The Definitive MANBAG Thread Part I: 2009-2014

Originally Posted by Uncontrol

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That leather is ridiculous, wow.

Yup.

Originally Posted by bdeuce22

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welp. maybe solved my bag dilemma. awesome looking bag, dude.

Thanks. Give Alan a buzz - he'll take care of you.

Originally Posted by Jacob_G

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Wow Mr. Moo that bag is perfect! May I ask what you paid for it?

Thanks.

PM me for pricing.

Originally Posted by NAMOR

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+1. You didnt get it cordovan to match your Vass? Im dissapointed. Utterly and completely dissapointed

maybe the next one?

Want this Lim but afaik it's sold out everywhere. Anyone know of anything similar under $500.

Thanks in advance!

Some beautiful bags in here...
I'm looking for some type of duffel/travel bag, either leather or canvas - could somebody recommend a few good brands that tend under ~$300 (or at least can be found used for under that)
Thanks!

Ralph Lauren Deerfield Duffle in Vegetable Tanned Papaya...

Is this dope or stupid? I can't decide. It's a Porter Birkin homage/clone.

Originally Posted by thenanyu

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Is this dope or stupid? I can't decide. It's a Porter Birkin homage/clone.


Those handles aren't working for me.

Loop it on my shoulder, **** yeah.

Originally Posted by thenanyu

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Is this dope or stupid? I can't decide. It's a Porter Birkin homage/clone.

Not doing it for me:

- Colorway suggests a rugged, almost military aesthetic which contrasts with the style of bag
- The fabric has a sheen I don't like, and the weave is too small to be a feature and yet too large to be luxurious
- Handles are out of balance with the rest of the bag; too thin
- Smoked gunmetal hardware is again too 'robust'

Just a few thoughts from me - I'm searching for that elusive manbag, but probably with more conservative tastes than most on here. I walk a lot, and like something that'll hold whatever I buy over the course of a trip out. I'm tempted by leather for its durability, but often it's quite unwieldy. I'll also note I'm nominally a one-bag guy, moving from one to another without keeping the old one: I started out with a House of Hardy fishing bag. Great, but I used the first one so much I wore through the outer cotton layer on the back where it rubbed against my back, and then got close to doing the same to the replacement before my brother took it on long-term loan. Went through a period of using cycle messenger bags (Chrome, TimBuk2 etc), but the styling just wasn't doing it for me. Very robust, and very comfortable though. I solved the wear problem on the HoH bags by buying a Billingham Photo Eventer - very similar but with a layer of heavy leather wrapped around the bottom quarter of the bag. The only thing that did my head in about it was that it had a flap over the top and then a zip, so it was secure but difficult to access. Sold that to buy a Mulholland mailbag. Nice, but the placement of the d-rings for the strap support on the top back of the bag, plus the placement of the handle in line with them, meant that when fully loaded it tilted away from the body and wasn't very comfortable. Also, whilst load capacity was flexible due to the wide mouth and flap, it tended to be a bit unwieldy when empty. Tried a (standard size) Bill Amberg Truffle Hunter having had a thing for them for a long time, but it was just too small for daily use. I got a John Chapman fishing bag in a vintage store for a very low price. My initial thought was that it was too small, but I've still got it and it gets used more than I anticipated. Partly it's because compared to leather bags the canvas fabric is very flexible so it'll fold down small when empty and doesn't weigh much. Last year I got a Tanner Krolle Hampstead. Lovely, but more of a briefcase than a messenger bag so only suitable for paperwork or a small laptop. I've just sold it because it wasn't getting much use. I've also experimented recently with different bag shapes / styles - I got a vintage gladstone bag but whilst the quality was stunning it was a bit too OTT, and I've recently been using a free canvas tote and finding the shape has some benefits. I purchased a Filson earlier in the year, but it was the wool blanket version. Cool in the photos, but the contrast in flexibility between the wool and the leather meant it didn't sit right. I've got a vintage Morabito bag on the way right now, fingers crossed that'll be interesting. Things which interest me right now: Brady leather fishing bag: Browns were selling this Tusting tote in brown and navy a couple of weeks back, but it seems to have disappeared: Handmade bridle leather bag:

wow, moo. that Narragansett bag looks like something you would use to carry maps and crypto codes to and from the front.

Gotta give another shout out to my Porter....best briefcase I've EVER used. Looks fantastic, super durable, everything I've ever wanted. One of the few things I've paid full retail for and I feel it was fully worth it.

Originally Posted by Kagemusha

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Gotta give another shout out to my Porter....best briefcase I've EVER used. Looks fantastic, super durable, everything I've ever wanted. One of the few things I've paid full retail for and I feel it was fully worth it.

Which model did you get?

Very nice briefcase. I've ordered several belts from Alan over the years and have always been pleased with his work.

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

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I have had a number of briefcases over the last year or two - a sort of trial and error to see what I like and don't like about each kind of style, sometimes mixed in with a bit of "leather artisantry wannabe" to explore how to restore/rejuvenate older cases. In my never ending search for the perfect case I happened upon a website of a US-based artisan (in Maine) who made leather bags, briefcases, belts, and other such leather items. I contacted the Alan McKinnon of Narragansett Leathers (http://www.narragansettleathers.com/ e-mail: [email protected]), to see what he can do for me - basically, to see if I can customize a briefcase and if so, how much customization room I had.​