The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Tidal (faded blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with a Sakura (pale pink with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with a Coyote (brown with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Dusk (blue-grey) Cerylon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with Moss (green) Cerylon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Acai (dark purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Coyote (brown with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Tidal (faded blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Seafoam (faded green with white grid) Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. The Maker's Bag in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Night Walk The Maker's Bag in Night Walk with a Moab Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Original (black with white grid) 400 Halcyon. The Maker's Bag in Original Halcyon with an Acai Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Original Halcyon with an Island Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Black 630 Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Black with Persimmon interior. The Maker's Bag in Black Ballistic with a Cerise Halcyon lining. The Maker's Bag in Black 525 Ballistic with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Black Ballistic with a Wisteria Halcyon lining. The Maker's Bag in Black Ballistic with a Zest Halcyon lining. The Maker's Bag in Black 525 Ballistic with a Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Black with Sangria interior. The Maker's Bag in Black Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Black 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Burnt Orange 630 Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (grey) Ballistic with Marigold (yellow) Cerylon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with a Acai (dark purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey )525 Ballistic with a Wasabi (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with a Moab (brick red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey )525 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey )525 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey )525 Ballistic with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey )Ballistic with a Sakura (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) 630 Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with a Persimmon (dark orange with orange grid) 210 Cerylon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (grey-brown) Ballistic with Seafoam (faded green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic with a Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with a Wisteria (pale purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with a Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Wilderness (forest green) 630 Ballistic. Maker's Bag in Wilderness Ballistic in Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon. The Maker's Bag in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Coyote (brown) Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Maker's Bag in Mars Red (brick red) Ballistic. The Maker's Bag in Mars Red (brick red) Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior.
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Maker's Bag

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 Stars (254 Reviews)

$160.00

Color: Aubergine Ballistic/Tidal 200 Halcyon

In Stock

Available Color options

A messenger bag designed for the makers, the creators.

13 liters / 750 cu. in.

Add a Cache
$51.00 - 10A (10.5" 2021 iPad/ iPad Air/Pro)
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The back of the Maker's Bag An overhead shot of the interior of The Maker's Bag. An overhead shot of the interior of The Maker's Bag. A Maker's Bag filled with a Maker's Bag Freudian Slip and notepad. A Maker's Bag filled with knitting and tools.
A person walking up some stairs with a Maker's Bag. A person carrying a portable easel with a Maker's Bag slung cross-body. A person carrying a portable easel with a Maker's Bag slung cross-body. A Maker's Bag on a table with its contents arranged on the table. A close shot of the interior of the Maker's Bag, packed with a water bottle, painting tools, and a notebook. A Maker's Bag holding art supplies including a water color pallet. A full Maker's Bag free-standing on the ground with a Yarn Stuff Sack next to it. A person removing a tablet from their Maker's Bag. A close shot on the front zippered pocket. A person pulling a pair of shears out of their Maker's Bag. A Maker's Bag on a table surrounded by breadboarding electronics.. A person descending a set of stairs while carrying the Maker's Bag. A person kniggin with tier Maker's Bag on the table next to their Yarn Stuff Sack and notes. A Maker's Bag surrounded by knitting and accessories. A Maker's Bag holding knitting and knititng supplies. A person pulling a cable from thier Maker's Bag. A person pulling a set of cable knitting needles from their Maker's Bag. A person removing a cable knitting needles from the front pocket of a Maker's Bag. A pair of large, wooden knitting needles being carried in the Maker's Bag.. A pair of large knitting needles and a knitting project stored in a Maker's Bag. A person knitting in front of their Maker's Bag.
A thumbnail for a video showing off the Maker's Bag features. A thumbnail of a video showcasing the Maker's Bag.

TLDR

A messenger bag with lots of built-in organization, designed with makers, artists, and creators in mind. Just like the Café Bags, the Maker's Bag is stylized with a distinctive asymmetrical flap.

  • Main compartment with 5 elastic-banded open-top pockets, 4 O-rings, and 1 interior zippered back pocket
  • Front zippered pocket under the front flap with 4 open-top organizational pockets in the interior, plus 1 O-ring
  • Quick-access exterior slip pocket on the back side of the bag

Want to add even more organization? Consider checking out the Maker's Bag Freudian Slip.

Full Description

The general contours of the Maker's Bag (with the exception of its exaggerated thickness) follow those of the Café Bags. To us, the Maker's Bag was a logical extension of the Café Bags, but with a volume and wider base closer to that of the Swift. Its wide bottom and piping help it to stand up on its own: that way, you can access your stuff without holding it open. That thickness also means that it's big enough that with the flap up, you can see easily into the main compartment.

Main Compartment

Under the asymmetrical flap is an open-top main compartment. The front interior wall and interior ends of the main compartment have five sewn-on organizational pockets. The three pockets on the front interior wall are made with elastic-banded open-top halcyon or Cerylon fabric. A Clear 3D Organizer Cube can fit in the center pocket of three, and a pen/pencil case can fit in either the left or right pocket. The remaining two pockets, one on each interior end, are made with a stretchy mesh fabric. These two pockets are ideal for stowing a travel mug or water bottle. The remainder of the main compartment can store the Travel Tray, a laptop (up to 13") in a Cache, a Maker's Bag Freudian Slip, a jacket, lunch, or supplies of any kind. 

The main compartment has four O-rings, two on the front and one on each end. The O-ring on the left side of the main compartment of the Maker's Bag has an included 8" Key Strap. The O-rings are here for you when you want to tether on additional organizer pouches, Cubelets, or 3D Cubes.

On the back interior wall of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. This pocket is an ideal place for a small laptop (up to 11") or tablet, magazine, or folded jacket or sweater.

Zippered Pocket Under Front Flap

On the exterior front side of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. The pocket unzips from left to right. One O-ring is thoughtfully placed to allow immediate access to a Key Strap, Organizer Pouch, and/or wallet without even fully unzipping the compartment. 

Inside the zippered pocket are four open-top organizational pockets of equal size, perfect for storing your phone, small notebook, and glasses/sunglasses case. The remainder of the pocket has room for an e-reader, book, snacks, gloves, and other larger items. 

Slanted Slip Pocket in the Back

On the back exterior side, right behind the grab handle is a slanted slip pocket that covers the entire width of the bag. This pocket is designed to store quick-access items.

What's Included

Standard Shoulder Strap

1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend, quiet, or replace your metal pulls.

Gatekeeper Hip Belt

Attach this to the unobtrusive webbing loops on the sides of the Side Hustle if you want to wear this as a sling bag or waist pac

What's Optional

Freudian Slip

The Maker's Bag Freudian Slip adds five additional pockets of organization — three zippered pockets on one side and two large open top pockets on the other. Believe it or not, the Maker's Bag can fit two Freudian Slips!

Cache

The Maker's Bag can generally fit up to a 13" laptop (we encourage you to double check your laptops' dimensions before purchasing). We have various sizes of our Cache for 13" laptops.

Under the asymmetrical flap is an open-top main compartment. The front interior wall and interior ends of the main compartment have five sewn-on organizational pockets. The three pockets on the front interior wall are made with elastic-banded open-top halcyon or Cerylon fabric. A Clear 3D Organizer Cube can fit in the center pocket of three, and a pen/pencil case can fit in either the left or right pocket. The remaining two pockets, one on each interior end, are made with a stretchy mesh fabric. These two pockets are ideal for stowing a travel mug or water bottle. The remainder of the main compartment can store the Travel Tray, a laptop (up to 13") in a Cache, a Maker's Bag Freudian Slip, a jacket, lunch, or supplies of any kind. 

The main compartment has four O-rings, two on the front and one on each end. The O-ring on the left side of the main compartment of the Maker's Bag has an included 8" Key Strap. The O-rings are here for you when you want to tether on additional organizer pouches, Cubelets, or 3D Cubes.

On the back interior wall of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. This pocket is an ideal place for a small laptop (up to 11") or tablet, magazine, or folded jacket or sweater.

On the exterior front side of the main compartment is a zippered pocket that spans the width of the Maker's Bag. The pocket unzips from left to right. One O-ring is thoughtfully placed to allow immediate access to a Key Strap, Organizer Pouch, and/or wallet without even fully unzipping the compartment. 

Inside the zippered pocket are four open-top organizational pockets of equal size, perfect for storing your phone, small notebook, and glasses/sunglasses case. The remainder of the pocket has room for an e-reader, book, snacks, gloves, and other larger items. 

On the back exterior side, right behind the grab handle is a slanted slip pocket that covers the entire width of the bag. This pocket is designed to store quick-access items.

Standard Shoulder Strap

1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend, quiet, or replace your metal pulls.

Gatekeeper Hip Belt

Attach this to the unobtrusive webbing loops on the sides of the Side Hustle if you want to wear this as a sling bag or waist pac

Freudian Slip

The Maker's Bag Freudian Slip adds five additional pockets of organization — three zippered pockets on one side and two large open top pockets on the other. Believe it or not, the Maker's Bag can fit two Freudian Slips!

Cache

The Maker's Bag can generally fit up to a 13" laptop (we encourage you to double check your laptops' dimensions before purchasing). We have various sizes of our Cache for 13" laptops.

Materials

Exterior Fabrics

bluesign® certified High-Tenacity 630 denier Ballistic nylon

Interior Fabrics

bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop
or
bluesign® certified 210 denier High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic nylon

Zippers

#5 YKK Coil Zipper with plastic sliders
#8 YKK Racquet-Coil Zipper

Specs

Dimensions

13.6" (w) x 10" (h) x 6.9" (d) / 345 (w) x 255 (h) x 175 (d) mm

Weight

630d Ballistic: 1 lb 2.6 oz / 530 grams

Volume

13 liters / 750 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Total O-Rings

5 (4 in the main compartment, 1 in the front zippered pocket)

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 254 reviews
92%would recommend this product
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254 reviews
  • Christopher C.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Compact, Versatile
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Compact, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Outstanding Day Bag

    I cannot recommend this bag enough. I purchased it for a trip to Japan to use as a day bag separate from my larger backpack, and it worked fantastically. As many know, you have to carry your trash with you in Japan until you can find a spot to toss it, and as many more know, you're going to want to buy snacks and beers and souvenirs again (all conveniently located at any Lawson) right after you ditch your bag of trash. This bag handles everything in those categories (and more), and best of all, you can keep your tech and trash and snacks all separated with the dedicated organization (should you have trouble locating a waste basket).

    Plus, the bag is a pretty good size to flex into a secondary carry should your visit to the Nintendo museum leave you with a few more pieces of swag on your way home, while maintaining a slim profile should you visit some tiny shops and crowded beer stands as you navigate in-country. And then when you get home, you can use it as the perfect EDC bag while you work to save up money to go to Japan again.

    Don't sleep on the Maker's Bag!

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  • Andrew B.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Gift
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Great Gift
    1 week ago
    Bought For Gift
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Great Gift
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Excellent Design

    Bought this as a gift for my partner who was looking for a nice over the shoulder bag to carry a few more items in their EDC. This bag works well and looks great!

    Was this helpful?
  • Chris M.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship
    Rated 2 out of 5 stars
    I really want to love this bag…but can’t.

    The materials in this bag are excellent, and so is the craftsmanship. For me the issue is the design. I didn’t want a full on camera bag with all the extra weight the padding provided, so I thought the Maker’s Bag would be perfect. Boy do I miss the structure of that padding. The lack of structure in this bag makes it difficult to use effectively. I also find it uncomfortable against my back or hip when I’m carrying it. I’ve started filling the large back pocket with something to give it some support. But now I’ve lost the use of that pocket for something I actually want to carry, and it’s heavier than if they had just given the bag a bit of structure in the first place. Dropping my mirrorless camera into the bag makes it collapse around the camera, and makes it nearly impossible to take advantage of the piles of extra space in the bag. Even being made from a stiffer material would have solved much of the issue.

    I’m still debating if I keep the bag or not. I’m super disappointed as I’ve heard great reviews of these bags from friends. But this bag is not super useful as is, and it’s a bit too expensive to keep for the limited use I’m getting from it.

    Was this helpful?
  • Jennifer V.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Craftsmanship, Versatile
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Craftsmanship, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    My husband keeps stealing my bags

    This is my second Makers Bag and the third Tom Bibb that my husband has kept for himself after seeing how much I like them. Needless to say, we have matching pairs of them all. The Makers Bag is super versatile, allows for multiple types of uses, and the newer addition of a back outside pocket is chefs kiss.

    While I do wish customers could customize all of the bags color combinations, I’m nearly always able to find something that works with my current colors and schemes.

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  • christopher B.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Durable
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Durable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Perfect for workday or travel

    Great bag with thought sewn into every stich and pocket! I love this for short duration work travel or for bringing along for vacation fun.

    Was this helpful?
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Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

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