Bags | Off the Cuff

Frank Clegg, Welcome to the White House

On May 14, 2013, By OTC

Brand building is a tricky business. Try too hard and people don’t trust you, try too little and they won’t even know you exist. Brands with history, and a history of doing something well, have a big advantage. “Authentic” brands possess the quality of longevity and substance – particularly in today’s market.

In an attempt to take advantage of this trend, some companies tout embellished histories or toss around the word “heritage” with casual abandon. They want you to buy into their version of history or their new brand’s freshly imagined “vintage” past. Then there are the guys who actually make stuff, make it well and often forget to toot their own horn. They are craftsmen first and marketers second; a rare bird, frankly. They don’t “market” heritage, their products are their heritage.

So, when the president of the United States went looking for just the right Made-in-America briefcase, he headed directly to Fall River, Massachusetts, and the workshop of Frank Clegg, owner of Frank Clegg Leatherworks.

The briefcase you see at President Obama’s feet in the official White house photo above, propped gently against the legendary Resolute Desk, is Frank’s Double Gusset Zip Top Briefcase, in black harness belting leather.

Exactly how did that outstanding briefcase find its way into the president’s hands? Apart from being one of the finest leather craftsman in the United States and having a roster of devoted customers that literally spans decades…well, Frank won’t say. He confirmed that said briefcase is indeed from Frank Clegg, but beyond that he said simply that he is humbled and honored that it accompanies the president.

OTC is an unabashedly proud and longtime supporter of Frank and his exceptional products. As we said in what is perhaps our favorite post, “Frank Clegg doesn’t just make leather bags; he crafts heirlooms, one at a time, by hand.” For Frank and his craftsmanship to be honored in such a remarkable way is not only fitting, it is validation of function over mere form, substance over flash, and actual heritage over marketing.

Mr. Clegg, welcome to the White House.

35 Years Perfect: The Frank Clegg English Briefcase

On October 25, 2012, By OTC

What makes something a classic? For starters, it helps to have timeless design and durable quality. Also important is the intangible ability to remain stylish, relevant, and useful year after year.

With the recent resurgence interest in handcrafted menswear and heritage brands, the role of the simple bag has been elevated to something akin to choosing a life mate. For men, finding the right bag is a journey through emotion, practicality, personal expression and, more often, provenance. Who made it and how? What kind of leather was used and what tanning process employed? Was it made on an assembly line or by a single craftsman?

When it comes to finding a good bag, here at OTC we are openly biased toward one of the most skilled leather workers in America today – Frank Clegg. You can read more about Frank and his remarkable skill and craftsmanship here.

In additional to being a wonderful guy, a gifted designer and artist, and willing teacher, Frank also helped define what we see today as the most classic of all soft briefcase styles – the English briefcase.

20 years ago, Frank was asked by Cole Haan, then the standard bearer of high-quality men’s leather goods, to come up with a new briefcase to sell under the Cole Haan label. Frank was already producing a Cole Haan collection at the time, including another classic brief, his Leather Lock bag. The new bag, a design he had been manufacturing himself for 15 years, was based on the traditional, academically influenced English dispatch case. Simple, classic, functional, and manly.

The simple part caused some consternation once the design was unveiled. Several of the Cole Haan folks thought that the bag’s body straps were too difficult to use and might be a turn off to potential buyers. The bag was too old-fashioned, it wasn’t sleek enough, or fresh enough, they said.

Frank stuck by his guns, saying he knew that it would be a hit. His own experience had shown him that the quality and design would win out, and he was right. The bag became an instant must-have and one of Cole Haan’s most popular ever. And 35 years later, it’s just as great now as it was then.

For both men and women, the English briefcase represents a back-to-basics approach that combines timeless styling, old world charm, and function.

As bags go, it is simple, straight forward, and purposeful. Double gusseted with signature rounded and polished edges, a large interior zippered compartment, pen slots, card sleeve, and two multifunctional pockets.

In addition to the full-wrap body straps that secure its contents and full-length rear newspaper pocket, this bag also sports another Frank Clegg innovation, the signature all-leather wrapped handle. Deceptively simple looking, making this durable, stylish, and incredibly comfortable handle is a feat in and of itself.

In addition to the traditional offerings, this year Frank has produced a special anniversary edition of this outstanding bag, in hand-stained wild American Alligator.

This 35th anniversary edition of the English briefcase is simply unparalleled. The wild alligator hides are purchased directly from the hunters, custom tanned and hand-stained and finished in Frank’s Fall River, MA, workshop. As this item is made to order, you should allow about two months for delivery. And, at US$7,500, it’s not really an impulse buy. On the other hand, your kids will fight like heck to see who inherits it.

Behind the Brand: J. Panther Luggage

On September 16, 2012, By OTC

We were recently chatting with Darren Gore, of J. Panther Luggage Co., and – in addition to showing us this great little video interview with founder Johnny Diamandis – he gave us sneak peak at some of the their upcoming plans.

This creative and innovative brand initially caught our attention with the multifunctional Courier Ruc briefcase. This winter they will be releasing a canvas version of the Courier Ruc as well as some new colorways for the equally functional-yet-cool Ruc Tote.

Additionally, they have been working on a new bag that is something a little outside the established carry genres, as well as some small leather accessories to be released in the first half of 2013. If the past is any predictor of what’s coming down the road, expect a creative combination of style, materials, and design.

OTC Recommends: J. Panther Courier Ruc

On August 14, 2012, By OTC

This bag surprised us – in a very good way. It is hard to come up with a truly innovative briefcase; something that maintains the high standards of a professional work bag but also takes on a different, less-formal role. The J. Panther Courier Ruc does just that. It’s a briefcase for guys who might not actually think they want a briefcase.

J. Panther Luggage Company was founded by Johnny Diamandis, an Englishman with a distinct vision of creating a brand that reflected his globe-trotting, bike-riding, New York lifestyle. His bags, totes, accessories and luggage are sold around the world at some of the coolest independent shops and regularly highlighted in leading menswear magazines. It’s one of those innovative brands you probably never knew about and, once you did, wish you heard of sooner.

J.Panther’s design aesthetic is the first thing you notice when looking at the Courier Ruc. Classic zip-around brief proportions and a visually satisfying balance frame out the bag. It looks just right; not too big or too small. Let me also point out that I almost always opt for browns over black, but the one we tested in black is definitely a new favorite.

The Courier Ruc is beautifully constructed and elegantly tough. The subtly textured body leather is sourced from the renowned Horween tannery. Of note are the organically shaped smooth aniline leather sections under the handles which visually soften the bag’s minimalist design. This element is repeated on the interior zippered pocket. Robust nylon zippers and substantive hardware indicate that this is not a dainty bag and herein lies one of its clever secrets.

Instead of one long shoulder strap, this bag comes with two shorter straps that can be used to quickly convert the briefcase into a rucksack. Obviously not meant for trekking the Appalachian Trail, this mode is perfect for city-dwelling commuters. Though beautiful to look at, these bags are designed to take a beating and live an active life.

We have tested the rucksack format several times and found it perfectly serviceable when on the move or lugging home extra bags. We also love that this is a purpose-built design element, not a gimmick. When needed, the bag is meant to be carried this way. In regular mode, stash a strap inside and use the other as a standard shoulder strap.

The interior walls are lined in a soft, durable bone-colored synthetic fabric, finished with contrasting grosgrain seam taping, and smooth Horween leather dividers and pockets. The sensible layout of the pockets, pen sleeves, and document slot make for easy organization. The full-length zippered exterior pocket is perfect for storing smaller important items like phone, wallet, metro pass, or keys. Speaking of keys, there is also a study key fob that can also be used as a handy wrist strap.

Overall, this bag is a great portable office, as we recently found out.

The J. Panther Courier Ruc is not an inexpensive bag by any stretch, but this Made-in-America bag is a great investment for someone looking to bring a contemporary twist and versatile functionality to their day.

OTC Heads to Nantucket (Brand Roundup)

On July 18, 2012, By OTC

Last month, the OTC crew loaded up and decamped to the wonderful island of Nantucket. Apart from being the advertizing byword of preppy lifestyle brands, it is also place rich in history and the default vacation destination for generations of New Englanders.

Nantucket is a laid back home to several thousand year-round residents and temporary playground for hundreds of thousands of visitors looking for a little bit of that classic Northeast lifestyle.

Since we were staying for a week, the gang, part of which flew in from LA, opted for a house rental. By no means one of those Architectural Digest vacation palaces, OTC base camp was instead a wonderfully old, creaky, and non-central air equipped shingle house. It was comfy, roomy, and most importantly, walking distance to Children’s Beach and the White Elephant. Altogether, vintage Nantucket.

Keeping us company was a collection of some of the outstanding brands that we have profiled on OTC over the years – we lived in American Giant tees and pocket polos on this trip – and a few we will soon profile in more detail. In this first installment of our Nantucket review, we’ll introduce you to some great products for your next trip and show you how we put many of them to use “on-island.”

Goruck GR1 Backpack
More than any other OTC partner, Goruck was literally with us every step of this trip. From being an all purpose carry-on, walking Nantucket’s cobblestone streets, or biking across the island during a nasty heat wave (albeit to Cisco Brewery), our GR1 was the ultimate travel companion.

The flagship model of this Made in America brand is tough, sturdy, well-balanced, and incredibly comfortable on the go. The company’s product testing? Active duty Special Forces operators on missions we’ll never hear about. Needless to say, it is designed and built to be the only backpack you should ever need.

Intelligently laid out internal pockets and MOLLE webbing throughout allow for customized load distribution. In our case this translated into maps, snacks, camera, sunblock, notebook, water, beach toys, shell collection, and of course Stuffy the dog.

OTC’s GR1; from plane to bike to beach to hoofing it, a reliable workhorse that looks great.

Huge capacity, in this case for a new pair of Nantucket Reds from Murray’s Toggery. Carabiner for toting sand pails to the beach is vintage 1970s (thanks bro!).

In situ: Goruck GR1 and Starboard Clothing Co. ball cap.

The classically nautical Starboard Clothing Co. ball cap.

John Varvatos for Ernst Benz ChronoScope. OTC already profiled this amazing timepiece, check it out.

Our favorite office on the go. J. Panther Luggage Company’s Courier Ruc briefcase was OTC’s mobile home base. This bag might look elegant but it’s built for NYC-level abuse.