The Elephant in the Room - Man Purse

[Haversack]

I've mentioned before that for my commute I use a reproduction of an 18th C. natural linen haversack that I get from James Townsend, (http://jas-townsend.com/product_inf...=182&osCsid=8fd388e4d0eeb7a540144fb030f880ff). I use it on a daily basis to carry my lunch, a newspaper, and a book. Since my commute involves 3 miles of hill-walking as well as train and trolley rides, I find the haversack to be much more convenient and easier on the arms than carrying a briefcase would be. And because it is soft, it doesn't take up much space sitting on my feet while riding the trolley. (The train has overhead racks).

I do have a briefcase though. The army required them while attending officer basic and advanced courses at Fort Sill. We had to lug about 20 lbs. of books daily, and knapsack, map cases, or haversacks were deemed "unprofessional" (Mind, we wore fatigues or BDUs as our duty uniform. But since we were not in the field, we couldn't use any our load-bearing gear.) One fringe benefit to carrying briefcases appeared however. In class, we would all be seated at long tables facing the front with our briefcases open in front of us. This became known as 'briefcase defilade' and could be used occasionally to conduct inner-eyelid PMCS.

Haversack

 

[1911 Man]

I have been coveting a Saddleback leather briefcase for a while, just because it's such a great product. The problem is that I don't need a briefcase or carry sack that badly at this time, just on Sundays for my church activities.

However, I was watching the Bourne movies recently, and I started to notice that there are several scenes (in all three movies, if I remember correctly) where many of the men are carrying large shouler bags, some canvas or sporty, others dressier or leather. I certainly don't think it looks out of place, and I notice it all the time here in the Salt Lake City area.
As much as I love my fedora hats, they make me a little more self conscious than a bag.

 

[Edward]

Gorgeous bag.... where'd that one come from?

 

[PADDY]

Saddleback Leather.

Built to withstand bullets (had it some time now, after exchanging an original B-15 jacket).

 

[reetpleat]

I notice it has d rings for attaching a shoulder strap. Am I to understand you would not do so, at risk of being unmanly

 

[Dinerman]

Obviously the way to go.

I have a black victorinox messenger bag for school. Boring, but it carries my books, and is easier than a backpack with a coat on.

 

[PADDY]

'D' Rings (Reply to Matt)

Well, you're quite right, I would not attach a belt/strap to those. They are there for more manly occupations such as for Karibiners so that I can abseil out of buildings in a 'manly' fashion

 

[Edward]

That Saddleback stuff is very nice indeed - It'd make a great palce to stash thed cash from thed bank job I'd need to pull to fund it, too!

 

[Lou]

I take public transportation into the city and usually have books with me for evening classes or personal reading/research, so I need a good shoulder bag. I've had a few and am currently using an LL Bean messenger bag. It's a nice bag, but the exterior is a rough nylon that has made a few unsightly abrasions in my pants where it rubbed against them while I was walking. I'm thinking about replacing it with a full leather bag. Something like Paddy's looks ideal.

 

[John in Covina]

It's a nice bag, but the exterior is a rough nylon that has made a few unsightly abrasions in my pants where it rubbed against them while I was walking.

It might be posible to make an outer section of a smooth material over the rough nylon to prevent the abrasion process...

 

[Rambo66]

For a while in the 80s I carried one of these around when I wasn't at my white-collar job. I dressed like a 1950s blue-collar worker, Lee carpenter jeans, chambray shirt, leather jacket, Redwing boots and...

Can't see the picture, what was it?

 

[Dave the Hick]

Everyone in New York carries a bag occasionally, if not daily.

Hmmm... one more reason not to live in New York.

I have a nice soft leather briefcase, turned into a laptop bag by the addition of some foam, that I carry when I need to. Nothing wrong with carrying a bag if you're carrying stuff. But if you're carrying that much stuff on a daily basis, why? Do you really need to carry that much stuff?

I think that's the problem we non-bag-carriers have with you bag-carriers. It's not the bag itself, it's WTH do you need so much stuff for?

Edit: I see Carebear beat me to it, as he often does on THR.:eusa_doh:

My only real requirements for a bag are that it be reasonably masculine and have two handles so that I can pick it up and carry it without closing it. Mine's a lot like this one, but in leather. Cool thing about it is the shoulder strap, which I hardly use, can be left attached but stuffed down inside so it's out of the way, but available.

 

[Canadave]

Hmmm... one more reason not to live in New York.
...

Aren't you a little new here to be alienating fellow members?

David

 

[Dave the Hick]

Alienating how? Stating my opinion? I didn't get steamed when it was implied that those who find "man-purses" un-masculine have sexuality issues, did I?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

C'mon fellows, lets keep it to the issue at hand.

 

[dhermann1]

We New Yorkers tend to get a little sensitive about the FREQUENT negative remarks about the greatest city in the world made by people who clearly don't know what they're talking about.
Getting back on track, I used to carry a series of different size briefcases back and forth to work with me, and after many many years of doing this, I realized I was neither putting anything into it when I left the house, nor taking anything out of it when I got to work, ever. In other words I totally didn't need it. I have been riding the subway baggage free for years now.
If you ever came to New York and rode the subways, you'd see that the women all carry at least two, often three immense bags at all times. Well, maybe one small one, one large one and one immense one. What they keep in there, God knows. But there are plenty of men, many the majority, who don't carry any bag at all.

 

[scotrace]

Poof!! Sissy!!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Paddy, do you have matching heels for that bag???

 

[Bourbon Guy]

OK. I read some of this thread ages ago, and I'm not going to go through the whole thing, so I may be duplicating something. You may find this interesting.. Scroll....scroll....scroll:

http://archivalclothing.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

Strikes me that man bags, properly done, do not depart too terribly far from the bags we carry in the field for hunting and fishing (killing food; Og make fire) that get pressed into double duty in the city to carry all the stuff we need here.

 

[Lefty]

Billingham Hadley Pro
When it's not acting as my camera bag, the padding comes out and it becomes my shoulder bag.