When you can't choose subtle, go loud

[ExpatInCO]

This is my first post to the forum, after three purchases in six weeks. First up was an Empire Builder, then came a Tri-Star, now a Medium Cafe Bag. I guess I've caught the TB bug.

After years of anonymous black briefcases, messengers, rollaboards and backpacks (and one yellow North Face duffel that turned into a grease-derived bumblebee of sorts, thanks to airline baggage handlers), I finally decided to inject some colour into my repertoire.

I started 2010 out with an Empire Builder that arrived on January 4. It is black/indigo/steel. What an incredible briefcase! Sadly, I think it'll go underutilized for a while, thanks to a change in job responsibilities.

A week after I took delivery of the Empire Builder, I found out I'll be travelling 4 days a week for the foreseeable future. I know myself - the Empire Builder would tempt me to pack too much stuff. I decided to give the one-bag approach a go, and I promptly ordered a Tri-Star in crimson/steel. I love this bag. Build quality is second to none, and ergonomics are terrific. Plus, it's forced me to question everything I pack, and after two weeks I'm sold on avoiding extraneous stuff. The Brain Cell with strap is just about enough for me to go into my clients every day.

Both bags have "quiet" interiors. I decided to choose something different for my third purchase - the Medium Cafe Bag would have a subtle exterior with a vibrant interior. Wow, this has been my hardest decision to date! Looking at the photos, I set my heart on black/cayenne. Only to find it's been discontinued. Such a tease...

Navy/cayenne looks too Denver Broncos for a Colorado resident who prefers rugby union. The other cayenne pairings didn't do it for me. Neither did wasabi as an interior. No solar interiors? Shame, but I understand that some bags get dyneema while others get cordura.

OK, time for plan B. The steel/olive combo shown on the Small Cafe Bag page is a reasonable compromise. Again, no dice. Please stop teasing customers with photos of colour combinations they can no longer have.

What did I choose? I reverted to type, and ordered indigo/steel. It arrives Thursday, one day before I return home. Now I'm wondering what I've ordered. Indigo is such a hard colour to photograph well, and the fabric is different than on the EB, so I don't quite know what to expect. I'd appreciate other owners' impressions while I wait to see it in person.

[gmanedit]

Hi, Expat.

I've wondered about that—two fabrics with the same color name. It would be great if somebody with Indigo bags in Cordura and ballistic nylon photographed them together, side by side, and posted pictures here.

[falconea]

I've just held my Indigo wallet (Cordura) against my Indigo Synapse (Ballistic Nylon), both in the window in natural light and under my office flourescent lights.

At most angles the colour is identical; but there was one angle under flourescent light where the Cordura looked slightly more purple.

The difference is really indistinguishable.

There is a much greater difference in colour between the navy on my 2 year old Kelly/Navy Utlity Tote and the navy on my husband's Synapse. The older navy is a touch brighter, and again, it's virtually impossible to tell apart.

Audrey

[moriond]

I've just held my Indigo wallet (Cordura) against my Indigo Synapse (Ballistic Nylon), both in the window in natural light and under my office flourescent lights.

At most angles the colour is identical; but there was one angle under flourescent light where the Cordura looked slightly more purple.

The difference is really indistinguishable.

There is a much greater difference in colour between the navy on my 2 year old Kelly/Navy Utlity Tote and the navy on my husband's Synapse. The older navy is a touch brighter, and again, it's virtually impossible to tell apart.

Audrey

I agree with this comment; the Cordura and the Ballistic nylon Indigo fabric colors are really very similar, but I should correct Audrey's comment about the Indigo Synapse being Ballistic nylon -- it's Cordura. I was wondering about the color differences before ordering my Synapse, based on the pictures and video that maverick posted. (I have the Tri-Star and Kit in ballistic nylon, and the Synapse and 3D Clear Organizer Cube in cordura, all in Indigo. I'd say the at the web picture of the Indigo Kit is closest to the actual color. Photographing two bags side-by-side would probably give similar (but still incorrect) color impressions.