Bennet Winch Suit Carrier Holdall; Made in Britain

Bennet Winch make their bags and luggage in the UK and their products stand out as being a little different in design while being supremely practical. The S.C (Suit Carrier) Holdall is a combined bag and suit carrier, something that will appeal to anyone wanting to carry a suit, jacket or tailored trousers uncrushed for a weekend away. Each part can be used separately. The suit carrier is made from waterproof canvas, so protects the lightweight twill bag when wrapped around it (see video below).

Developed last year in collaboration with Simon Crompton of Permanent Style, it's sold extremely well and no doubt its good looks and functional design have made it a success. It comes in olive or black. See Bennett Winch.

Unsponsored post. While I usually try to see products before featuring them, in this case I haven't seen this item.

Hawkesmill Small Regent Camera Bag: Horween Leather

I first wrote about Hawkesmill's superb camera bags here last year, but have since been trying out one of their smaller camera bags, the Regent, which is made of Horween Chromexcel leather, a beautiful soft but durable leather that ages as only the best leather can: a true luxury item.

Beautifully made, it features a removable padded area for smaller cameras (ideal for my Fuji X100S or a borrowed Leica Q) and pockets for spare batteries, phone, sandwiches (small) and memory cards. A wide shoulder strap sits comfortably on the shoulder.

Once or twice I've felt the need for a small carry-handle on the top of the bag, but this doesn't affect my enthusiasm for this lovely British-made camera bag. It measures 10” x 8” x 5” (25.4cm x 20.32cm x 12.7cm) and, while it's designed for smaller cameras, it will fit a pro-DSLR body and lens. It's water and dust-proof and comes with a lifetime warranty. See Hawkesmill. 

I wasn't paid for this post. The bag was sent to me for use and review. All views expressed are mine alone.

AG'E-MES: Bags Designed and Made in Britain

A new brand on the block, Ag'e-Mes design and make all the components for their bags in Britain. From Northampton, Walsall and Dundee, parts come together in Suffolk to form luggage for business and travel. The products include rucksacks, soft luggage, shoulder bags and leather accessories. I will be trying them soon, but have no reason to doubt the construction and design from the images I've seen. For all keen to buy British and lovers of good design and manufacture: See AG'E-MES. Please try for yourselves and report back.

Hawkesmill bags: made in England - A Review

Hawkesmill bags are made in England and come with a lifetime defects warranty. I was recently sent a large messenger camera bag for review.

Hawkesmill Jermyn Street

Made from triple-layered waterproof canvas and Harris tweed, the bag is obviously tough as old nails, with leather reinforcement at the corners. Designed as a camera bag, it comes with all the padded inserts you would expect to protect your camera equipment. Everywhere are clever pockets and storage sleeves, zipped and not, for documents, wallets, phones and laptops. The simple turn lock allows quick access to the bag. 

The bag is designed to carry a large load and the handle and straps are extra-strong. It's recognised that parts will wear, parts of the interior, feet and shoulder strap so these can be replaced and secure with Velcro. The padding can be removed, giving a useful weekend bag. 

Hawkesmill Bond Street

Priced at £549, this is a tough bag, slightly heavier than most because of its solid construction and (removable) padding, but attractive to look at and comfortable to carry by hand or using the shoulder strap. An interesting development of the traditional British sporting bag, it comes in various colours and combinations of tweed and canvas. I was impressed by its robustness and liked its design, which is a attractive mix of contemporary and traditional. Highly recommended.

The bag is 15.7" x 11" x 5". A smaller version is due soon. See Hawkesmill for more information.

I was not compensated for this post. The bag was lent to me for the purposes of the review.

Chapman Bags: Eleven Things You Need to Know About Man Bags By Daniel Chamier

Chapman Bags are made in Carlisle, England. It was founded in the 1980s by John Chapman who made shooting and fishing bags which he sold around the world. John Chapman is no longer involved in the business, but the sporting heritage is still evident in the style of the bags, giving them their practicability and robustness. 

My Chapman Traveller 19 - all ready for the summer sun

I've been using a Chapman Traveller 19 and have found it stylish and ideal for cabin luggage, weekends and short breaks. Robust and well-made, this is an ideal holiday companion.

Stitching a webbing strap

Chapman Bags is now headed by Daniel Chamier who gives some helpful and expert advice on selecting a bag below.

Eleven things to know about bags for men, by Daniel Chamier

1. No bag does it all:

No-one has yet designed a bag that does it all. You can, however, boil your collection down to around three styles. The first is a handheld bag suitable for work, reasonably slim so you can travel without obstruction and suitable if necessary for wearing with a suit. In the old days this would have been a briefcase; nowadays the choice is much wider and many would include a tote in this category. The second is a piece of luggage suitable for carrying onto a plane or for a weekend away. While small pieces of rolling luggage are very popular, frankly they can look a bit naff trailing behind a bloke. The third is more leisure orientated, likely to be carried on the shoulder or the back and could include a touring bag or a rucksack depending on your personal preference and habits. 

2. Do you really need all those features?

My view is that most bags only need a handful of essential features: first, an exterior pocket for keys and so forth; second, at least one internal divider or pocket to help with organisation; and finally in the case of luggage a lockable zip, the best being the kind with interlocking metal circles. 

3. You generally get what you pay for

While labour rates vary enormously around the world, one thing which does not change much is the cost of high quality materials and fittings. The inevitable consequence of this is that if you buy a cheap bag, you will also be buying cheap materials and fittings. Beware especially cheap bags which look expensive. This can only be achieved by using second or third rate materials and the bag may well fail you quite quickly. 

From the Chapman archive

4. No bag will last forever

Well that’s not strictly true, but it does depend how you use it. My general rule of thumb is that the life of a decent quality work bag can be measured as follows: Ly = 25/Dn where L equals the useful life of the bag in years and D equals the number of days a working week (defined as 5 days) it receives serious use. So if you use a good quality work bag hard every working day, it should last you around 5 years, or 10 years if only 2.5 days a week. Luggage can last a very long time indeed, a lifetime even, if used sparingly. You can help ensure your bags last longer by buying well and looking after them (see below!). 

5. How to check leather is good quality

The most expensive bags are generally full leather, essentially because of the cost of the raw materials. If you are buying what you think is a leather bag and it’s relatively cheap compared to similar products, you should check whether it is actually made from real leather. Real leather wrinkles and “gives” when you press it. The absence of natural variation is usually a giveaway on man-made materials, although not definitive. 

If your bag has leather fittings (e.g. straps) check that these are robust, reasonably stiff and at least 2-3mm thick. Beware cheap leather fittings with interior fillers used to reduce cost; they may disintegrate. Avoid leather bags with poor quality edge paint on the side of straps, particularly the type of inflexible edge paint “filler” which cracks when bent. 

 Chapman Traveller 19 

6. How to check canvas is good quality

Originally canvas was a rough material woven from jute or hemp and often used for sail making. Modern canvas tends to be cotton. Its quality and fitness for purpose will depend on a number of factors including thickness, water proofing, lightfastness and abrasion resistance. My view is that Man Bags should be made from canvas of around 18oz weight or more, or they will tend to wear through relatively quickly. The colours of all natural materials will tend to fade and wear over time. If this is a concern to you, then ask the manufacturers whether they test their materials for lightfastness and abrasion (dry and wet rub). Ideally canvas should be proofed (like waxed cotton) or laminated with a waterproof membrane to protect against rainfall. 

7. Hardware and zips

A bag’s functionality and longevity will also depend on the quality of the fastenings, closures and general hardware. Main zips should be made of metal (unless there is a specific reason for using a nylon zip such as on a gun cover) and run smoothly and securely. The best known manufacturers are YKK and RiRi, although the latter come at a substantial premium. Quality hardware is usually made from brass or brass coated with nickel, gold or copper plating. Steel hardware should be avoided as it will tend to rust. Poor quality brass can often be identified by pitting on the surface of the metal. 

8. Check a shoulder strap for material and fittings

Shoulder straps are vulnerable to degradation of the strap material and failure of the fastenings (in the case of a detachable shoulder strap) or anchor points. Make sure your strap has a nice thick webbing with a tight weave and a reasonable degree of stiffness. The quality of full leather straps will depend on the leather itself (see above) and the fastenings. Make sure the latter are reasonably chunky and solid and the anchor points have lots of stitching. Remember also, rivets are less secure than stitches; in the wrong kind of material rivets are simply holes waiting to happen. Smaller anchor points on thinner material should ideally have reinforced back panels to avoid the material ripping. 

Hardware for a Chapman bag

9. Check the wear points

All bags have points which are subject to more stress than others. For instance, luggage will tend to stress around the base corners and the shoulder strap anchor points. Shoulder bags will tend to rub against the body in certain places and may also wear around the base corners when placed on the ground. 

Rucksack straps and back panels will be first in the firing line. Important fastenings like buckles, zips and straps will be potentially vulnerable on many bags. High quality bags will anticipate these issues by using expensive materials and fittings and by incorporating added protection like metal feet and leather panels and corners on potential wear points. A good tip is to stick to bags with simple fastenings and closures like buckles, straps and Sam Browne studs. Magnetic closures can work fine but are less secure and vulnerable to degradation, so best avoided on important Man Bag fastenings. 

10. Colours don't last forever

We all have our favourite colours but you need to remember that they will fade and wear in time, especially in natural materials like cotton canvas. Generally speaking dark colours fade more noticeably, especially Navy. Lighter colours like Khaki also fade but it’s less noticeable. Synthetic materials like nylon may retain their original colour for longer but they tend to wear less gracefully over time. Prolonged exposure to sunlight will wash out most colours quite quickly. In the desert, pretty much all colours end up looking the same after a while! This may sound alarming but when you think about it your work bag is unlikely to see that much direct sunlight even if you use it every day; unless of course you have a major walk or cycle to work, in which case you might want to get something a bit more prosaic for the journey and keep something nicer at work. 

Looking after your bag

11. Care, guarantees and repairs

Never ever put your bag in a washing machine (yes, people do that). Don’t send it to be dry cleaned. Don’t leave it on a radiator when it’s got wet. Those are the 3 golden rules. Canvas or material bags should be cleaned with soapy water and left to dry naturally. Leather should be cleaned, perhaps with a lightly dampened cloth, left to dry naturally then rubbed with a leather cream or restorer. Although brass tarnishes naturally, hardware can be kept shiny with a metal cleaner. 

If you are still confused about which bag to buy, or would like to discuss any of the points raised in this article, please feel free to call our helpline during working hours on +44 (0)1228 514514. 

See Chapman Bags

[Grey Fox: I received no payment for this guest feature. The Chapman bag was given to me for review and all opinions expressed in that part of this piece are my own.]

Tombag - robust duffel bags made in England

Tombag make duffel bags in East Sussex. Made from waxed canvas or tweed, there are three sizes and occasional limited editions. Their simple but robust design naturally has its roots in military kitbags. Tombag's founder, Stephen Caine, was inspired by the kitbags used by his grandfather who had served in the Royal Air Force.

I tried a small waxed bag. Beautifully made, it feels strong and unburstable while its vintage/military character means that it will only look better as it becomes worn and battered with use. It's easy to use either as a small holdall or worn over the shoulder using the canvas strap.

Depending on size, they're ideal for everything from gym to shopping and weekends away. With a simple closure system, there are no zips or locks to break. These are bags to be beaten around and still come back for more. See Tombag for sizes, prices and design choices. 

Wright Bower - bags made in Manchester, England

Manchester is rapidly rebuilding its heritage as a major centre of clothing and fashion manufacture and the establishment of a maker of high quality bags, Wright Bower, adds to this revival of the city's historic reputation. Using high quality leather, cotton canvas and hand-finished British hardwoods they produce designs which are different, yet practical and hard-wearing.

Wright Bower Duncliffe Ash

Wright Bower Birnam walnut

Michael Perviz, head of Wright Bower, describes himself as a 'manufacturer who designs' and this approach shows in his products. I've been using one for a few months now and have found their Birnam bag nicely thought out internally and bulletproof in design. An understated elegance makes it ideal for those who prefer their luggage unadorned with initials and logos. A tiny union flag quite rightly boasts its British provenance.

Grey Fox's Wright Bower Birnam bag

Wright Bower offer several different sizes and shape of bag and a range of wallets and billfolds. Ideal for Christmas, here's a truly British product, beautifully-made in Manchester. Bags £215 to £325, wallets and billfolds, £76 to £119. See Wright Bower to buy and to read about the team who brings you these quality products. See the video below for more.

This is a video promoting the hand crafted bags made by Manchester manufacturer Wright Bower. Fighting against the throw away society of cheap imports, Wright Bower products are fashioned from English bridle leather, hand finished textiles and English, slow grown Oak, Ask and Walnut.

Made in Manchester is the proud boast for this company, and perhaps we should all value a company that is still producing British goods that really are great.

Millican bags - Mark the Field Bag, for rural & urban explorers

Sometimes an explorer needs a bag more accessible and less bulky than a rucksack. Botanists, searching the wilderness for exotic plants, would use a shoulder-hung specimen bag. This would carry everything from plant cuttings, to camera, notebooks and sandwiches and be easier to get into than a back-mounted pack. Millican, the Lake District-based company, have taken an old concept and brought it up to date with their Mark the Field Bag which sits alongside a wide and interesting collection of bags, sacks and accessories. 

Jeans, Quantock Menswear and Shetland jumper, Leith Clothing. Both Made in UK.

I was after a bag of this type for my explorations in Cumbria and for walking Harry, whose dog treats and lead fit alongside my camera, water bottle and whatever interesting objects we find on our wanderings. At my request, Millican generously sent me one of their limited edition (50 only) field bags to try. The smart grey is stylishly set off by a rich orange lining (a favourite colour combination of mine and one used on this blog). Beautifully made, the 33cm wide canvas bag contains many pockets and has cunning leather straps with poppers which allow easy one-handed opening and closing.

And I've used the bag in the city too. It carries a laptop, camera and notebooks with ease and its wide canvas shoulder strap makes it comfortable to carry. But somehow I feel its heart is in the country, worn by the intrepid naturalist. Now; where's my butterfly net?

See Millican's website for more information and to buy. The limited edition Mark the Field bag is here. In its non-limited edition guise, Mark the Field Bag also comes in various other rustic colours.

Cherchbi Squires holdalls for town and country - the best of British design

Cherchbi is one of the brands that fuelled my enthusiasm for British-made goods. It has all the ingredients I like; an enthusiastic owner in Adam Atkinson, always ready for a chat on our frequent meetings; the best materials including wool from the historic Herdwick sheep of my beloved Cumbria and outstanding design, manufacture and style.

Cherchbi Squires large brown

Cherchbi Squires large grey

Cherchbi produce many products, most based around leather and Herdwick wool. I'm focusing here on their Squires holdalls, available in large and medium and in grey and brown Herdwick tweed. The two colours struck me as ideal for town and country bags, should you be tempted to have one for each use. 

Cherchbi Squires medium

These bags have to be seen in the flesh to appreciate the design and the beauty of the construction. From Cherchbi.

Holdall and Co - win a handmade in England leather folio

Holdall & Co is new, young and British. The founder, Raimonda Navickaite, designs luxury leather accessories which are hand-made in England. I've talked before about their beautiful folios and have interviewed Rai (see my post here).

Rai is keen to expand the company's range. She has a very clear vision of what she wants to achieve - the highest quality leather goods. However, she would welcome some help to establish what customers would like from her products. She has designed a survey and in return for completing it you will be entered into a draw to win The Organised, a 12" folio. Hand-made in England, this is made to last and each is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. For everyday use, it fits your notes and ideas; iPad, slimline laptop such as Macbook Air, a Moleskin notebook or a copy of the latest Monocle or Wired magazine.

12" folio, chestnut

Holdall & Co use only full-grain naturally tanned bridle leathers to make the folio bags. Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable; over the life of the product the leather will mature through interaction with its surroundings and will improve in appearance, acquiring a natural vintage patina. For more information see my earlier post (linked above) or Holdall & Co's website.
Twitter - @holdallandco
Facebook - www.facebook.com/holdallco

To complete the very short survey and be in with a chance of winning the 12" folio in either London tan or chestnut, please click here. The survey is open worldwide and will last for two weeks. The winner will be picked on Monday 14th April 2013.

12" folio, London tan

Millican bags - Harry the Gladstone bag, built for the passion of travel

Cocoa (14y 9m) enjoys his master's new Millican Harry Gladstone bag

I came across Millican bags last year, attracted by -

• The fact that Millican is based in a part of the country I visit frequently and love, the Lake District,
• The website is superb,
• The bags look good and are cunningly and comprehensively well-designed, and
• They are clear about their design influences and philosophy,
• Everything is manufactured sustainably and using local skills and expertise.

I was lucky enough to be sent a Harry the Gladstone bag recently for review. I was genuinely astonished by the quality of the manufacture and the obvious thought that had gone into the design - pockets everywhere, flaps, zips, poppers - all exactly where needed and fulfilling vital functions. I can't wait to use it.

I will write a proper review when I've used it properly over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, enjoy this video (keep an eye on the map!) See Millican's website for more information.

This product was sent to me for review in accordance with my review policy here.