Bag Dump: What's in My Rickshaw Banzai Bag?

March 8, 2023

So the people have asked, and I have answered. I teased a photo of my Rickshaw “Banzai” Bag - designed specifically for pen people - and which makes a great carry-all for pen shows and meetups. Despite it’s relatively small size, the Banzai Bag holds an astounding number of pens, in addition to notebooks and tablets up to A5 size. Enjoy the unpacking!

The thing that I love about this bag is its versatility. This was a “Pen Club Saturday” loadout, with three separate pen cases, my Plotter A5, plus some highlighters and my Kindle Scribe for some Saturday afternoon reading.

Rickshaw Banzai Bag Interior Pockets — The Banzai Bag is slightly larger than A5 length-wise, and is capable of holding several notebooks and similarly sized tablets in the center, plus accessories in the three interior pockets: two pockets on one side, a single pocket on the other.

Four pen cases that I regularly carry, clockwise from top: Rickshaw six pen roll/wrap, three-pen coozy in tweed, Lochby Quattro in Brown, and a Rickshaw x Nock Co. Sinclair Model R. You can check out the full selection of Rickshaw cases and sleeves here, and see below for some options on how I arrange the different pen cases.

A5 Notebooks for Banzai Bag — In addition to the pen cases show, I’m able to fit two A5 notebooks (my William Hannah A5 and Plotter A5), as well as a Kindle Scribe.

Banzai Notebooks + Pen Cases — Everything fits! I put one of the notebooks (the Plotter A5) in the single side slot and the rest in the center.

All packed up and ready to go to the Baltimore Pen Show!

Come See This Bag in Person at the Baltimore Pen Show!

As I mentioned yesterday, we will be at the 2023 Baltimore Pen Show in-person! I’ll have this bag (not for sale) and many other items (for sale) at the T.G.S. Table! Since we will be traveling, shipment of shop orders may be slightly delayed until early next week, though as always any orders placed will receive some extra T.G.S. Swag as an apology for any inconvenience. Many thanks for your support, and I hope to meet many of you soon!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not include paid advertisements or third-party affiliate links.

Travel Gear: Filson, Traveler's Company, and Lochby

Travel Carry, Part II

March 18, 2022

I rarely buy bags. I only have a handful, and bags - whether you’re referring to backpacks, briefcases, luggage, or whatever - are a “buy it forever” category for me, meaning that I tend to buy good bags and keep them until they fall apart. In terms of daily carry, I own two briefcases, a Filson Original and a leather Lambertson Truex that’s no longer made, a single backpack (a North Face Surge), and a handful of tote bags in various sizes. Over the past few years, the versatile tote bag has become my new favorite product category. My current lineup includes an early version of the Baron Fig “Roamer” bag, as well a recent addition, the Filson Zippered Tote, which is the first bag I’ve purchased in three years.

The Filson Zippered Tote was my "I-don’t-need-fewer-notebooks-I-need-a-bigger-briefcase” purchase. This thing absolutely swallows notebooks, pen cases, legal files, and even a 16-inch laptop if necessary. While it won’t serve as my primary everyday carry bag, it will see plenty of use on days when I need to lug a bunch of stuff to work, and certainly when I travel.

Since I’m still on the road (and can’t wait to get home tonight), I thought it might be fun to do this short post on travel carry. Pics shown here have been taken in real time, and accurately reflect what I’ve been using for the past week-plus. Links below. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of the third-party links in this e-mail are paid affiliate links, and I am not receiving any compensation in exchange for listing them here. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Filson Original Briefcase (via Filson). I have the original twill in “Otter Green”, and it’s lasted me well over five years. While not a fancy backpack, Filsons are essentially indestructible, have three compartments for files, a laptop, iPad, etc., and a few pen slots.
Filson Zippered Tote Bag (via Filson). As discussed above, this Filson twill tote is extremely versatile. In the short time I’ve owned it, it’s been used for everything from an overnight carry-on to a larger briefcase.
North Face Surge Backpack (via North Face). Though I don’t carry a backpack that often - typically only when I’m flying or at a pen show where I need something more ergonomic than a shoulder bag - I’ve loved this older version of the Surge, a classic North Face backpack that has three versatile compartments and can hold multiple laptops, sometimes a necessity for work trips.
BaronFig Tote Bag (via BaronFig). My first “grown up” tote bag that I purchased after they were first released by BaronFig several years ago. A great basic tote for the grocery store, library, and sometimes work. It’s also my “pen club” bag when I’m carting pens, paper, and products for local delivery.
Traveler’s Notebook Standard Size. My go-to work notebook, and overall my favorite notebook system that I appreciate for its customization options. I have the blue, and you can see exactly how I’ve customized my notebook with my most-used refills and accessories in this post from last year.
Lochby Field Journal. The rugged Lochby series of notebook covers and cases serves as the perfect complement to my Filson gear when traveling. The Field Journal notebook cover holds as many as six A5 notebooks (depending on thickness, of course). For maximum capacity opt for the Lochby refills, which come in a variety of rulings and feature exceptional Tomoe River 68gsm paper.
Lochby Tool Roll. While it’s currently sold out (more on the way!) the Lochby Tool Roll made it’s debut as my primary pen show travel case, and I don’t see it being dethroned anytime soon. The Tool Roll holds at least a dozen pens, plus it has additional pockets to stow notecards, post-its, and more.
Lochby Pocket Journal. Another excellent Lochby item that I carried at the Baltimore Pen Show this past weekend and used to test pens and nibs. In addition to holding two regular-size pocket notebooks (or a notebook plus passport), the Lochby Pocket Journal has an exterior pen slot for a larger fountain pen, plus smaller items like cards. You could easily use the Pocket Journal as a larger wallet.

Baron Fig Launches New Bag Line: The Tote, The Backpack, and The Messenger

May 2, 2017

It's hard to believe that it's been exactly four years since Baron Fig launched the Confidant notebook via Kickstarter, and the company has grown quickly since. Baron Fig's product lineup now includes not only the Confidant, but the Vanguard notebooks, the Squire pen, and the Archer pencil, all of which are also available as a part of a limited edition subscription service. But Baron Fig isn't done! The Company is expanding yet again, launching their third Kickstarter campaign and announcing a new line of three bags: the Tote, the Backpack, and the Messenger.

All three bags will be available in two colors: Charcoal or "Fig Wine," and feature a privacy pocket, cotton weave straps, tool pockets, and more.

“Our six-person team produced over 50 iterations of these bags over the past year, so we’re excited to debut the results to the world.”

— Adam Kornfield, Co-Founder

I'm not really a backpack guy, but I will probably be all-in on either the Messenger or the Tote. The pricing looks good, with the Tote priced at $45 for an Early Bird / $50 for Campaign / $55 Retail; the Backpack at $85 Early Bird / $90 Campaign / $95 Retail; and the Messenger at $75 Early Bird / $80 Campaign / $85 Retail. There is also an "all the bags" option and some bundles that include special editions of other Baron Fig products. You can find more details here, on the Kickstarter page.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, though Baron Fig provided me with early access to information about the project. All photos in this post were provided by, and are property of, Baron Fig.