Timbuk2 messenger bags – print them with Spreadshirt

Printable Timbuk2 bags at Spreadshirt

As part of my job, I glorify products. This time, it’s easy, because it sure is hard as hell NOT to like Timbuk2 messenger bags. The ones you can pimp with your personal design at Spreadshirt now. Sound cheesy? Well, you just look at the bags. They are simply very very good fare. Can you ever be more of a bag in this life, than being a Timbuk2 bag? I doubt it. They have it all, these bagalicious beauties. Geological Durability (for they will probably outlive you, son), humble and pragmatic origins (bike messengers, the ones with titanium skeletons, carried them riding SF streets. In the fifties, their predecessors were in use by pole men fixing telephone lines). Ok, what was I supposed to say? Ah yeah. HURRY, WE HAVE LIMITED STOCK OF THESE ONLY! The above bag, by the way, is with a „Space Invaders“ design. By way of an example. The middle panel is printable. See interview with Lizzy from Timbuk2 inside the post.

Timbuk2 have been a pioneer in mass customization - what was your biggest challenge?

We are constantly working to make our bag builder faster, easier, and more meaningful. Our customers form meaningful bonds with their bags and we think those stories are worth telling. Our challenge is to tell those stories without biasing our customers in their design process.

What is the percentage of customized vs readymade products in Timbuk2 sales?

50% of our online sales are in custom bags

What are your plans in terms of assortment?

Definitely plan to grow overseas; we want to grow customization so all customers can build exactly what they want! Laptop bags and urban packs are big focus for us because of the growing number of urbanites who commute by bike and/or work remotely.

Are you designing the bags inhouse? the patterns for custom made bags?

Our in-house team develop some fabrics and select others. All our non-custom bags are designed in-house.

Can I see from a specific bag if it is made in SF or in China?

Yes, all our bags contain a made in SF tag and our product pages communicate if the bag is made in SF or is imported.

Are you field testing your bags?

We have a wear-testers program where a community of users test different bags and send us feedback. It’s a critical part of our design process. See some pics here

The pro planet line is made from hemp and PET. What are the regular bags made from?

Our bags are made from a variety of materials including ballistic nylon, cordura and hemp/PET. Wherever possible, we incorporate sustainable materials like Hemp/PET and TPU (we’re PVC free), so long as they don’t compromise the durability of our products. Our pro-planet bags are those that incorporate sustainable materials, but all our bags are held to our tougher-than-though durability standards.

Can I find information about the materials used for the bags? Who is ‘melting the bottles’?

Good question. Stay tuned for more info on our site in the future.

What is the most surprising thing ever to come out of a timbuk2 bag in your experience?

A dog!

What do the bags weigh?

Weights vary by style and size but a medium messenger bag weighs 2.1 lbs or 0.95 kg.

Is there a warranty on Timbuk2 bags?

We offer a lifetime quality gurantee and we mean it! If your bag needs repair we’ll fix it for you, if it needs a new home, we’ll find one for it. The bag must go on!

Interview with Rob Honeycutt, founder of Timbuk2