The Superior Labor

[veloaudio]

Since TSL doesn't have a thread here I thought I would start one. I just bought an engineer shoulder bag and I will post an initial write-up soon.

[veloaudio]

The Superior Label Engineer Shoulder Bag
Specs
Engineer Shoulder Bag, Khaki/Black  - SS13 – includes blue dust bag (21.5" w x 23.5" h) and leather tag
Dimensions: 19.5” wide (top), 14.5” wide (bottom), 12.5” height x 6.75” depth
Volume: 24-25L (approx)
Carry handles: 3.75” drop
Shoulder Strap: 26”-34” length (2” increments)
Retail Price: $310-450 (although I paid $210 shipped from Bluebuttonshop in Toronto, CA)

First Look
I could immediately see the quality when I first took the bag out of the box with the thick canvas, leather backed brass rivets and 10oz leather straps. The coating on the bottom makes the canvas feel rough and increases the stiffness of the bottom of the bag. I’ve seen The Superior Label bags mentioned as a more expensive Klein tool bag (which I also own) and I can see the similarities in appearance but the materials in the TSL bag are much better. I can also see the nuances of the manufacturing but I appreciate the fact that all the bags are handmade. Check out the TSL website for a video they posted recently that shows a bag being made. (http://www.superiorlabor.jp/info/index.html)

Outside Details
There is one leather pocket (8.5” w x 6” h) on the outside of the bag made with 5 oz leather. On the opposite side is a painted on TSL circle logo. Both sides of the bag have thick leather handles (1.25” wide) that have four rivets per handle side fastening each handle to the bag. The shoulder strap attachments are on the on the ends of the bag using the same rivets. The shoulder strap is also 1.25” wide with a 3" wide leather insert for distributing weight.

Inside Details
Opening the bag you will noticed the Waldes vintage line zipper first. When zipped up there are gaps on the end so the bag doesn’t completely seal closed. A nice feature is that the zipper flaps will lay flat against the sides and out of the way. There are two interior canvas pockets (4.5” w x 6.75” h and 5” w x 6.75” h) made out of lighter weight canvas that billow out slightly to increase pocket capacity and make them easier to use. Both pockets have rivets on the corners for reinforcement. There is no coating on the inside of the bag and the canvas folds are not sewn down. I don’t think either of these two things will be issues for me.

In Use
I wanted a bag that I could use for work but also be an overnight bag. My work bag needs to be able to carry my laptop in a padded sleeve, Goruck RR Field Pocket (contains laptop charger, wireless mouse, extra pens, thumb drives), Moleskine notebook, Best Made Travel Zip-Case, a few folders, headphones, sunglasses case, iPhone charger and lunch. I can fit all of these items with room to spare in the bag. When traveling for work I may need extra items (folders, three ring binder, etc) and a few of these could easily fit in. I plan to carry the bag more messenger style which is why I will need to add a hole to lengthen the strap.

After using the bag for a while I will post an update in how everyday and travel use are going.

Summary
Overall the bag should fit my needs. Although I want to reserve final judgment until after I have used it for a while. My initial pros outweigh the cons especially since I will be able to make the strap longer.

Pros
• Materials
• Quality and construction
• Bag capacity and versatility

Cons
• Zipper closing requires two hands
• TSL Logo – I am not a huge fan of large logos and the circle logo is little much, it is painted on lightly and should fade with wear
• Price - full price is steep but worth the asking price for the amount of touch labor that goes in to the bag
• Shoulder strap length – the strap needs to be longer for me so I plan to add at least one more hole to lengthen the strap
• Leather - a little dry when I got the bag but I put two coats of Obenaufs on all the leather

References / Resources
Inventory Magazine – Volume 2, Number 03
Company Website - http://www.superiorlabor.jp/index.html

Pictures
Front

Back

Bottom Canvas Coating/Paint

Rivets

Shoulder Strap Attachement

Shoulder Strap Plate

Zipper

Inside

Inside Pockets (1)

Inside Pockets (2)

Dust Bag Logo and Leather Tag

Typical Work Carry

[Giles]

Wow.  That is a review…..Great

[Friday]

backed!!! nice review there Matt..