Midway through last year I got tired of lugging around my backpack. Dont get me wrong; I love my backpack. Its a North Face Recon, and has served me exceptionally for 4 years. It holds a ton of gear and is damn rugged, but I felt a bit silly still wearing a backpack around like a schoolchild. I needed something different.
I wanted something relatively small that could carry my books and laptop, but could also double as an overnight bag, or if need be, a legitimate backpack for longer trips.
After looking around, I decided that my best bet was an over the shoulder satchel or messenger type bag. But which one to get? A few bags caught my eye, but were way out of my price range. Others were much more affordable, but didnt match what I wanted. In the end, I decided the only way to get the perfect bag was to make it myself.
Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with after a few months of on-and-off work, to show what you'll be capable of at the end of this buildalong:
Important note: This buildalong will focus on the design considerations and processes, as well as techniques and materials that went into the construction of my bag. It will be presented in a series of weekly updates. Any constructive feedback or suggestions are welcomed, and I will attempt to answer any questions. Im not going to show you how to make an exact copy of my bag. What I will do is guide you through the steps required to make your own unique bag which has been designed to fit your needs.
Step 1: Do your research
I spent weeks combing the net looking at hundreds, if not thousands of bags. Googling terms such as leather satchel, messenger bag, laptop bag, etc. yield some good results. One website I will specifically recommend is Saddleback Leather Co. I ended up basing my bag around their messenger bag. Furthermore, Saddleback has some great tips and info on the design of a solid and sturdy bag. I highly recommend you read every section of their webpage.
What features of the bags you see do you like? Do you need special pockets or pouches? What materials appeal to you? Make a list of the features you would like your bag to have.
Nylon just doesnt do it for me. Sure, Cordura is pretty tough, but it doesnt have the timeless, classy appeal that good leather does. I wanted a tough-as-nails bag that would age gracefully, acquiring character over the years. I wanted something that would still be functional when I passed it onto my child or grandchild.
I decided that I wanted a bag made of leather, so I then started researching leather. Read up on the different types of leather (Vegetable tanned, chrome tanned, oil tanned, Latigo, etc.) Learn about the different grades of leather (Full grain, top grain, split grain, bonded leather, suede, etc.) Finally, consider weight. Leather is sold in weights ranging from paper thin (1 oz or thereabouts) to practically bullet-proof (16 oz. and up.) Each 1oz. corresponds to about 1/64th of an inch. Youll need to make a compromise between strength and suppleness when deciding which thickness of leather to buy.
Keep in mind what you will use this bag for. Do you want something pretty or something you can abuse? Will this bag get wet?
I decided that what I wanted was a tough, rough and ready bag. Sure, most of its time would be spent carrying school notebooks and a few paperbacks, but I wanted the security of knowing that my bag could face any conceivable situation and emerge intact.
I determined that a 5-6oz. piece of full grain, oil tanned cowhide would be ideal for my bag. Its thick enough to take a beating, but is also very soft and flexible. Oil tanned leather is ideal for pieces that will likely get wet. Oil tanned leather pushes out moisture and dries quickly while remaining soft, unlike vegetable tanned leather which shrinks and hardens when it gets wet, or Latigo leather, which is tougher but will stain clothing.
I am fortunate to have a huge leather supply store in my home city (San Francisco), so I ended up going there to buy my hide. Those of you who arent so lucky can buy just about anything leather related from Tandy Leather
Realistically, youre not going to need more than 6-7 square feet of leather to make your bag. Unfortunately, no one is likely to sell you less than 10-12 square feet. Buying online, youll likely have to purchase even more. Aim to buy a half-hide. Youll probably pay around $80-90 when all is said and done, but youll have enough leather to make two or three bags. You could even tool a matching leather holster or travel case for your favourite straight razor!
Now that you have some leather in mind, you need to start thinking about how exactly you plan on sewing it. There are several methods that will work, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
The first, most basic method is to sew the leather by hand. This is extremely time consuming and labour intensive, but yields the strongest result. This method utilises a thread with a needle at each end, as well as an awl to make holes in the leather. You will use a saddle stitch or double needle stitch.
The second method is to use a leather-sewing tool called a sewing awl. This utilises a lockstitch. While this method is faster and easier than sewing by hand, the lock stitch is inherently weaker than the saddle stitch. If your thread breaks, you risk all your hard work coming undone as your bag falls apart at the seams.
The third method is to use a leather sewing machine. This is an extremely efficient method for sewing, and will save you quite a bit of time. Unfortunately, the expense is a bit prohibitive, and it uses a lockstitch.
In the end, I chose to sew mine by hand, using a lacing tool to pull each end of the thread through the leather. Like I said: I want this bag to be tough.
Now you must decide what type of thread you want to use on your bag. There is a wide range available, from nylon to silk, sinew, and linen. I ended up choosing a rather thick white, waxed nylon thread for its strength.
I wanted something relatively small that could carry my books and laptop, but could also double as an overnight bag, or if need be, a legitimate backpack for longer trips.
After looking around, I decided that my best bet was an over the shoulder satchel or messenger type bag. But which one to get? A few bags caught my eye, but were way out of my price range. Others were much more affordable, but didnt match what I wanted. In the end, I decided the only way to get the perfect bag was to make it myself.
Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with after a few months of on-and-off work, to show what you'll be capable of at the end of this buildalong:
Important note: This buildalong will focus on the design considerations and processes, as well as techniques and materials that went into the construction of my bag. It will be presented in a series of weekly updates. Any constructive feedback or suggestions are welcomed, and I will attempt to answer any questions. Im not going to show you how to make an exact copy of my bag. What I will do is guide you through the steps required to make your own unique bag which has been designed to fit your needs.
Step 1: Do your research
I spent weeks combing the net looking at hundreds, if not thousands of bags. Googling terms such as leather satchel, messenger bag, laptop bag, etc. yield some good results. One website I will specifically recommend is Saddleback Leather Co. I ended up basing my bag around their messenger bag. Furthermore, Saddleback has some great tips and info on the design of a solid and sturdy bag. I highly recommend you read every section of their webpage.
What features of the bags you see do you like? Do you need special pockets or pouches? What materials appeal to you? Make a list of the features you would like your bag to have.
Nylon just doesnt do it for me. Sure, Cordura is pretty tough, but it doesnt have the timeless, classy appeal that good leather does. I wanted a tough-as-nails bag that would age gracefully, acquiring character over the years. I wanted something that would still be functional when I passed it onto my child or grandchild.
I decided that I wanted a bag made of leather, so I then started researching leather. Read up on the different types of leather (Vegetable tanned, chrome tanned, oil tanned, Latigo, etc.) Learn about the different grades of leather (Full grain, top grain, split grain, bonded leather, suede, etc.) Finally, consider weight. Leather is sold in weights ranging from paper thin (1 oz or thereabouts) to practically bullet-proof (16 oz. and up.) Each 1oz. corresponds to about 1/64th of an inch. Youll need to make a compromise between strength and suppleness when deciding which thickness of leather to buy.
Keep in mind what you will use this bag for. Do you want something pretty or something you can abuse? Will this bag get wet?
I decided that what I wanted was a tough, rough and ready bag. Sure, most of its time would be spent carrying school notebooks and a few paperbacks, but I wanted the security of knowing that my bag could face any conceivable situation and emerge intact.
I determined that a 5-6oz. piece of full grain, oil tanned cowhide would be ideal for my bag. Its thick enough to take a beating, but is also very soft and flexible. Oil tanned leather is ideal for pieces that will likely get wet. Oil tanned leather pushes out moisture and dries quickly while remaining soft, unlike vegetable tanned leather which shrinks and hardens when it gets wet, or Latigo leather, which is tougher but will stain clothing.
I am fortunate to have a huge leather supply store in my home city (San Francisco), so I ended up going there to buy my hide. Those of you who arent so lucky can buy just about anything leather related from Tandy Leather
Realistically, youre not going to need more than 6-7 square feet of leather to make your bag. Unfortunately, no one is likely to sell you less than 10-12 square feet. Buying online, youll likely have to purchase even more. Aim to buy a half-hide. Youll probably pay around $80-90 when all is said and done, but youll have enough leather to make two or three bags. You could even tool a matching leather holster or travel case for your favourite straight razor!
Now that you have some leather in mind, you need to start thinking about how exactly you plan on sewing it. There are several methods that will work, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
The first, most basic method is to sew the leather by hand. This is extremely time consuming and labour intensive, but yields the strongest result. This method utilises a thread with a needle at each end, as well as an awl to make holes in the leather. You will use a saddle stitch or double needle stitch.
The second method is to use a leather-sewing tool called a sewing awl. This utilises a lockstitch. While this method is faster and easier than sewing by hand, the lock stitch is inherently weaker than the saddle stitch. If your thread breaks, you risk all your hard work coming undone as your bag falls apart at the seams.
The third method is to use a leather sewing machine. This is an extremely efficient method for sewing, and will save you quite a bit of time. Unfortunately, the expense is a bit prohibitive, and it uses a lockstitch.
In the end, I chose to sew mine by hand, using a lacing tool to pull each end of the thread through the leather. Like I said: I want this bag to be tough.
Now you must decide what type of thread you want to use on your bag. There is a wide range available, from nylon to silk, sinew, and linen. I ended up choosing a rather thick white, waxed nylon thread for its strength.
