Premium Purples

Classic Dana Designs Bomb Pack from eBay (Mine is also purple, but a slightly different colorway)

I always think of the Dana Designs packs which were called "Blurple" - a cheerful hue lurking somewhere between blue and purple - as being my favorite color ever for technical baggage. Since those aren't available aside from eBay, here's a wide range of purple goods that have been catching my eye recently.

Gorgeous Skookum crew neck sweater. Japan-only, of course.

A towel that I shall never get to use.

Japan-only Filson Black Label jacket

Purple sweatshirt

Custom Chacos!

I know, I know. Couldn't resist.

Japan-only Crescent Down Works vest

Japan-only Brady bag

Shopping from the UK: Chapman Bags

It's great to see all these new Chapman special collaborations and Japan special make ups. I've always viewed Chapman as something of a Carhartt to Brady's Filson. Chapman makes terrific, UK-made field bags out of what the testers at the Montgomery Ward Bureau of Standards might designate as good or "economy" quality materials. For example, the rubber lining on my older Solway game bag is starting to crack and the leather is in need of repair. Brady, on the hand, uses top quality bridle leather, solid brass hardware and mil spec webbing--components that result in a premium price. The Brady line is small and focused on a few signature styles (the Ariel, the Trout, the Gelderburn, etc). Chapman, on the other hand, offers limitless variations on classic British and Fishing styles including bags made from linen and tweed along with standard cotton canvas drill. If you cannot afford Michael Palin's $295 Brady Geldenburn , shop from the vintage Chapman catalogs below for terrific, economical alternatives.

Price Guide

Shopping from 1976: Brady Bags

Knowing my obsession with the history of British fishing bags, Brady Brothers was kind enough to loan me this original brochure from 1976. I'm told that when Brady was operating from Halesowen, England, they kept very few original advertisements or print catalogues. Brady issued a small brochure type catalogue every 10 or 15 years since nothing in the product line ever changed. At the time, British fishing and game bags were quite popular and there was usually a 2 year waiting list for a bag like the leather Brady cartridge bag. The small brochure from 1976 is the only one known to exist within the company.

I'd love to see the shopping list current readers would draw up from this catalogue. I own a few bags from this catalogue including the diminuitive Norfolk and the staggering Scot (webbing wider than my shoulder blade). Per Brady's own notes, most of the items pictured in this catalogue are still available today (making the catalogue a bit of a peeking-into-the-past let down). I'm most curious about the items found on the "Miscellaneous" page of the brochure--namely the ferret bag, bridle leather dog collar and rabbit purse nets. I'm wondering if these items should be considered as key accessories in a future heritage clothing collection.

Shopping from 1968: Hunting World

Hunting World Catalog 1968

Spanish leathe "Versatote" (on my Archival Finder list)

More English Fishing Bags (made by Brady, no doubt)

Expedition Canvas Tentage

Kalahari Grill and Fish Locator Glasses

A few more shopping cart items from the catalog that brought you the Springbok hassok, chromed steel "supercube" furniture and genuine zebra luggage tags. Apart from the overabundance of African trophy skins ("obtained by licensed hunters and landowners"), the 1968 Hunting World catalog remains a terrific source for top quality British canvas and Spanish leather game & field bags. One can still locate British versions of thes bags in the catalog by way of Brady (whose models retain the same names). However, I would add the Spanish-made leather "versatote" to my own archival finder last. Wondering if that same small, 5-man saddlemakers shop in the Spanish mountains is still open and available for custom orders.

Hunting World 1975 coming soon (elephant skin loafers and brass pocket pepper grinders!).

Guest Baggage: Brady Gelderburn

Indigo Slims blog author and denim designer, Jessica L., sent me these photographs of her 18 month old Brady Gelderburn fishing bag. The bag is one of the largest in the Brady range and I questioned Jessica on her selection of this specific style (and on why the bag's strap was already so frayed after so few months of use). She replied: "It's quite a big bag for me and i have the strap long, but i am also guilty of overfilling - i use it every day as my handbag & for work stuff. it's also picked up a little indigo from my jeans! occupational hazard."

My own Brady inventory includes the diminuitive Norfolk, a Brady tote and a Japan-only rucksack. But I've always coveted the oversized Gelderburn as a travel bag every since I saw Michael Palin toting one around in his (recommended) BBC documentary, Around the World in 80 days (1989).

Palin shipboard with his Brady Gelderburn

Guest Baggage: Vintage Brady

Cartridge Bag

Discontinued model [name?] & Ariel fishing bag

Sandringham Game Bag

Another submissions to the Brady visual archives by Gus W. who purchased his first bag back in 1986. Here are his notes regarding his Brady collection which includes both fishing and shooting models as well as a more contemporary, urban shoulder bag (no longer available):

The smaller “Ariel” model is, as you know, a fishing creel with a snap in rubber liner. I bought it in 1986 when my son was born because I wanted a masculine and practical diaper bag. After serving its intended purpose flawlessly, I began using it for travel and urban adventures. I bought the second, larger Brady bag in London a year ago at The Dover Street Market to carry artwork. It is nice to see that the workmanship and quality of the leather is as good as ever with Brady. They are wonderful bags.

The [Sandringham] bag with the netting is also vintage since it has the Brady “Halesowen” tag. This heavy canvas bag has a fused rubber liner unlike the snap out liners found on today's bags. I love the look of the netting. I want a large tote bag with that same feature to take to the farmers market!

Shopping from the past: Rucksacks

Photo from a 1998 Filson catalog

Co.Ltd guu-watanabe Zach bag

Frost River Nessmuk pack

Frost River Rucksack for Northern Island (Japan)

Brady rucksack (Japan only)

Frost River rucksack photos courtesy Style Forum

Barbour catalog model with rucksack (make/model?)

If I lived in Japan I'd be president of a regional Filson "going outside" club. We'd take pictures of ourselves wearing full Filson outfits and go on Filson themed camping trips (ala Snow Peak).

My club would write yearly letters to CC Filson petitioning them to bring back clothing and accessories that had been discontinued from their original product line. This year, we would write a letter requesting that Filson reintroduce the nice box style rucksack w/a simple cinch top pictured (in postage stamp scale) in their 1998 catalog. We would request that Filson have the bag made out of the original tin cloth from the Martin company and launch the rucksacks as part of a larger "heritage" line of luggage and clothing based on historical patterns, materials and catalog images.