Empire Builder

[MTeric22]

I would like a messenger/briefcase with a larger capacity than the Cadet or Pilot. Does anyone know where to find an Empire Builder?

[G42]

I would like a messenger/briefcase with a larger capacity than the Cadet or Pilot. Does anyone know where to find an Empire Builder?

The Empire Builder was discontinued, so your only options are on the secondary market (Craigslist, eBay, and such). There's also an unofficial Buy/Sell/Trade enthusiast group on Facebook. There's also trading/selling/ISO on the Ravelry site, in the TB subgroup.

These Forums aren't set up for Sale or blanket ISO posts, though there is a swap/announcement sub-Forum in the registered users section - please check out the guidelines below.

https://forums.tombihn.com/forum/tom...les-guidelines

[MTeric22]

Thank you.

[moriond]

I would like a messenger/briefcase with a larger capacity than the Cadet or Pilot. Does anyone know where to find an Empire Builder?

The Empire Builder was discontinued, so your only options are on the secondary market (Craigslist, eBay, and such).

@MTeric22,
Just to note, retiring the Empire Builder was a relatively recent decision (see the 29 November 2020 Blog post on Haveable bags for happy holidays where they alert customers that this would be one more (i.e. last) opportunity to order the Empire Builder). This has twice the volume of a Pilot — comparable to the volume of the Synik 22 backpack, but weighs nearly twice as much (4 lbs) empty. (You can bring that down a bit if you don’t carry the dividers). A slightly smaller version of the Empire Builder, called the Zephyr, was retired in 2015 (along with many large messenger bags) Classic Designs Retiring To Make Way For New blog post. Zasky wrote comparison reviews in 2007:
Empire Builder & Zephyr: A Comparison, Part I
https://forums.tombihn.com/forum/tom...parison-part-i
Empire Builder & Zephyr: A Comparison, Part II
https://forums.tombihn.com/forum/tom...arison-part-ii

These are harder to find since most people hang onto the Zephyr.

A recent version of the Empire Builder went up on eBay about the time you posted. I t includes a laptop cache (of unspecified size). No details, but the label used on the bag indicates that it has to be made after mid-2015, since they changed the label design that year just after posting those “Classic Design” retirements.

[MTeric22]

I have a bid in for it. Wish me luck!

[MTeric22]

SCORE! I was able to pick up an Empire Builder off EBay. Can’t wait for it to arrive. Next, create my shopping list for Wednesday morning.

Please share any kind of hacks you may have for my new purchase.

[jobeyonekenobi]

SCORE! I was able to pick up an Empire Builder off EBay. Can’t wait for it to arrive. Next, create my shopping list for Wednesday morning.

Please share any kind of hacks you may have for my new purchase.

This isn’t meant as a glib comment (I absolutely promise). That beauty weighs an absolute tonne.
The best hack I’ve found from using it for 6 years at work travelling around the UK on trains and planes is to judiciously use the shoulder strap and to make sure that you alternate shoulders.
Unless you do have a solid use case for them, take the file dividers out and save some weight.
One more thing: steel yourself for the large amount of admiring looks you’ll be getting. That 1050 ballistic fabric makes the bag shine beautifully in certain light and looks completely bomb proof.

I can’t wait to hear how you get on!

[vcdgrips]

I too managed to score an EB via EBay this month.

I concur 100% re the use of a quality padded strap. It does carry “heavier” that the Synik 30 with exactly the same load.

One could easily do a 5 day business trip with a quality 21 inch spinner and the EB.