Wotancraft or Ona?

...I just think you ought to pimp up those saddle oxfords to match the bag. I mean, get some serious oxblood going on the toe cap!

If this thread doesn't vanish, I'll post a pic of mine when it arrives. I blame you and Joe the bagman and your spouse for getting me to pimp up my bag life. Which is to say, I can't wait till it gets here.
 
I suppose I could crazy those boots even more, but up close they're fairly over the top (John Fluevog isn't too subtle about his styles!). The ones I have are a discontinued pair of Bankers.
 
back alley said:
i just ordered this bag...

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in the new size, inbetween small and medium, for mirrorless cameras...
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just got home from holiday and the bag was waiting for me...it's too small for what i wanted...the fujis are too big...i should have gone with the medium size!
 
actually, now that i have played with it a bit more the smaller bag will work for the x-e1 with lens attached and one more lens...the dividers are sewn to the inside of the bag at both ends...for some reason i thought they were sewn at one end and the other end had velcro but i have no idea how i came to that conclusion.
the bag will be good for me after all...just not as convenient as i originally thought.
 
Are you happy with the quality of the bag?

I spoke with Robyn at length a couple of weeks ago, and she was considering reducing the amount of padding in her bag (particularly based upon the comments here). Don't know if yours has the same amount of padding in mine -- I don't really mind it, but I think it would be better with about 1/2 the padding that's currently in the front and two sides. I had to reconfigure mine a bit, in terms of where I put things in the bag. My Rocket blower now sits in the bottom of the main compartment, and my Monochrom sits on top of it. Thinner things like filters, lens cloth and cards are in the front compartment, and this seems to be a better arrangement.

I still love mine, though admittedly I just bought a small leather Longchamp shoulder bag in....I hate to admit it.....black with white stitching!
 
the padding seems fine...my guess is that it's thinner in the smaller bag.
i don't think i like the sewn in dividers...i may just cut them out and use some velcro ones i have here.
i like the size...good for only a few items which i like for just a few hours walkabout.
my ipad mini fits in there as well.
 
My medium Portreen arrived. Beautiful--Mahogany, black, tan, with what she calls the tapestry insert.

Comfortably fits 2 bodies/2 lenses + GRDIV, mini iPad, computer glasses, and small accessories. This will not be the Slumming-in-the-Rain bag (have a bigger canvas Gap messenger with waterproof core for that).

All Ricoh today, baby (shot with the GRD4).




The shoulder strap is velcroed for easy removal.





 
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Great looking bag! I'm sure my wife would approve.

How do you like that shoulder pad? I did end up switching out my shoulder pad, and have been using a Billingham version, which is really great (I've had it sitting around here for about 10 years). I have a version like the one you have (she sent it to me at no charge), so I may possibly switch back. I do like the idea of being able to remove it if you don't want to use it.

As to the 'waterproofedness' of the bag, as illustrated in that earlier photo of me in NYC, I didn't have any problems with it at all. The canvas is a waxed type, and the leather can be treated with a Dubbin/waterproofing material if you were concerned. But yeah, not sure how it would do in a constant downpour.
 
The shoulder pad is a pretty bonus; I just wanted one, though this one is more about weight distribution than about serious cushioning. I can't load down the bag enough to require serious cushioning anyway. (Maybe with 2 Bronicas I could.) But I do have an original Timbukt2 with a removable strap if ever I need more cushioning.
 
One of the issues that I've had with my Porteen bag is the fact that it has too much padding in the front panel (about 1" thick). As a result, it's been lingering in my closet for several months. This morning, however, I decided use my wife's seam ripper from her sewing kit, and found out exactly how much padding was in that front panel. Turns out it was a 31" piece of 1/2" thick foam folded in half. So I cut the foam in half, threw out one half, and put the other half back in. Then I had my kind neighbour (who can sew thick fabric such as this) sew up the seam that I ripped open. Now it's perfect!
 
Vince Lupo said:
One of the issues that I've had with my Porteen bag is the fact that it has too much padding in the front panel (about 1" thick). As a result, it's been lingering in my closet for several months. This morning, however, I decided use my wife's seam ripper from her sewing kit, and found out exactly how much padding was in that front panel. Turns out it was a 31" piece of 1/2" thick foam folded in half. So I cut the foam in half, threw out one half, and put the other half back in. Then I had my kind neighbour (who can sew thick fabric such as this) sew up the seam that I ripped open. Now it's perfect!
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They were going for ultimate protection!
 
No Frank they are here and they live (and that's funny, as I thought Rochester was in a galaxy all its own). Once I finally personalized it (yes, even more so!), it's a very nice bag. Well made, unique-looking (shall we say!) and definitely not mistaken for a camera bag!
 
Frank Petronio said:
Wow I had no idea these sorts of bags existed. In a distant galaxy far far away I hope.
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I have to admit - I straight came and read your post when I saw you were the last poster in that thread (which I haven't read at all). 😛

Now let's have a look at what it is all about...

Jesus-Christ ! 😱
 
MartinP said:
Luckily no-one asked me else I would have steered them to Courierware - where one can also customise the bag with a woven finish and so on if you wish (though I'd avoid choosing any padding, apart from the base). The basic Courierware designs are far more practical in my opinion, based on four (five?) years of use, but then I'm not thinking along the same decorative lines as your wife!
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+1 Have Courierware direct and BBB bags (Courierware rebadged). With up to 4 years use, little to no wear, relatively inexpensive, comfortable. Stealthy, unfashionable (except maybe as urban dive-wear), practical.

That said, having shown her Vince's bag (my mistake), my spouse is witheringly attacking my lack of any measurable style points.
 
MCTuomey said:
That said, having shown her Vince's bag (my mistake), my spouse is witheringly attacking my lack of any measurable style points.
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Sounds like your spouse and mine should get together. On second thought, might not be such a hot idea -- you and I would likely be the recipients of their styling schemes! You see what happened to me.

This was the deal when I ordered this bag -- like the rest of you guys, I've generally tended to the grey/brown/black/blah bags. Domke F-803 Waxwear is still my go-to bag. But there was something about Robyn's camera bags that I thought was interesting (maybe it was her 'different' approach to what a camera bag could look like). Naturally, I was gravitating to the 'tamer' designs that she had on offer, so I printed a few of them off and showed my wife. She thought they were all 'boring' (her words), so I said to her: "Tell you what - YOU pick the fabrics, and I'll order it. The only stipulation is that it has to be a 'Medium' bag. Other than that, I'll keep my mouth shut." And this is what my loving wife came up with. A few adjustments here and there (shortening those pieces of fabric on the inside for the lens storage, and getting rid of half the padding, among others), and I've really grown to like the bag. Plus it keeps my wife happy.

I'm just thankful she didn't go for the 'elephant' fabric!
 
I recently received my 1st medium size, custom-designed Porteen bag and like it a lot. It is very "manly" yet light, soft, pliant in the right places, and well padded. I typically use it with my Pentax K-5 with a 21mm lens mounted and the 70-200 in the other slot. Super comfy to carry too.
 
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