I have a Victorinox back pack I bought from Staples for about $50. I absolutely love it... carries a ton of stuff and is reasonably comfortable.
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I have a Victorinox back pack I bought from Staples for about $50. I absolutely love it... carries a ton of stuff and is reasonably comfortable.
I was made a premier custom at Staples, got my new Staples Rewards Card in the mail. I had no idea I spent enough their to qualify for such. Glad I use the rewards card when I do shop there. The new status garners some neat perks like free shipping on all orders. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by bagman
I am always going back and forth between certain Bihn Bags and Waterfield Bags.
I don't think you can really argue that the quality and attention to detail are far apart if at all and the Waterfield bags seem to be designed with a different asthetic than the Bihn' to me.
When I call I am as likely to reach Gary directly on the phone as I am to reach Tom and get the same friendly chat and mutual admiration for each others lines every time.
I have a Waterfield Large Cargo bag with the black leather front and paraglide buckle and people ALWAYS ask about it,just like they do of my E.B. or EGO.
Lately I have been traveling with 4 laptops,printers and other junk and I have brought all three(driving of course) and I would not give up any of them.
I also like the Briggs & Riley bags and they also are well made and designed.
I also use daily 2 different Trager bags which as history has it were good enough for Bihn at one time.
Ed
Thanks for the tips on those manufacturers AV, it's always a good thing to learn about merchants committed to quality.
Oh, just a quick question AV: by chance do you know if those companies make their products here or overseas?
Waterfield or SFBags.com and Trager are both made in USA,I don't know about Briggs.
As i understand it Trager is the brand Tom Bihn sold side by side with their own stuff in the early days.
Ed
if you really want an answer to this question, i think you want to understand:Quote:
Originally Posted by ex machina
- where the product is designed?
- where the materials required to make the product are manufactured?
- where the product is manufacturered (start to finish, not just final assembly)?
According to Tragers website:Entirely in USA,wouldn't have it any other way.Quote:
Originally Posted by maverick
Waterfield:Designed,assembled here don't know about the materials.
Ed
The Waterfield site 'About Us' tab indicates that :
"We even do all the manufacturing locally so we can control every step of the process. (Okay, so we’re control freaks -- but customers don’t seem to mind.) Our goal is simple: to make products our customers will use, abuse, and adore."
Not sure this means the fabric, bag parts are actually made in the states but it does sound like it.
I have had a Waterfield Cozmo and a couple of their computer sleeves for several years. I have used them extensively, especially before I bought my first TB bag, and they look like new. Extremely well made and highly functional. When I need a briefcase-type bag with lots of volume that I want to stand up on its own, or when I get tired of messing with a messenger bag flap, I turn to the Cozmo.
Having a bag fetish, I own far too many bags and, to my wife's consternation, I try to use them all. My current daily bag is the synapse and I love using it. I finally figured out a way to get it on and wear it without pain from a damaged shoulder!!
More reasons to ensure your bags are completely and securely lockable are here:
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/trav...0106-ltv7.html
I've never used a TSA lock and never intend to - I use multiple multicoloured cable ties instead.
Anyway, food for thought for all of you.
Audrey
Audrey
There is no competition in the area of non leather, stylish and able to endure travel abuse and not weight a ton.
On a recent car trip our Tumi garment bag was skipped because it was in the "weight a ton" category.
But I brought a Bagallini to hold food that we could use en route , before the airlines restrictions, it had been assigned as a supplemental bag to use as a carry on, as it was marketed as easily folding into its outside pocket. (The fabric is too stiff so the bag cannot be folded into its pocket)
This bag is now used as a shopping bag.
We also took a small Eddie Bauer backpack which I used as my "purse" for a while, but it has no organizational features and is uncomfortable to carry. It is now also used as a shopping bag.
I added a no name cheap and very big bag that is almost as long as half a sedan's car trunk and is very useful to pack my husband's things.
I also took a very light weight and no name garment bag for my suits jackets.
I also packed to the brim two Brain Bags, a Swift and 3 Cafe Bags.
I plan to replace the no name big bag by two Aeronauts, the no name garment bag by a Tom Bihn garment bag or an Aeronaut.
The strong and easy to fold bag has been created by Tom Bihn as the Shop Bag and is on my wish list as well as a small but easy to organize and comfortable backpack known as the Synapse.
Since 2006, when I first became a Tom Bihn customer, all sorts of bags have been replaced by Tom's creations and given another purpose.
I checked the competitors reviewed on traveling blogs but they did not impress me.
Nissan has no competition in the mid-sized, FWD sedan, Continuously Variable Transmission, standard "Intelligent" key segment.
But I still know plenty of people who choose Camrys, Accords, and Malibus over Altimas ;)
As I mentioned before (and as this thread progresses), competition doesn't require 1:1 identical feature matching...but many companies do exactly what they do (and only what they do) better than their competitors.
Well said.Quote:
Originally Posted by rdu flyer
As I offered earlier,I challenge anyone to try any Waterfield bag leather accented or not and then tell us it was not as well designed ad executed as the Bihn line.
This does nothing to diminish anything here?
Choice is good.
I realize this is THE Bihn forum and I am a proponent of them as much as anyone here(just look in my closet) but I also give props when due and in direct reply to the original question is the real context of my answers here.
Ed
For me, I decide what kind of bag I need/want, and then go look for it. I have a few Tom Bihn items and I'm pleased with every single one of them. I have a few more items on my wish list.
I take different bags for different trips. My Tri-Star is the first bag I consider for any trip. Right now, I'm looking for a good quality one internal compartment carry-on bag, about the size of the Tri-Star, with backpack straps and lockable zippers. There are plenty of bags out there like this--I already own two--but their quality doesn't come close to TB. (I'm getting spoiled by TB. I put my Ebags Weekender on EBay as soon as I got the Tri-Star.It sold quickly.)
I have the Rick Steves Convertible, and while it's an okay bag, comparing it to Tom Bihn Quality is like comparing Chevy to BMW. (My other one compartment carry on cost $30....it's okay too but nothing to write home about.)
It doesn't look like the type of bag I'm looking for will be made by TB anytime soon. Too bad. It's nice knowing you're traveling with a piece of luggage that can take more abuse than I can.
I was not familiar with the Wakefield brand and out of fairness, I just took a look at their offerings.Quote:
Originally Posted by AVService
Their leather based line is not bad looking but the non leather line, well... I find it goofy.
It is a judgment call and only that, I am very happy to see a lot of U.S made bags.
I non longer use leather but I still want clean lines and grown up colors and designs.
When Tom unveils new Ultrasuede designs and colors, I am confident that people who are concerned about the environmental impact of leather production and work in conservative workplaces will switch from leather to Tom's Ultrasuede designs.
I can't wait to see what he comes up with.