We’re having a block party and you’re invited!

When: Thursday, July 28th, 4:00pm – 8:00pm

Where: 4750A Ohio Avenue South, Seattle, 98134

Every summer, our awesome neighbors — Grand Image, 3form Light Art, Resolute, Choice Linens, Seattle Granite, and Two Beers Brewery — host a Modern Design block party. We just moved to the building in January: this will be our first block party and we think it’d be pretty cool for all of you Seattle folks who can make it to attend. Each business will offer different snacks and beverages and give tours of their space and explain what they make. We’ll have CB’s Nuts (fresh roasted in Kingston, WA) and one of Tom’s favorite German beers.

Note: Our Seattle store is also open tomorrow (Wednesday) from 11am – 2pm. If you can’t make it to the block party on Thursday, we’ll still make sure you get a bag of CB’s Nuts to take home.

Yum: CB’s Nuts peanuts, fresh roasted in Kingston, Wa.

Riley, Tom’s dog, is somewhat of a celebrity. He even has his own page on the website.

“Riley continues to be one of the best people to hang out with. He’s gotten a bit grouchy as he’s gotten older, but then so have I. He still has a good sense of humor and enjoys the company of humans, canines and select felines. And he still hikes: in spite of arthritis in his wrists and a recently fixed knee, he can do up to five miles. More importantly, he enjoys just being outdoors and generally resists getting back in the car at the end of the day.
I always guessed he was part Irish Wolfhound, but we met a real Irish Wolfhound at the dog park recently and he was tiny by comparison.”
- Tom

Also: meet Ichiro, Riley’s friend at the office.

Our Seattle Retail Store/Factory Showroom is open this Wednesday (July 6th) from 11am – 2pm and Saturday (July 9th) from 12pm – 5pm. Wednesdays are a great day to come to see our factory in action (you might even get a tour of the factory led by Tom) and Saturdays are the best day to meet lots of other TOM BIHN customers.

4750A Ohio Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134

From the crew here at TOM BIHN: Happy Fourth of July weekend! Have a good one, and we’ll see you when we’re back at work on Tuesday.

Remember: Place an over $20 order now through Tuesday, July 5th at 12:30pm Pacific Time, put “Fourth of July” in the comments box during checkout, and we’ll include a complimentary Fourth of July Small Organizer Pouch in your order. This applies to pre-orders or backorders too: we’ll include the Fourth of July Pouch in your order whenever your order ships. (Wondering what a Fourth of July Organizer Pouch is? Click here to read more.)

Tom made the first Fourth of July Organizer Pouch earlier this week. It will be (or has it already been?) shipped to one lucky customer.

Olive, Wasabi, Cayenne, Sapphire, Storm, and Plum straight slit 500 and 1000d Cordura.

The fabrics we use to trim or edge our bags are often the same as our other fabrics but slit up into specific widths. Some materials are either “straight slit” (cut with the weave of the fabric, parallel to the warp) while others are “bias cut” (cut at 45 degrees to the weave). The bias cut trim goes around corners better (like on the flap of the ID); the straight slit is used where crazy curves aren’t an issue like on the handles of the Swift or the Color Key Straps. The specific width the fabric is slit to will depend the end use, and will match the size of the specialized folder on the whichever sewing machine is being used for that specific assembly.
- Tom

Straight slit 500 denier Cordura in Cayenne, ready to be sewn up in to Color Key Straps.

Visit our Seattle Factory Showroom/Retail Store tomorrow (Wednesday, 06/15) during our open hours of 11am – 2pm and you’ll catch a glimpse of our factory crew making bags. We’re at 4750A Ohio Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98362. Want to see a map?

Oops, wrong photo.

Here we go:

Our Seattle Factory Showroom is still open limited days/hours, but a little more often than before.

During the next couple of months, we will be open:
Wednesdays from 11am – 2pm
Two upcoming Saturdays: July 9th and August 13th, 12pm – 5pm.

If you’re coming in from out of town or just can’t make it to our showroom during our open hours, we’d be happy to open just for you by appointment. Email (customerservice@tombihn.com) or call us (206-652-4123) to make your appointment. And stay tuned for expanded opening hours in the coming months!

We will be closed through Monday for the Memorial Day weekend, opening again on Tuesday, May 31st. All orders received this weekend will be shipped on Tuesday. Over the weekend, we’re going to hike, go to the beach, hang out with friends and family, think about what Memorial Day is all about, and do some work, too. We hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend! See you Tuesday.

The Co-Pilot made a great camera bag for our trip to the beach.

Though it’s not quite ready, we know many of you have been waiting patiently to visit our new Seattle Store/Factory Showroom, so we’re opening it (again) just for you from 11am – 3pm on Thursday, May 12th.

Address: 4750A Ohio Avenue South, Seattle, WA, 98134
(Plenty of parking right in front of the store!)
Need directions? Start here.

Those of you with Ristretto for iPad/iPad 2 backorders will be pleased to know that we shipped your orders out today — weeks ahead of schedule. The Ristretto for iPad/iPad 2 is now in-stock in most colors..

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Above: the Ristretto for iPad in Cocoa/Cayenne.