Be sure to read Swedish Tech Report’s review of the Empire Builder.
“Have you ever heared about the expression a city in the city. I would like to call this case a case in case. Why? Because it protects your laptop with a padded area and gives your case an extra option. It helps your laptop and case to together take that extra step.”
On Monday, May 29th, our Customer Service and Shipping offices and
Seattle Factory Showroom will be closed in observation of Memorial Day (Wikipedia:
On this Memorial Day weekend, we would like to thank you, our customers, for helping us to raise a total of $18,480.00 for the Seattle Vet Center through your purchase of the French Label t-shirt. When we participated in the “Stand Down” event held by the Vet Center where tarps, boots, soap, other basic items and a hot lunch, all paid for with money raised by the French Label t-shirts, were given out to Seattle’s homeless veteran
population, and met veterans, some of whom came back from serving in the current Iraq war to find themselves homeless, it showed us first-hand how the money you helped us raise helped homeless veterans and how much more can and needs to be done.
Above: Cheri Page (our former factory manager and Vietnam Vet), Bob Patsfield, and Tom Bihn. Tom is handing Bob the first check.
What else can we do to help our homeless vterans? Tell us what you’ve done, what you think should be done, or how you think people can help in our forums.
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. —José Narosky
“I would say as a Backpack toting computer bag the Brain Bag Brain cell combo is a champ as a laptop carrying bag. It can pretty much carry anything you can think to lug around, 2 powerbooks, camera equipment what ever you can throw in it. It has top notch construction and looks to match. The Brain Bag fills that important niche as a computer bag carry all that doesn’t scream computer bag and frees your hands while in an airport or traversing the street or the woods. Give this bag an A plus rating for durability, design form and function it is worth every penny you spend on it.” Read the full review.
The Medium Cafe Bag is back in-stock in every color: Black/Steel, Black/Wasabi, Olive/Steel, Olive/Wasabi, Cocoa/Steel, Cocoa/Wasabi, Crimson/Steel, Plum/Wasabi, Plum/Steel, Steel/Crimson, and Steel/Deep Blue.
The Cafe Bag is also available in sizes Small and Large. The Large Cafe Bag will fit a 12″ laptop when paired with the Size 5 Soft Cell.
Check out the new ThinkMac.net review of the Brain Bag backpack, Freudian Slip accessory sleeve, Snake Charmer organizer pouch and Brain Cell laptop case. They liked the bags a lot, but offered some good feedback and suggestions, too.
Excerpt:
“Price wise, I think for the average person looking for a bag, they are looking to spend $50 – $70. The Brain Bag is double that, and if you want to safely carry a laptop computer, you need to add on some sort of sleeve, which will quickly top your purchase price at around $200. People looking on the low end price spectrum are looking for disposable East Pack style bags. Honestly, have you ever sent in your backpack for repair?
I will say this.. if you are seriously looking for a bag you don’t want to replace every year or two, this would be a super choice. I can imagine these bags are going to last for years to come. All of the bags come in a nice selection of colors – nothing tawdry, but sporting muted colors, that would look great on the local trails, or in a business meeting.”
Do you agree or disagree with this review? You’re always welcome to post your thoughts and reviews of our products on our forums.
Yesterday Apple introduced the long-awaited 13″ MacBook. (We visited the Seattle Apple Store to see them. Tom wants one but I still want a MacBook Pro!)
Today we are introducing the Brain Cell, Archetype and Soft Cell in Size 6, specifically designed for the 13″ MacBook. The new Size 6, with interior dimensions of 12.78″ x 8.92″ x 1.08″, fits the 13″ MacBook like a glove. These protective sleeves and cases for your MacBook will slip inside your current bag or one of our backpacks, briefcases, or messenger bags. For a complete list of bags that will fit the 13″ MacBook, click here or read on.
The Size 6 Brain Cell ($50; pre-order now; ships in late July) provides the ultimate protection for your MacBook in a case that is still light and minimalist. Cradled in 8mm thick soft foam padding, your laptop hangs suspended in a 4mm hard corrugated plastic insert that protects from the front, back, and bottom. The sides are protected by dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam. It closes on the top, like a cereal box, with two padded flaps that seal with Aplix® strips (like Velcro, only longer-lasting.) The Brain Cell is available in five colors: Black, Steel, Crimson, Deep Blue, and Wasabi.
The Size 6 Brain Cell will clip inside our ID messenger bag, Empire Builder briefcase, Super Ego messenger bag, or the Brain Bag backpack via a removable clip system, turning them into great laptop bags.
The Size 6 Horizontal Soft Cell ($30; pre-order now; ships late June), a simple padded envelope for your MacBook that protects against scrapes and scratches, features an exterior made of durable 500 Denier Cordura and an interior of super-soft brushed nylon. The Soft Cell protects your laptop with little bulk added and is ideal for those who don’t want their laptop case to make their loads heavier or take up a lot of space.
The Archetype ($95; pre-order now; ships late July) is our new sleek and protective laptop case available in three unique exterior fabrics evocative of nature and the material world: Genuine Cork fabric, Galvanized Majilite®, and Snow Leopard Ultrasuede®. The Archetype is our first work-in case, and it protects your MacBook on all sides.
Looking for a Size 6 Vertical Soft Cell or Monolith? Because the 13″ MacBook is such a small computer, the Size 6 Brain Cell and Soft Cell are compact cases that will fit into most bags. Turning the MacBook on its side in a portrait/vertical format case wouldn’t save any space.
Be sure to check out Rainy Day Magazine’s “Tom Bihn Aeronaut FirstLook” by Wan Chi Lau. The article features excellent detailed photographs of some of the features that make this bag so great. Of the Aeronaut Wan writes:
“Like the description on the Tom Bihn site says…”It is hard to categorize this bag: Is it soft luggage? A duffel bag? Or a backpack?”
The great thing is, it can be all of those, AND it is sized to fit in the overhead bin of an airplane.”
If you’re interested in an Aeronaut, order soon — we are sold out of all colors but Black and Steel and stock on those is limited. Colors Crimson and Kiwi are available for backorder now with a shipping date of late July.
The Empire Builder briefcase is now in-stock in colors: Black/Black/Steel, Black/Black/Deep Blue, Black/Steel/Wasabi, Black/Steel/Crimson, and Black/Crimson/Steel. Note: Color Black/Steel/Steel is already sold out but is available for backorder with a shipping date of late June.
The Cafe Bag (available in sizes Small, Medium, and Large) is featured today in the Buying Time column at MSN.
Buying Time columnist Terri Goldberg writes of the Cafe Bag:
“My personal favorite is the Cafe Bag. The quality of the simple rectangular sac is not only phenomenal but it also rests on the shoulder and hip in just the right place.”
Bruce Eaton of OhGizmo! recently reviewed the Super Ego. He really liked it! Below is a brief excerpt of the review, but be sure to go to OhGizmo! to read the full review because Bruce took pictures of the inside of the Super Ego that will give you a good idea of how much gear it can hold.
Excerpt: “The Super Ego, from Tom Bihn, is in my opinion, one of the best laptop bags around. The bag itself, with the Brain Cell insert (a hard plastic-lined laptop suspension sleeve system) will provide the protection that only a safe provides for money.”
