The Elephant in the Room - Man Purse

[David Conwill]

I have no idea what the strap on the backside is for, it's fastened on the underside on a stud, in the same way as the front strap.

I'd say it's a belt loop, for fastening it down when worn as part of your web gear instead of with a shoulder strap. I love vintage Swiss Army stuff: It's well made, stylish, and extremely durable. Very cool bag.

-Dave

 

[psugrad98]

I've used a "man purse". But it is totally ulitiarian. When I"m in the city and I have a camera, wallet, bottle of water, etc. it is damned handy to have the man purse.

 

[AEH]

I'd say it's a belt loop, for fastening it down when worn as part of your web gear instead of with a shoulder strap. I love vintage Swiss Army stuff: It's well made, stylish, and extremely durable. Very cool bag.

-Dave

Dave,
tried that, but it doesn't seem to wear right, for me anyway. Suppose it has some very special Swiss functionality

 

[David Conwill]

I dunno. Maybe try looking at examples of WWI German web gear. The two seem to be seperated at birth.

-Dave

 

[Seb Lucas]

I always carry a bag. I hate carrying crap in my pockets.

I got a Saddelback satchel. Really well made but not practical or useful to me. It's stupidly heavy without anything in it and has hard, uncomfortable edges (I'm not waiting X years for it to become usable) and you have to undo the bloody buckle every time you need something. The buckle also undoes itself if the bag isn't hanging off a shoudler.

A high quality nylon bag is far better for my purposes - light, easy to access, less conspicuous. It just doesn't look cool.

 

[David Conwill]

Seb,

For a happy medium, I'm picturing something like a tincloth or canvas bag with lift-the-dot fasteners: lightweight, good looking, and quick to access.

Now, where to find such a beast...

-Dave

 

[SGT Rocket]

Here is my man purse

This is mine.

Here is my man purse, except mine is a triple gusset. I've had it for about 6 years and it's still in great condition. As I've gotten more into stylistic clothes, I too hate to have stuff in my pockets. I don't take this everywhere, but when I do it looks good, and people just think I have business papers in it.

Except mine is brown. It's tough as nails. Also, I don't use the strap with it. It looks much more manly than the picture suggests

 

[Edward]

It would be interesting to me if more people had their actual location in their profile, instead of the many whimsical locations many have chosen.

I’ve always suspected appreciation for vintage material culture is stronger in more urban areas - probably because the built environment is so resoundingly vintage. Thus, I would expect many of the folks responding to this thread are city dwellers, and spend accordingly more time on foot and riding mass transit, and therefore can’t rely on having things stashed in their automobile.

My brother is currently traveling on a work visa in Ireland. As I do, he has a deep appreciation for history and quality, although he’s more modern in his aesthetics. Still, I’ve noticed in the photos he’s sent home that he’s never without his 1942-dated M3-10-6 gas mask bag. I believe it’s got his camera gear stowed inside.

-Dave

You're right. When I left school and went to university I carried on using a bag. I travelled into Belfast on the train daily, having no office base (obviously) as an undergraduate. Since moving to London, I always carry a bag - convenient for anything small I pick up during the day, anything I have to take out with me, and not least carry around laptop and book or books I'm reading. Rarely go anywhere without a book.

Got this bag off eBay a few weeks ago. It's rather small, 24x17x6 cm, but it's just what I need when my shoulder hurts too much for carrying a heavier bag. Very thick leather and sturdy construction. Very Swiss Army . The lid has a small pocket for pens, else the inside is rather raw, and I am thinking of lining it with some thin leather to avoid scratchings from the hardware. I have no idea what the strap on the backside is for, it's fastened on the underside on a stud, in the same way as the front strap.
Love it!

Sellers pictures:

Strap will not be for a belt if on the bottom.... I would suggest that you try detaching and looping one end of the strap through it before reattaching. Looks to me like it's to allow carrying it as a backpack. Alternatively, it could be for attaching it to a belt while also on the loop to stop it bouncing around when running into combat - c/f a Sam Brown belt.

I always carry a bag. I hate carrying crap in my pockets.

I got a Saddelback satchel. Really well made but not practical or useful to me. It's stupidly heavy without anything in it and has hard, uncomfortable edges (I'm not waiting X years for it to become usable) and you have to undo the bloody buckle every time you need something. The buckle also undoes itself if the bag isn't hanging off a shoudler.

A high quality nylon bag is far better for my purposes - light, easy to access, less conspicuous. It just doesn't look cool.

Funnily enough, the fact that the Saddlebacks have real buckles and not these fake ones that hide magnetic or spring loaded snaps is one of the things about them that really appeals to me.

 

[David Conwill]

Alternatively, it could be for attaching it to a belt while also on the loop to stop it bouncing around when running into combat - c/f a Sam Brown belt.

That's what I was trying to say, not that it would hang off a belt on its own.

-Dave

 

[Edward]

That's what I was trying to say, not that it would hang off a belt on its own.

-Dave

Ah, with you now. Well, if that didn't work, then I'd suspect it's for backpack conversion.

 

[AEH]

Ah, with you now. Well, if that didn't work, then I'd suspect it's for backpack conversion.

After some testing I believe this is a "anti bouncing" device. Very handy when I have to run to catch the bus! The backpack conversion idea is interesting, but the original shoulder strap is much too short for this. Thank you for the ideas

 

[Fifty150]

You have to have someplace to stow your gear - digicam, iPod, Nintendo, book, Moleskine, cell phone, snacks, smokes, gum, pens, sunglasses, pistol...

Always carry your pistol in a holster. Much safer. Do you really want your lipstick and compact to release the safety or depress the trigger? And only a fool would want to fumble through all that stuff when you really need a pistol.

Men carry bags all the time. You couldn't possibly walk down the street with your laptop in your hand. If you look around in a major metropolitan area, you'll see guys with sling packs, messenger bags, back packs, gym bags, etc. Most cops have a "war bag". You get the biggest black duffel that you can find, and cram all your junk in there. Helmet, gas mask, riot baton, body armor, jump suit, boots, extra ammo, less-than-lethal, MacGuyver's chewing gum & Swiss Army knife, et cetera.

I guess you should reconsider the bag if it looks too much like your girl's purse. You should probably not even consider carrying your girl's purse. A bag slung off your shoulder looks like a purse. A bag strapped across your chest looks more masculine, since not too many girls want a bag strap straining across their breast. A fanny pack just makes you look like a dork, even if you have a gun in there. And if you're carrying around lipstick, make-up, perfume, hair spray, a wide tooth comb, and sanitary napkins.......it's a purse.

 

[bburtner@moran]

I carry in my bag my Hasselblad SWC,meter,filters &film.

 

[Fifty150]

These have moved from the garage workshop, into the kitchen. What was once used for tools, have become grocery getters. My tool bag is now a shopping bag.

 

[Fifty150]

 

[trill-bee]

long wallet or man purse

I often see Japanese men carrying something the size of a women's purse but made for men.

Is it acceptable for a westerner to carry something like this?

 

[Edward]

I often see Japanese men carrying something the size of a women's purse but made for men.

Is it acceptable for a westerner to carry something like this?

You mean something that looks like one of those clutch bag women sometimes carry - the ones that have neither handles nor strap, so her stuff is all in one place, but she has to have it in her hand all the time? I've also seen them with a small, slim wristlet (like you see on, say, a small compact camera). In Europe, they're most commonly associated with a certain stereotype of over-groomed, effete Italian male - typically by those sort of folks who regard the "meterosexual" as worthy of scorn, and view the Italian incarnation of the same as especially so. Me, well.... they're not my, eh, bag as it were, but fair play to anyone who likes them and for whom they work. I'm a bi believer in doing your own thing and not caring what others think, or I wouldn't be round these parts... I also reserve a special kind of contempt for those obsessed with everything they (and others) do being sufficiently "manly". They tend to be rather boorish people, on the whole.

 

[steve the hat guy]

Ahhhhhhhh the dreaded murse.......well when i used to take a train to work i used a professional camera bag. It had compartments that helped organize things like ipod’s and wallets so you dont just have one place to dump all your stuff. I always had at least three books in tow and any work i may be taking home and it was roomy enough to keep it all. When i started to carry a lap top i just got a lap top back pack and that worked even better. I still use it though i drive to work, but it carries a lot of stuff.

 

[Captain Lex]

Though after graduation I intend to treat myself to a Saddleback Leather Co. briefcase, I have this for school, for now, as I never much cared for backpacks:

http://www.specopstactical.com/tact....html?osCsid=ab711992c7dfa2ae23e36496e98a4f31

Perhaps I could get by with something like an engineer's bag when I'm not lugging around enormous textbooks all the time.

I frequently carry a lot with me all the time (tool kit, WD-40, super glue, sewing kit, etc), and I sometimes get grief from people that what I have is a "man purse", as though being prepared all the time were somehow feminine, or as if it mattered if it were.

 

[1961MJS]

...I frequently carry a lot with me all the time (tool kit, WD-40, super glue, sewing kit, etc), and I sometimes get grief from people that what I have is a "man purse", as though being prepared all the time were somehow feminine, or as if it mattered if it were.

O.K., this is JUST MY OPINION, but if you have WD-40 and Super Glue in it, IT AIN'T A PURSE. Maybe some ammunition or a hammer would help.

Just my $0.10 (my opinion on this is MUCH better than my other ones).

Later