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Showing 1 of 14 conversations about:
IanAnderson
2590
Jul 29, 2015
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Custom Hide is here!
I'm very happy to bring Custom Hide to the Massdrop family! CH has been an under-the-radar resource for great leather bags at aggressive prices, and I'm excited to release this brand new model here. Tony (owner of CH) designed this brief for a TV show and was going to add it to his collection for $450; before he did that, I suggested that we offer it to you first at a lower price. We were also able to add in 3-letter embossing too, which is a $15 value.
Anyway, these bags are great (the pictures speak for themselves) and I'll happily answer any questions if you have them.
Jul 29, 2015
House
621
Jul 30, 2015
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IanAndersonHey, first and very obvious question, and probably one that comes to mind first when everyone reads your comment, which TV show was this designed for?
Jul 30, 2015
El_Rat
2
Jul 30, 2015
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HousePresumably Real Briefcases of Arizona, but I could also see this being a strong contender on In The Bag, the Style Channel's new reality / contest show where independent and small business-owner bag designers duke it out for cash, bragging rights, and a stint with a major accessories design house.
Jul 30, 2015
IanAnderson
2590
Jul 30, 2015
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House(edited) The briefcase was designed for a mini TV series for the Stephen King novel 11/22/63.
Jul 30, 2015
Frankns
62
Jul 30, 2015
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IanAndersonThese are truly superior bags ... Saddleback and Custom Hide are probably "top of the heap" among the short-run makers. Kudos to Massdrop
Jul 30, 2015
Cambo
422
Jul 31, 2015
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IanAndersonCan we see pics of what the embossing looks like?
Jul 31, 2015
Lusvig
31
Aug 1, 2015
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FranknsStill, it's cow leather which is inferior to pretty much all other leather types
Aug 1, 2015
Frankns
62
Aug 1, 2015
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LusvigI think the idea is that the cowhide is more weather-resistant. So, not the "lovely corinthian leather" look and feel, but more "day to day" tough. I own a Saddleback now and would trade it in a heart beat.
Aug 1, 2015
House
621
Aug 1, 2015
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LusvigI think that also depends on where the leather is sourced and how its treated.
Aug 1, 2015
Tony-CustomHide
11
Aug 1, 2015
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LusvigThere are numerous varieties of leather depending on the quality of the animal hide used, which is almost always cowhide. Full-grain leather is the most expensive leather because only the best cowhide is used. It comes from the top layer of the hide which has all of the grain. We, at Custom Hide (as well as almost all the other well known good quality manufacturers, including Saddleback, Lotuff, Jack Georges) use 5-6 ounce full-grain cowhides. In addition, our hides go through a vegetable tanning process and are cured with bark extracts, fat liquors and organic dyes. Due to the natural tannins used, vegetable tanned products are unique and have their own life, they are not the same for their entire life, but they change, continuously, for the better developing a patina over time.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_5562049_naked-leather-vs-cowhide.html http://www.billamberg.com/vegetable-tanned-leather-need-to-know/
Tony Custom Hide
Aug 1, 2015
Tony-CustomHide
11
Aug 1, 2015
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Cambo
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Aug 1, 2015
RankoKohime
25
Aug 2, 2015
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IanAndersonAggressive pricing and CH no longer belong in the same sentence (I bought a backpack for $210, just 4 years ago, and it's now $400), but that would not stop me from buying the Scholar 3-compartment laptop w/Pockets, should it be offered. This one just doesn't tickle my fancy. :)
Aug 2, 2015
payodpanda
958
Aug 3, 2015
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RankoKohimeWhich backpack did you buy? Has it seen much use?
Aug 3, 2015
andreewlee
40
Aug 3, 2015
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Tony-CustomHideSo where do you source your leather exactly? Full-grain leathers also have a wide spectrum of qualities, and I've seen some horrendous [edit: removed redundant word] B-sides from even reputable companies (such as Horween and Hermann oak).
I'm just curious, because 400 seems a bit steep for the product.
Aug 3, 2015
IanAnderson
2590
Aug 3, 2015
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andreewleeI'll let Tony respond in specifics (although be warned that the source of leather is sometimes a thing that brands want to keep private), but I will say that $400 is a very good price for a made in USA, full grain veg tan bag. Compare to the likes of Frank Clegg, Lotuff, JW Hulme, etc, which run for $700-1220 ish. Is there a certain brand that you have in mind that you're comparing this to?
FWIW, I did sell some made in Asia bags at a lower price in the past, but the community was very upset by them and asked for bags made in America. That's why this is here - this is a great one, and at a great price!
Aug 3, 2015
andreewlee
40
Aug 6, 2015
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IanAndersonI do a little bit of leatherwork, and 400 is a bit steep for what is being offered in my opinion in terms of material/workmanship, but the upside is the design of the bag. There are plenty of Horween or high-quality leather briefcases/bags that float around the 400-600 range from small sellers on etsy and the interwebs.
Aug 6, 2015
RankoKohime
25
Mar 16, 2016
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payodpandaI completely did not see this to reply to it. Sorry for the (very) late response.
I bought the Original Backpack Large (http://www.customhide.com/original-large-leather-backpack-p/5202.htm), and I used it pretty much daily from 2010 until last year biking back and forth to work, carrying a gallon glass jug of water and other stuff (so average weight was 15-20 lbs). I haven't used it much lately because my new job has me driving a LOT, and I have little use for it while driving. But I think it's just starting to break in.
Mar 16, 2016
payodpanda
958
Mar 16, 2016
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RankoKohimeThanks for the reply, I had forgotten all about this but then I saw the backpacks again and I remembered why I asked the question - I really loved how they look and felt that they would stand the test of time.
Do you have (almost) broken-in photos of your backpack? Just out of curiosity :)
Mar 16, 2016
RankoKohime
25
Mar 16, 2016
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payodpandaIndeed: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B1A8XxWigek7LXJkR0JZb3hHb3M&usp=sharing
The main point of wear, (aside from being brushed against things, naturally), is the buckle flaps, and where the buckle sits on the flaps. The leather doesn't get thin here, it just turns dark (possibly from a chemical reaction with the brass buckle), and gets a bit pinched. The interior of mine hasn't changed noticeably since new, except for the egg white stain in the bottom.
If you do decide to get one, here's a comfort tip: turn the straps 1/2 turn inwards. (counter-clockwise for right shoulder, clockwise for left) This alleviates some slight digging-into-your-side they tend to do otherwise.
Mar 16, 2016
payodpanda
958
Mar 16, 2016
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RankoKohimeDamn, that backpack looks good. It's aged beautifully (imo)!
I probably won't be able to afford it for some time; still a student. However, when I do (already planning for the future), I'm thinking of getting the "ultra" size backpack, and mainly use it for travelling / heavier stuff than daily school commute. I have a waxed canvas / leather backpack that I use for my daily commute right now, I really like that one too, but it's too small to be useful when I actually need to carry stuff.
Thanks for going through the trouble of taking the pictures and uploading them to a Drive folder - much appreciated!
EDIT - that's the whiskey color, correct?
Mar 16, 2016
RankoKohime
25
Mar 16, 2016
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payodpandaI'd have gotten the Ultra size as well, but they didn't offer it when I bought mine. That said, the large still manages to fit 2 of these gallon glass jugs, albeit at a VERY tight squeeze:
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Two of those jugs are what did in my previous cheapie nylon backpack, and why I bought this one. :)
I didn't realize last night, but the flash is actually making it look several shades lighter than it is. It is actually the Brown color, and it has lightened a shade or two from new, as it has grown bend marks.
Mar 16, 2016
payodpanda
958
Mar 17, 2016
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RankoKohimeYep, it makes the bag look super light indeed. Not a bad thing either way, in my book.
Why would you ever want to carry two of those monstrosities in your backpack while biking everyday? If I did that my own back would give in before any backpack would. D:
Mar 17, 2016
RankoKohime
25
Mar 17, 2016
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payodpandaWell, not 2 of them every day. Only when I buy them at the store. I usually carried only one after it was re-purposed for water to work.
Mar 17, 2016
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