Week of 25 January, 2009 - 01:00 to 1 February, 2009 - 00:59

"I am excited about my purchases coming but I am also excited that I am doing business with a company like Tom Bihn. Cost more? Sure. But I get a whole lot more too. I'll be getting superior products (all those independent reviews can't be wrong), the best customer service bar none, doing biz with an American company that pays a real wage and gives benefits. I also took a look on eBay for Tom Bihn bags. I found a few. The resale value I saw was amazing. I saw a never used old style Buzz bag (smaller dimensions than the current Buzz) that probably went for $90 when originally purchased (I checked the Internet Archive) go for $81. Tom Bihn bags seem to hold their value better than cars." - Read ex machina's full post in the TOM BIHN Forums.

Be sure to check out the above video (link takes you to maverick's site so you can watch the video there) where maverick (a user on the TOM BIHN Forums and longtime customer) unloads groceries from Tom Bihn Shop Bag. maverick names each item as he unloads it (you'll get a good sense of what a Shop Bag can hold) which causes quite a bit of excitement in the latter half of the video...
You can tell maverick what you thought of the video (and maybe beg him to make more) in this thread.

moriond recently posted in the TOM BIHN Forums excellent written instructions on how to fold the Shop Bag into one of its interior pockets:

"To fold the bag into its pocket, I start with the bag turned pocket side out. Then I fold it so that one pocket side with the sewn seams is facing up -- I push in the front and back panels as though I were trying to do a "flat pack" with only the black outer seam along the bottom, sides, and top of one pocket showing. If you start by holding the inside-out bag with one pocket side on the bottom and the other on the top, then let this collapse onto a table and tuck in all the bits that would stick beyond the black seams you'll see what I mean. Then, from that position, I turn one of the pockets inside out. Hold the flat pack so that the thumb of one hand is holding a point roughly under the seamed edge of the open pocket, and pull that edge towards the bottom of the pocket, so that the rest of the flat bag is now stuffed inside the pocket. Push down to straighten the inside edge of the inverted pocket. Then fold/roll in the remaining bits of bag, including the handles, that protrude from the top of the pocket for a neatly folded pack."

For those of you who are more visual learners, hang in there - we'll be posting a video of this soon.

rodrigues posted this about the Shop Bag in our forums:

"a) For university students ... Often the weight of lugging all the books I'd need to work at the library downtown would really hurt my back if carried in a backpack. I specifically bought the last Lux available to solve this problem. The Lux did the job but was often too big and had tons of extra space, which made it feel like kind of waste to use for that particular purpose.

Having used the wonderful Shop Bag for a variety of purposes since I got one, I have to say that this bag is an excellent addition to any university student's life. It is small and lightweight enough to leave in your daily school bag all the time, and the convenience of whipping it out when you're at the university library and found those five perfect books to help you finish your essay is excellent.

Another use for university students - in a lecture hall, the temperature is often extremely opposite to how it feels outside (ie. in the summer the AC is blasting, in the winter the heater is boiling). The Shop Bag can be used to carry the few lighter items needed to combat the temperature fluctuations that are too bulky to fit into a smaller day bag. Not everyone likes the idea of just getting a huge day bag and filling it to the brim, and the shop bag is the perfect solution to this problem.

b) For moms, of animals *and* children ... The Shop Bag is deceptively large in carrying capacity and can handle a lot of weight and oddly shaped items. I have used the shop bag as my travel accessory when I'm taking my two birds and two cats on the go somewhere. It hold everyone's food, a small litter pan and scooper, a small tupperware of litter, and a variety of toys.

For this reason, I think it would be a very useful accessory for mothers with toddlers as well - big enough to hold a variety of items, small enough to let the three year old carry and feel like s/he has their own stuff in their own bag.

"Overall, there is really nothing bad to say about the Tom Bihn Super Ego. It is a superbly constructed Messenger Bag which provides an immense amount of storage capacity. In addition, the Super Ego allows the user some individuality by customizing the stripe, buckle and strap. Although most Tom Bihn bags are pricey, they are well worth the investment as bags are made from the highest quality materials and should last for a long, long time."

Read the full review (LOTS of pictures!) at DragonSteelMods.

"Last Monday, I loaded my Macbook, and a few friends into the car. We were going on a road trip, heading due north to Seattle, to visit the Tom Bihn showroom and factory. Tom Bihn bags are known for their quality and unique styles and colors. I know, most of my bags are Tom Bihn bags. They're made in the USA and carry a cult following among techies (waves to the others out there). Three hours later (and some great rock star parking) we were standing just outside the famed bagmaker's haven."

Read the entire (very informative!) article at D*I*Y Planner.