The Maker's Bag in Black 420 Spectron with a black label
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Maker's Bag

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 Stars (300 Reviews)

$163.00

Color: Black 420 Spectron/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon

In Stock

Available Color options

A messenger bag designed for the makers, the creators.

13 liters / 750 cu. in.

Add a Cache
$52.00 - 10B (iPad or iPad Pro 9.7")
visible variant TB03310A TB03310B TB03311A TB03312A TB03313A TB03313B TB03313C TB03313D TB03313E TB03315A TB03315B TB03315C TB03315D TB03316A TB03317B^^A Cache on the Horizontal side.

Maker's Bag

Black 420 Spectron/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
A thumbnail for a video showing off the Maker's Bag features. A thumbnail of a video showcasing the Maker's Bag.

01.

TLDR

A messenger bag with lots of built-in organization, designed with makers, artists, and creators in mind. Just like the Café Bags, the Maker's Bag is stylized with a distinctive asymmetrical flap.

  • Main compartment with 5 elastic-banded open-top pockets, 4 O-rings, and 1 interior zippered back pocket
  • Front zippered pocket under the front flap with 4 open-top organizational pockets in the interior, plus 1 O-ring
  • Quick-access exterior slip pocket on the back side of the bag

Want to add even more organization? Consider checking out the Maker's Bag Freudian Slip.

02.

Full Description

Main Compartment

Under the asymmetrical flap is an open-top main compartment. The front interior wall and interior ends of the main compartment have five sewn-on organizational pockets. The three pockets on the front interior wall are made with elastic-banded open-top halcyon or Cerylon fabric. A Clear 3D Organizer Cube can fit in the center pocket of three, and a pen/pencil case can fit in either the left or right pocket. The remaining two pockets, one on each interior end, are made with a stretchy mesh fabric. These two pockets are ideal for stowing a travel mug or water bottle. The remainder of the main compartment can store the Travel Tray, a laptop (up to 13") in a Cache, a Maker's Bag Freudian Slip, a jacket, lunch, or supplies of any kind. 

The main compartment has four O-rings, two on the front and one on each end. The O-ring on the left side of the main compartment of the Maker's Bag has an included 8" Key Strap. The O-rings are here for you when you want to tether on additional organizer pouches, Cubelets, or 3D Cubes.

On the back interior wall of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. This pocket is an ideal place for a small laptop (up to 11") or tablet, magazine, or folded jacket or sweater.

Zippered Pocket Under Front Flap

On the exterior front side of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. The pocket unzips from left to right. One O-ring is thoughtfully placed to allow immediate access to a Key Strap, Organizer Pouch, and/or wallet without even fully unzipping the compartment. 

Inside the zippered pocket are four open-top organizational pockets of equal size, perfect for storing your phone, small notebook, and glasses/sunglasses case. The remainder of the pocket has room for an e-reader, book, snacks, gloves, and other larger items. 

Slanted Slip Pocket in the Back

On the back exterior side, right behind the grab handle is a slanted slip pocket that covers the entire width of the bag. This pocket is designed to store quick-access items.

What's Included

Standard Shoulder Strap

1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend, quiet, or replace your metal pulls.

Gatekeeper Hip Belt

Attach this to the unobtrusive webbing loops on the sides of the Side Hustle if you want to wear this as a sling bag or waist pac

What's Optional

Freudian Slip

The Maker's Bag Freudian Slip adds five additional pockets of organization — three zippered pockets on one side and two large open top pockets on the other. Believe it or not, the Maker's Bag can fit two Freudian Slips!

Cache

The Maker's Bag can generally fit up to a 13" laptop (we encourage you to double check your laptops' dimensions before purchasing). We have various sizes of our Cache for 13" laptops.

Under the asymmetrical flap is an open-top main compartment. The front interior wall and interior ends of the main compartment have five sewn-on organizational pockets. The three pockets on the front interior wall are made with elastic-banded open-top halcyon or Cerylon fabric. A Clear 3D Organizer Cube can fit in the center pocket of three, and a pen/pencil case can fit in either the left or right pocket. The remaining two pockets, one on each interior end, are made with a stretchy mesh fabric. These two pockets are ideal for stowing a travel mug or water bottle. The remainder of the main compartment can store the Travel Tray, a laptop (up to 13") in a Cache, a Maker's Bag Freudian Slip, a jacket, lunch, or supplies of any kind. 

The main compartment has four O-rings, two on the front and one on each end. The O-ring on the left side of the main compartment of the Maker's Bag has an included 8" Key Strap. The O-rings are here for you when you want to tether on additional organizer pouches, Cubelets, or 3D Cubes.

On the back interior wall of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. This pocket is an ideal place for a small laptop (up to 11") or tablet, magazine, or folded jacket or sweater.

On the exterior front side of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. The pocket unzips from left to right. One O-ring is thoughtfully placed to allow immediate access to a Key Strap, Organizer Pouch, and/or wallet without even fully unzipping the compartment. 

Inside the zippered pocket are four open-top organizational pockets of equal size, perfect for storing your phone, small notebook, and glasses/sunglasses case. The remainder of the pocket has room for an e-reader, book, snacks, gloves, and other larger items. 

On the back exterior side, right behind the grab handle is a slanted slip pocket that covers the entire width of the bag. This pocket is designed to store quick-access items.

Standard Shoulder Strap

1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend, quiet, or replace your metal pulls.

Gatekeeper Hip Belt

Attach this to the unobtrusive webbing loops on the sides of the Side Hustle if you want to wear this as a sling bag or waist pac

Freudian Slip

The Maker's Bag Freudian Slip adds five additional pockets of organization — three zippered pockets on one side and two large open top pockets on the other. Believe it or not, the Maker's Bag can fit two Freudian Slips!

Cache

The Maker's Bag can generally fit up to a 13" laptop (we encourage you to double check your laptops' dimensions before purchasing). We have various sizes of our Cache for 13" laptops.

03.

Materials

Exterior Fabrics

bluesign® certified High-Tenacity 630 denier Ballistic nylon

Interior Fabrics

bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop
or
bluesign® certified 210 denier High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic nylon

Zippers

#5 YKK Coil Zipper with plastic sliders
#8 YKK Racquet-Coil Zipper

04.

Specs

Dimensions

13.6" (w) x 10" (h) x 6.9" (d) / 345 (w) x 255 (h) x 175 (d) mm

Weight

420 Spectron: 16.2 oz / 460 grams
630d Ballistic: 1 lb 2.6 oz / 530 grams

Volume

13 liters / 750 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Total O-Rings

5 (4 in the main compartment, 1 in the front zippered pocket)

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 300 reviews
92%would recommend this product
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300 reviews
  • Beverley H.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Compact
    2 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Compact
    Rated 2 out of 5 stars
    Very disappointed

    I took this bag on one trip and the clasp broke off. I don't know how to get a replacement. I am very disappointed because I read good reviews about this bag and thought it was stronger.

    Was this helpful?
    TB Profile picture for TOM BIHN
    TOM BIHN
    1 hour ago

    Thanks for the review! The tabs on the male-half of the buckle can snap off over time, but it's a bummer it happened right away on your new bag! Not to worry, we'll send a replacement for it right away. I'll be in touch via email to confirm the details.

    That piece is covered by our warranty, so we'll happily replace it if it breaks, either now or in the future, even multiple times if needed (hopefully not, though!) =)

  • Dennis
    2 days ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    5 Stars

    Great fit and finish. This is my 3rd bag from Tom Bihn! Love it!

    Was this helpful?
  • Janeice C.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Versatile, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Thoughtful Design, Comfortable
    3 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Versatile, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Thoughtful Design, Comfortable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Love it

    I have a Maker's Bag from when they first were released and have loved it for many years. It's been a great bag for both every day carry and for traveling. I did originally get it to use as my on-the-go knitting/crochet/cross-stitch project bag but it proved itself so sturdy, useful, and usable that it became an everything bag. I was so happy when the Spectron version was announced because I was looking for a personal item for business travel that would be closer to the more boring expectations of 'professional' appearance while still having some personality and the functionality I like. This absolutely delivered! And bonus the Spectron is so lightweight while still feeling sturdy. I do sometimes wish that there was an ever so slightly bigger version of the bag that would fit a 15" laptop (technically I can make one fit but without leaving room for much else).

    Was this helpful?
  • Troy P.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    3 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Best Bag Ever...is even BETTER

    This is my second Maker's bag. My first bag is several years old (and still going strong - I used it daily and it still looks new). But, I wanted a different color. To my surprise, when it arrived, I discovered you've made some "minor" but game-changing improvements! The new bag is a little bigger, but now can act as a DSLR bag with room to spare. It has an outside pouch in the back, perfect for throwing those last minute things in for quick access. This is my go-to back for all occasions.

    Was this helpful?
  • John M. G.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA
    Rated 3 out of 5 stars
    Mildly disappointing

    I have the Spectron bag, because I was interested in the material. It is very light and pleasant to the touch, as advertised, but I found it is awkwardly "floppy" if it's less than absolutely full. The more conventional materials are somewhat stiffer and hold their shape regardless of their load. The Spectron Maker's bag is so supple that if you have something small, but a little heavy, such as a laptop charger, it's able to pull the material down, which in turn causes gaps where the top flap folds down over the bag, and the flap's locking mechanism does not tighten down enough to prevent that.

    I actually carried this bag "in the wild" last week and was not especially satisfied. I could not carry this in the rain without water getting in at the edge of the flap. Now the bag is beautiful and well made, as Tom Bihn bags are. I own a bunch of Bihn products, going back some years, and this is the first one I've wanted to return. Alas, I had taken the tags off and used it (it never occurred to me that I might not like it) so it's ineligible.

    I do like the overall design quite a lot, and I suspect that I'd like a Makers in one of the stiffer materials. Were I to buy this again, I would avoid the Spectron. I'm actually not certain how the Spectron version was even released to be honest. I'd have thought testers would say "nah".

    Was this helpful?
    TB Profile picture for TOM BIHN
    TOM BIHN
    4 days ago

    Thanks for the review! That's a bummer it wasn't the right fabric for you, though. For what it's worth, Spectron is a direct replacement for our previous lightweight ripstop, 400d Halcyon. That fabric was very similar, if not a touch more flexible, and it was very well loved in the Maker's Bag. Different strokes and all that.

    I don't want you stuck with a bag you don't like and won't use, though. I'll reach out via email and see if there's some way we can help. =)

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05.

Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

06.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

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