“My first impression when unveiling was simply ‘wow’. The Buzz is of course manufactured with impeccable precision, and it looks terrific. The bag is both larger and thinner than I had anticipated, both in a good way. I had been a little concerned that my laptop wouldn’t leave much room for anything else, but I shouldn’t have worried. The Buzz easily holds the laptop while also offering to hold much more. At the same time, the profile is very slim depth-wise, which allows it to fit comfortably against your back.” — Excerpted from a review posted in the TOM BIHN Forums by ellismc.

“One of my weaknesses is rushing to order items that sound interesting when I read strangers gushing about them on the web. Close friends rave about things and I say sure, whatever. But strangers? I bite every time.

And so it was that I ordered a sampler box of Larabars based on the longish thread here on these all-natural energy bars. Apple pie, cherry pie, and pecan pie.

Then I ordered another couple of boxes of the cherry and apple pie, and also a box of the cocoa mole, and then another box of the cocoa mole.” — Read the entire thread and join the intervention.

“I mentioned before that Mister bought a Tom Bihn knitting bag for me for Christmas. This is remarkable because Mister believes I have too many bags of all sizes and types and should not buy or accept anymore. Ever. From anyone. For any reason.

However, Knitty.com held a “Design the knitting bag of your dreams” contest a few summers ago and this is what Knitty and bag designer Tom Bihn came up with this bag. (I have two, one for knitting and one for work.)” — Read the full post (complete with link to Flickr photo set of the Swift) over at Aunty Gabby.

We don’t recommend it, and doing so voids our guarantee. But if you want the full scoop on why some people do it anyway (and what happens if your bag breaks in the washing machine), see this forum thread: “You can wash the bags”

Excerpted from recent posts in the TOM BIHN Forums:

“After a month, the Small Cafe fits my needs perfectly and it still looks brand new. I can see this bag lasting a long time while still looking smart years from now, so I’m glad that I spent the extra money for a Tom Bihn bag. The best thing is that no one has made fun of my “man purse” at all. Thanks for the great bag and friendly discussion forum…” — Go to PanicKing’s post.

“I have a Padded Organizer, and it provided excellent protection for my digital point-and-shoot riding in a minimalist backpack on assignment in New Zealand and Thailand this fall. If you have a larger iPod, you’ll probably be happiest with a medium padded organizer. If you’ve got some flavor of Nano, the small will do. If you’re not going to be happy, you’ll know right away, and the TB return policy is most reasonable.” — Go to LWarren’s post.

“Absolute straps are hands down my numero uno fav accessory for fully loaded bags. I love ‘em so much I just replaced all my heavy aluminum camera bag straps with Absolute. I let out a big laugh today when I did that for one case. Absolute straps seem to reduce perceived weight by half!” — Go to Zephyrnoid’s post.

“Clever Idea 4 Undeveloped World” — Go to PM4HIRE’s post.

“Brad from OBOW here. I’d welcome questions about this through my blog (http://onebagger.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/8/tom-bihn-western-flyer-full-user-review.html), but would also be happy to answer any here. I’m continuing to use the WF and am finding it to be quite versatile.” — Go to onebagger’s post.

“TB products are by far the best I’ve seen on the market and your customer service should be taught in business classes as a model for other companies. ” — Go to Steve’s post.

“Well, I didn’t think I needed new bags either. But my wife and I did need protective sleeves for our Macbooks, so I found TB and ordered some Brain Cells, which impressed me so thoroughly that I bought my daughter a Ruck’s Sack to replace the LL Bean backback she and we weren’t terribly happy with functionally, and that was such a hit I got myself a Zephyr, which kicked my Italian leather briefcase to the curb. So yes, my family didn’t need new bags per se, but after seeing the level of quality of a TB product, it’s hard not to want to replace every bag in the house with its Bihn equivalent.” — posted by jonjake in the TOM BIHN Forums.

“When buying Tom Bihn gear, think of your purchase as a
long-term investment and supporting a small company that
uses design for competitive advantage and customer
satisfaction.” — posted by PM4HIRE in the TOM BIHN Forums.

Posted by Alex Merz in the TOM BIHN Forums:

“The durability of Tom’s bags is no joke. Every bag of Tom’s that we (Steff and I) have bought sees regular use. None has been discarded or retired. Our history, in reverse chronological order:” Click here to read the rest of Alex Merz’s post.

Customer J.O. writes:

“I’ve been using the Aeronaut as my “one bag” for my weekly busines travel since June. I’ve taken it on over 50 flights during that time. To keep it to one bag at the airport, I travel with an empty Smart Alec inside the main compartment…. Once I get to the hotel, I use the Smart Alec as my daily bag for my laptop/accessories/papers until the end of the week. Typical travel for me is out Monday morning and back Friday afternoon. Since I’ve packed it so many times, I thought I’d share the system that works for me. I put my socks, underwear, and t-shirts in a convertable end cube. The main compartment has the Smart Alec, followed by the large packing cube (shirts and pants)and my laptop in a padded sleeve. On main compartment top side (by the handle), I fit my Snake Charmer (laptop power adapter, mouse, flash drives, pens, etc) on one side and my 3-1-1 toiletries on the other side. I have another end cube into which I put my inflight stuff: book, iPod, earplugs, eye mask, water, small notebook, pens, etc. If the overhead compartments are full, I put the Aeronaut under my seat. If there is overhead room, I pull the “inflight” end cube out to use during the flight and stow the Aeronaut overhead. The main advantage of having a bag that fits under the seat is that I can sit comfortably and read a book or newspaper until final boarding if I choose. Next time you’re at the airport, look how many travelers (with big briefcases and rolling luggage) start stand at the boarding gate up to an hour before flight to make sure they can stow their bags and you’ll know what I mean. Note: I’m not too concerned with my shirts wrinkling in my style of packing. I don’t iron my washed dress shirts at home, waiting instead until I get to the hotel.

On a final note, my Aeronaut still looks brand new after 30 weeks of traveling. Thanks for some great bags!”

“While looking for a good carry bag for the new Alienware laptop I had ordered, I stumbled upon the Tom Bihn website. The Brain Cell 2XL is about the only bag which fits this monster. So after reading all of the rave reviews I ordered the Brain Cell, the Super Ego, a Snake Charmer and a clear organizer pouch.

I received my bags much earlier than my laptop, and was very impressed with the construction. I proceeded to start filling it with all of the stuff that I like to carry back and forth to work every day. I am a self-professed geek and prefer to carry quite a bevy of cables, adapters and tools (for geek emergencies). The bag carried well and had plenty of pockets for my doodads.” — read robotguy’s entire post in the TOM BIHN Forums.