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Why the airplane logo?

"My father was a Pan Am pilot: I was flying before my earliest memories. Designing the Checkpoint Flyer was at once a glimpse into the future and a blast from the past" -- Tom

SEATTLE, WA -- August 18th, 2008

TOM BIHN, a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of laptop bags, backpacks, messenger bags, and briefcases, has introduced the Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase, a new "checkpoint friendly" briefcase-style laptop bag with a highly protective compartment for a laptop computer.

The Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase is Tom Bihn's answer to an intensive, five-month design challenge issued by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) to design a laptop bag that meets its newly implemented "checkpoint friendly" program guidelines. The Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase provides the TSA with a clear, unobstructed x-ray view of the laptop in the bag without sacrificing organizational pockets and clean design.

Unique features of the Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase include:

Handsome and tough U.S. made 1050 denier ballistic nylon, splash-proof YKK Uretek zippers, Duraflex Stealth buckles, and Poron foam-padded handles.

Made in USA in Tom Bihn's own Seattle factory.

Over 11 organizational pockets.

Back pocket zips open to accommodate the handle of a roll-aboard.

Quick-access boarding pass/map pocket.

Molded foam laptop compartment that completely encases the laptop in 8mm-thick closed cell foam, available in three sizes designed specifically to fit Apple laptops. Also fits a wide variety of PC laptops.

Requires only 3 seconds to be prepared in order to send the briefcase through the x-ray machine.

Not designed simply for the security checkpoint process, the Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase works well as an everyday laptop bag.

The Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase is available for pre-order through the TOM BIHN Web site and ships by late September. $220. Available in three colors.

TOM BIHN has been designing and creating bags for over 30 years. The TOM BIHN Inc. headquarters and factory are located in Seattle, Washington, where the company is dedicated to creating quality products and quality jobs. The public is welcome to visit the TOM BIHN Seattle Factory Showroom and Retail Store and see where the bags are made. TOM BIHN products are available for order and worldwide shipping at the company's website - http://www.tombihn.com

High-resolution photographs of the Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase can be found here. For samples of the bags for review, please contact Darcy Hudgens, Vice President of Marketing (darcy@tombihn.com) or 1-800-729-9607.

Click here to download the above image. 300 dpi. 25.35mb.

Click here to download the above image. 300 dpi. 18.15mb.

Click here to download the above image. 300 dpi. 16.89mb.

You, our customers, have told us that one of the things you love about our bags is the wide (and ever-changing) selection of colors and color combinations that they are available in -- Wasabi, Crimson, Plum, Sapphire, Olive, Cocoa, Pink, Storm, Kelly, Navy, and Cayenne, just to name a few.

Rich, deep, and vibrant colors are essential components of what we look for when we add a color to our palette or have a custom color (like Wasabi, Steel or Cayenne) made for us.

But what is equally important to us is where these fabrics are dyed and manufactured.

We don't want to see people in the towns where our fabrics are made living next to Wasabi rivers and Cayenne streams. Not cool.

We want to know that everyone -- from the people who dye and make the fabrics, to the TOM BIHN factory employees who cut and sew the fabrics, to you at home who touch these fabrics everyday -- is as safe as possible and not exposed to toxic dyes.

That's why we only use fabrics from countries where there are environmental and safety regulations to control dying and manufacture, like the U.S.A., Japan and Switzerland. (Environmental and safety regulations in some other countries either don't exist or are not enforced.)

"I'm a big Tom Bihn fan. Their bags are very high quality and well thought out. I own one of their Brain Bags, a Freudian Slip and a Snake Charmer which I reviewed in a past blog post. On a whim I contacted them to see if they would be interested in sponsoring the Central Ohio Day of .NET since they make great laptop bags and our attendees are people who, strangely enough, use laptops on a regular basis. They are sending us two bags and some cool accessories to give away in our raffle!" -- Read the entire post over at MikeWo's Musings and learn more about the day of .NET

Read Tom's recent posts in the Forums on urethane coatings and 1050 denier ballistic nylon vs. 1680 denier ballistic nylon.

Excerpt:
"Yea pretty close: the 1680 "ballistic" is woven of a single yarn of 1680 denier nylon, while the 1050 domestic fabric is woven of two 1050 denier yarns. Both fabrics are of comparable thickness, and in terms of flexibility or "hand" as we call the stiffness, both can be finished to be either soft of firm. Anyway, this explains why they are called by different names. Why they perform differently is less clear to me. I do know that the 1680 can look crappy after only a few months use. I will ask my fabric guru John Ball when next I see him to explain more, and I will post again here soon!"

How can I be notified of new designs?
Do you offer a Lifetime Guarantee?
My laptop isn't on your Laptop Bag Fit Guide. Help!
I'm unhappy about something! What do I do? and I'm really happy about something! What do I do?
Can I get a bag in a custom color combination?
Will you be adding more "girly" colors?
Can you add a new feature or color to my bag?
Can I return my used bag for an exchange or refund?
How do I try out a bag without making it "used"?
Updated: How do I return a bag? and How do I exchange a bag?

The entire TOM BIHN crew wishes you a Happy New Year.

Reminder: Shipping and Customer Service will be closed today (Dec 31st) and tomorrow (Jan 1st). We will open again on Wednesday, January 2nd.

Casey processes and packages your orders in our TOM BIHN Seattle headquarters. He also has the important job of ordering the Cougar Mountain cookies which we've been giving away in each shipment. (His favorite is Classic Chocolate Chip.) He is an awesome shipper and we are glad that he's a part of our team.

To learn more about Casey, visit our About Us page.

Excerpt: "Casey's shipping skills are on par with Rainman's ability to calculate. In his spare time, he enjoys: collecting records and mixing music......"

Read Tom's story about the first Utility Tote (made out of that yellow boat canvas and turquoise nylon webbing) and see new pictures of all available color combinations of the Utility Tote (sorry, no yellow boat canvas with turquoise nylon webbing) on the Utility Tote page.