle, for stations, short walks and meetings. Strap lengths are adjustable, and all three modes work with the same bag, switching as your situation changes.

Organisation

A roomy main compartment handles daily essentials, a change of clothes, books and folders — working as a day bag or a light overnight bag. A padded dedicated laptop compartment holds a 13" laptop securely and protects it from impact during backpack wear, and two interior pockets keep phone, charger and documents easy to find without unpacking.

Made to Order and Signed Inside

Each Wild Librarian is made after your order is placed, with production taking up to two weeks before shipping — the time required to make the thing, not a supply-chain delay. Inside each bag, the craftsperson who made it marks their name: the accountability of a person, not a factory floor.

Specifications

Caring for Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Dry naturally at room temperature and never apply heat — radiators and hair dryers crack the leather; stuff lightly with paper to hold the shape while drying. Apply a quality wax-based leather conditioner (such as Saphir) two to three times a year to maintain suppleness and feed the patina. Surface marks and colour deepening at stress points are natural to vegetable-tanned leather — the material recording its use, not damage. Store in a dust bag away from direct sunlight when not in use.

Stella Soomlais

Stella Soomlais is an Estonian leather accessories brand led by designer Stella Runnel, producing all work in a small Estonian workshop under the Round 2 circular design system — products designed for repairability, waste minimised by design, leather sourced responsibly. Recognised by the Estonian Design Act of the Year, the BRUNO Product Design Award, the Golden Needle Chamber Award, and Gold Level in the Estonian Responsible Business Index.