- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
- Messages
- 14,663
- Reaction score
- 1,162
FAIRE Leather Co. is an SF affiliate whose official thread can be found here.
Joe and Ryan (the founders) have a pretty interesting origin story, so I recommend checking out the above. Short story is that Ryan was a tech professional who couldn’t really find a bag that fit his needs and still had some style; Joe’s family owned a leather company. Voila! A brand is born.
They gave me the chance to test drive their first run of products, the Bond Travel Briefcase, Everyday Padfolio, and a card case. I’ve been using them for the last week or so and thought I’d give you my impressions.
Executive Summary: Throw away your Targus, Techboy… I’ve got your new bag.
Intro: The $500 pricepoint is one of the toughest around. From anything with a brand name you are getting garbage, and a lot of others that try just end up making something “neat” that really isn’t all that functional, looks/acts like everything else, or just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. SF has been lucky to have a few good ones as affiliates that I’ve really liked, and from my initial test run of FAIRE’s stuff, I’m excited to add them to that list.
What I like: You can definitely tell that Joe’s family has a history in leather goods. The “finish” and overall attention to design is obvious from the start. The size is great, the leather has the right balance of softness and thickness, they are very understated with any logoing/branding, and hardware is clean and functional.
I LOVE that they use a softer leather lining... (as opposed to cloth or nylon). I also like that they manage to have a leather bag with leather lining that is relatively lightweight (often all that leather makes a bag weigh a ton).
The main thing that sets it apart, though, is its focus on tech-friendly; the bag was designed from the start not just to look good, but also to hold all your gizmos. I'll post a pic below.
I also like the small details that make it feel like a “luxe” bag… nice dustbag and box, lovely little envelope and card with their story inside. Small things, yes, but still nice to have.
Criticisms: Nothing really major. Again, you can tell that Joe had all the "foundations" in place. As well, perhaps its greatest strength is, for me, one of its only potential drawbacks: honestly I’m NOT a super tech-y guy and really only have a phone and, sometimes, an ipad. As such, while I love all the little pockets and snaps and thingies inside… personally I don’t know that I’d use them all. Others can/will/might, so again this isn’t a criticism.
Also, at first glance I felt like the rolled leather handles were a little thin; nevertheless they “hold” very nicely even when the bag is full. As well, they are quite sturdy and I didn’t get any feel of “stretching.” So, again, not a complaint but just an observation. I'm sure Joe/Ryan will comment below.
Longevity/Future wear: I’ve been using it for only a week or so, and will update after I’ve given it further beating. So far, though, the vegetable tanned leather of the briefcase shows no scratches or wear, even though I’ve smacked it (accidentally) against the car door and my desk. And the grained leather of the padfolio as well is even sturdier.
Overall Assessment: Another in the Rach “must buy” segment, and an absolute essential for those with technology. It honestly "feels" like a $600-750 bag, which if you had it on a table with no information and asked me to guess, I'd probably have done. That being said... I don't recommend to them that they double their prices.
Pricing:
Retail: Bond Travel Briefcase - 402USD
Bond Everyday Padfolio - 219USD
(With free worldwide shipping)
Promotional Pricing (currently available on Kickstarter)
Bond Travel Briefcase - 256USD
Bond Everyday Padfolio - 168USD
They also let me know some future plans and ideas:
1. Monogramming
2. Different bag strap options for purchase separately
3. Business Card holders
4. Backpack
5. Key pouch
6. Diaper bag
Joe and Ryan (the founders) have a pretty interesting origin story, so I recommend checking out the above. Short story is that Ryan was a tech professional who couldn’t really find a bag that fit his needs and still had some style; Joe’s family owned a leather company. Voila! A brand is born.
They gave me the chance to test drive their first run of products, the Bond Travel Briefcase, Everyday Padfolio, and a card case. I’ve been using them for the last week or so and thought I’d give you my impressions.
Executive Summary: Throw away your Targus, Techboy… I’ve got your new bag.
Intro: The $500 pricepoint is one of the toughest around. From anything with a brand name you are getting garbage, and a lot of others that try just end up making something “neat” that really isn’t all that functional, looks/acts like everything else, or just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. SF has been lucky to have a few good ones as affiliates that I’ve really liked, and from my initial test run of FAIRE’s stuff, I’m excited to add them to that list.
What I like: You can definitely tell that Joe’s family has a history in leather goods. The “finish” and overall attention to design is obvious from the start. The size is great, the leather has the right balance of softness and thickness, they are very understated with any logoing/branding, and hardware is clean and functional.
I LOVE that they use a softer leather lining... (as opposed to cloth or nylon). I also like that they manage to have a leather bag with leather lining that is relatively lightweight (often all that leather makes a bag weigh a ton).
The main thing that sets it apart, though, is its focus on tech-friendly; the bag was designed from the start not just to look good, but also to hold all your gizmos. I'll post a pic below.
I also like the small details that make it feel like a “luxe” bag… nice dustbag and box, lovely little envelope and card with their story inside. Small things, yes, but still nice to have.
Criticisms: Nothing really major. Again, you can tell that Joe had all the "foundations" in place. As well, perhaps its greatest strength is, for me, one of its only potential drawbacks: honestly I’m NOT a super tech-y guy and really only have a phone and, sometimes, an ipad. As such, while I love all the little pockets and snaps and thingies inside… personally I don’t know that I’d use them all. Others can/will/might, so again this isn’t a criticism.
Also, at first glance I felt like the rolled leather handles were a little thin; nevertheless they “hold” very nicely even when the bag is full. As well, they are quite sturdy and I didn’t get any feel of “stretching.” So, again, not a complaint but just an observation. I'm sure Joe/Ryan will comment below.
Longevity/Future wear: I’ve been using it for only a week or so, and will update after I’ve given it further beating. So far, though, the vegetable tanned leather of the briefcase shows no scratches or wear, even though I’ve smacked it (accidentally) against the car door and my desk. And the grained leather of the padfolio as well is even sturdier.
Overall Assessment: Another in the Rach “must buy” segment, and an absolute essential for those with technology. It honestly "feels" like a $600-750 bag, which if you had it on a table with no information and asked me to guess, I'd probably have done. That being said... I don't recommend to them that they double their prices.
Pricing:
Retail: Bond Travel Briefcase - 402USD
Bond Everyday Padfolio - 219USD
(With free worldwide shipping)
Promotional Pricing (currently available on Kickstarter)
Bond Travel Briefcase - 256USD
Bond Everyday Padfolio - 168USD
They also let me know some future plans and ideas:
1. Monogramming
2. Different bag strap options for purchase separately
3. Business Card holders
4. Backpack
5. Key pouch
6. Diaper bag
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