Nigel Cabourn Red Army Satchel

The Army Satchel by Nigel Cabourn is a precious piece from his collection. It is inspired by one his father used when he served the army in WWII. It is made from bright red oilcloth cotton (waxed canvas) and has a big main compartment with big zipper and 2 small front pockets. One piece available in our shop for €529.90. Made in the UK.

Heritage Leather x Apolis Mason Bag

A new collaboration with Heritage Leather Co. popped up yesterday. Apolis Global has created a special edition of the Mason Bag, from which we proudly sell the standard edition in our shop. The main difference is the amazing 18.5 oz American-made waxed cotton. Apolis mentions the handles are from the same mocassin leather as the re-inforced bottom. However it does not look different from the standard saddle leather handles.

The natural canvas standard edition ages well when dirty and used. This special will get the "signature" wrinkles and creases seen often on waxed canvas coats. It is more expensive than the standard version, but it looks great. Nice detail is the Apolis Global leather patch decorating the front side of the bag. Check out the whole photo story here.

Blue de Chauffe Jules Bag

The name of this brand confused me a bit. It refers to the blue jacket that was worn by French engineers and factory workers in the late 19th and early 20th century. You can imagine I was suprised to find out they produce bags, instead of the expected apparel. The popular French expression explains a bit: mettre son blue de chauffe - to put on your work jacket / to get stuck into work.

The bags are indeed ready for work. Bleu de Chauffe has re-invented work bags, and the plumbers bag in particular. Handmade from vegetable tanned leather in France. The Jules bag is amazing. There seem to be no retailers in America, but you can locate European retailers on their website.

Model A Bag

W Durable Goods is a small company owned by Daniel Wright. He is based in Forth Worth, Texas. For over 5 years he has been making goods that live up to his company's name. This Model A bag is his signature bag. Each one is made from 30 oz. canvas, which is derived from transport bags that were used for carrying parts for building Bailey Bridges. Ideal for carrying my lunch or my smaller bits and pieces.

Duluth Pack Wanderer

 

Yesterday we received the first shipment (still waiting for the rest) of our beloved Duluth Packs. The star of the team is the Wanderer pack in waxed canvas. As a city boy I find this a big pack, but for a Duluth Pack it is actually one of the medium versions. The Wanderer is a smaller version of the famous Rambler pack. Noted on the Duluth website is  "it is a functional pack with European flair." No clue what is meant with this phrase (because it is made in the USA), but we like it. 

Also available now are the Navy and Olive drab color Utility Packs. More info on these soon on the blog, or check them out in our shop.

Filson Tote Bag with Zip

We finally have a tote that meets our demands. Normally the only use I have for a shopper is bringing it to the supermarket to be honest. For me, regular designs are not suitable for day-to-day use. My stuff gets wet when it rains and a typical tote looks feminine.

The Filson Tote with zipper is better equipped then most of the competition. The slight boxy design makes it look a bit more masculine. The branded zipper is of thick quality and keeps your stuff dry. The canvas and bridle leather are of outstanding quality, as you can expect from Filson. The handles are medium length, easy to carry on you shoulder or in your hand. Available now for EU 179,90 in the Tan colorway .

Temple Bags "Made in America"

In warehouses full of military stuff TB searches for materials that can be re-purposed. Combined with good quality leather and their own hardware they create handmade bags that are amazing. Bags for traveling, Ipads, weekenders, accessories - they have it all. Temple Bags are made in Los Angeles, California. Check out this video "Made in America" about their production process.

(via Selectism.com)

Expedition Duffle

Apolis Activism is a California based company owned by two brothers. The vision to have a company where products are carefully selected by their production history including, but not limited to, criteria such as: who made it, where did it originate and what does it do for that community, has led to products that are sincere and honest.

This Expedition Duffle bag by Apolis Activism is inspired on a Belgian WWII military issue duffle bag and is made from vegetable tanned leather and 18 oz waxed canvas. Because of the possibility to wear it as a rucksack this bag is ideal to use as an urban backpack or when you're headed out on a longer hiking trip.

Sledgehammer Pack

A nice side effect of running a cool store is that we meet a lot of cool people. Since the opening about 6 weeks ago we were honored to mak a lot of new friends. One of them hails from Switzerland and sent us a Swiss pack that is used by the Swiss national civil protection organization.

The pack can be used to carry almost anything, like sledgehammers, chisels, ropes and other tools. You can tell by the way it is designed it was built to carry heavy stuff. It is made of sturdy canvas with leather straps. It is about 68 cm tall and the bottom measures 26 x 30 cm. The straps are reinforced by leather patches on the inside. The bottom of the pack is made of a metal plate. It looks like you can wear it like a messenger bag across your shoulder. Thanks for sharing Ueli!

Canvas Military Scout Pack

Two days ago I was running some errands in the city when I stumbled upon this Scout pack. Some random guy was riding his bicycle, hardly looking like the fashion-minded type, but he carried this pack on his back. It looked so good I decided to ask him where he found it. His answer was somewhat strange in that he said it was from a friend of his and then asked me if I wanted to buy it! As I'm a bit broke at the moment, I had to say no, but apparently he was in the same predicament, and offered me the pack for €10,- ! It may sound a bit dubious but I couldn't say no to that!

It has some markings on it claiming to be made in Germany and a model described as 'Kurz Mod.1'. I couldn't find a thing about on the net so I wonder if anybody knows something about this pack. Let me know if you do.

J.W. Hulme Factory Pics

When measured in years, J.W. Hulme Company shares its amount of history with Red Wing Shoes. Both brands started back in 1905 and both were founded in Minnesota. J.W. Hulme Co. began as a manufacturer of canvas tents in world war I and II. After the wars they started producing leather bags and accessories for sport hunters.

Up until 1997 a big part of the production was focused on production of private labels for other brands like Gokey and Orvis. When Orvis started their own production and doing it overseas, J.W Hulme Co. began building their own brand. All products produced in the USA carry a lifetime guarantee.

You_have_broken_the _internet has posted some pictures of their factory in Minnesota. For more pictures click here.

Heritage Leather Co.

Heritage Leather Co. was founded in 2000 by Jesus Munoz and Gustavo Gonzalez. Great to see that such a young company specializes in producing goods with the quality of the old days. Their product range contains mason bags, all kinds of tool pouches, aprons, suspenders and other accessories for the working man.

No coincidence that we instantly fell in love with the brand, especially with the tool bags. All canvas bags are made with 100% natural cotton duck. The handles are made of saddle leather. This natural tanned leather is sturdy and stiff, which resists damage from tearing and years of use. The bottoms are made from Top Grain Moccassin leather: strong and tough but still supple and abrasion resistant. The upper side of the bags features either a iron or aluminum frame which easily slides open.

We carry 2 sizes at our store: the 16" and the 20" with aluminum frame in either natural or navy blue canvas. The smaller version is ideal during the week for work or leisure. The bigger variant is commonly used as weekend bag. Or you can carry your tools around off course..

Calabrese Bags

Not able to go to Paris for Capsule I was eager to see what kind off brands would be spotted by Tenue de Nimes at the fair. They came across a nice example of Italian craftsmanship: "Calabrese". This brand was founded by tie enthusiast Eugenio Calabrese.

For him the tie was the most important part of his wardrobe. Therefore he had a collection of 200 different ties, so his tie could always fit his mood. Being an entrepreneur, and always looking for new styles and fabrics, he started his own company in 1924. In the 60's they started distributing their ties to tailors and shops all over the world. Choice of fabric and finishing were the ingredients which clearly distinguished them from the competition.

Nowadays the collection consists of ties, bags, scarves and accessories. The good news is we are going to carry the Calabrese bags in our store.

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Full-grain leather, solid brass buckles, 15 " high and 12" across. Made in the USA and comes with lifetime guarantee.. This backpack is synonymous with endurance..