Discussion of New Colors, New Designs

[Skirata44]

I was reading through the TB facebook page and someone on there suggested Ursa/Sitka as a color combination, once things get slightly back to normal. Two things: I can't believe I never thought of that combo, and also yes please.

[moriond]

Apologies if this is a silly question, but is there a reason the Synik 22 has so many more "in production" options right now than the Synik 30?

Hi @GeetaJonsdottir ,

Welcome to the forums. Let me try to add some more details to @G42 ’s reply. The production batches for items like the Synik 22 and the Synik 30 are usually slightly staggered, and a check of the New Bags and Colors Ready to Order thread shows

01/24/2020 New Bags and Colors Ready to Order
I Stumbled Upon an Unbelievably Thorough Carrot Museum Website Edition

01/24/2020 New Bags and Colors In Production
New colors on the way! We don't have photos of all of these yet but will very soon!

Synik 30, Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic/Solar 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Wilderness Green 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Ursa Brown 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Black 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Solar 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Constellation Blue 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Coyote 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon

Synik 22, Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic/Solar 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Wilderness Green 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Ursa Brown 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Black 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Solar 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Constellation Blue 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 22, Coyote 525 Ballistic/NW Sky 200 Halcyon

and

03/06/2020 New Bags and Colors Ready for Order
Super Fun Double Carabiner Edition

Synik 30, Black 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic/Island 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Mars Red 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Aubergine 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Black 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Coyote 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Deep Blue 525 Ballistic/Solaris 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic/Solaris 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Ursa 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Wilderness 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Constellation 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Synik 30, Coyote 525 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon

** Photos of those new colors will be coming next week but you can see about how they'll look on the Synik 22 page: Coyote, Constellation, Ursa, Wilderness

So, you can see that the last major refresh of the Synik 22 laptop stock was near the end of January, while for the Synik 30, it was at the beginning of March. Normally, when active new items sell out on the product web site, they move into the “In production” category. In addition, they announced new color combinations with Solaris and Coyote Halcyon, so those planned combinations got added to the In Production category for the Synik 22 (this all happened in February before the massive lockdowns due to the Coronavirus).

In March, regular factory operations shut down, and they converted to mask making (you can read the latest updates on the blog and go back to follow the earlier timeline of events). But, as part of that, there are no more new color combinations with Solaris and Coyote Halcyon interiors that are listed in the “In Production” category, and although Synik 30s that sell out still automatically move into the “In Production” list, we don’t know when exactly they will be able to start working on regular production of Tom Bihn products again.

HTH,

moriond

[GeetaJonsdottir]

Hi @GeetaJonsdottir ,

Welcome to the forums. Let me try to add some more details to @G42 ’s reply. The production batches for items like the Synik 22 and the Synik 30 are usually slightly staggered, and a check of the New Bags and Colors Ready to Order thread shows

...

HTH,

moriond

Thank you so much moriond, that was a tremendous help. So essentially if a Synik 30 from the 3/6 list no longer appears for sale, one can assume the existing stock has been depleted but may circle back around at some point to the In Production queue? I love the contrast the Solaris provides to the blue and grey exteriors and hope it returns, though as you said it's anybody's guess as to when. In the meantime I'm purchasing some bits-and-bobs pouches just to show my support for TB's noble undertaking.

Much appreciated,
Geeta

[moriond]

Thank you so much moriond, that was a tremendous help. So essentially if a Synik 30 from the 3/6 list no longer appears for sale, one can assume the existing stock has been depleted but may circle back around at some point to the In Production queue? I love the contrast the Solaris provides to the blue and grey exteriors and hope it returns, though as you said it's anybody's guess as to when. In the meantime I'm purchasing some bits-and-bobs pouches just to show my support for TB's noble undertaking.

Much appreciated,
Geeta

Yes, that’s correct. The Synik 30s still have more bags in stock than the Synik 22, because they were restocked later. I agree with your assessment of Solaris, and I was actually surprised that a lone Nebulous Grey/Solaris Synik managed to remain in stock for as long as it did. Perhaps it was @Perseffect ’s call on forum folks to support Tom Bihn by purchasing items that are in stock that moved someone to snag it.

They may have actually started on the making of some of the Synik 22s that were in production at the time they shut down regular operations, which might explain why those bags are still in the “In Production” queue. A few additional items that were close to release, like the Original design Icon (without the shoulder pad, and no Solaris versions), were recently made available.

Thanks for your continued support, and please ask back on the forums or to the TB folks via email if you have questions.

moriond

[Perseffect]

Hi @wei0323 ,

Welcome to the forums. You can try contacting customer support, but best guess is no, the Deep Blue/Iberian color combination won’t be offered again since Iberian 200d Halcyon has been retired



The last production batch that used Iberian was in January (accessories in the form of 3D Organize Cubes), and these all have sold out. There are a few remaining larger bags that have Iberian that were made earlier — most notably the Synapse 19 in Deep Blue/Iberian with the original bound backpack straps. Very few Iberian accessories remain: the small travel tray, a few travel stuff sacks, one large snake charmer are some examples. @Perseffect purchased the last Tri-Star in 1050d Navy Ballistic Nylon/Iberian a little over a week ago. You may see a few more Iberian pouches show up later, because these are made from production scrap materials, but you probably won’t see Iberian in larger bags.

This is on top of @G42 ’s comments about the factory not currently being used for active Bag production.

HTH,

moriond

Wow. I didn’t realise Iberian was retired. I’m very lucky then to get the last Tristar in Navy/Iberian.

I had read that Wasabi was on its way out. So I also picked up a Navy/Wasbai Western Flyer. Two great bags in retiring colours. Doubly lucky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mgnsimmons3]

Is Sitka Shop Bag or side effect coming soon????

[G42]

Is Sitka Shop Bag or side effect coming soon????

TB is still manufacturing face masks due to the restrictions in WA/Seattle... see this blog post for the latest

https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/shippingbags

[Chris D.]

“We plan to retire a significant number of designs; after not being able to manufacture bags for months, we just won’t be able to restock everything.
We are working on the list of designs that will retire and will share that list as soon as we can.“

Based on ^^ how soon can we expect “the list” @Darcy ?

[Darcy]

“We plan to retire a significant number of designs; after not being able to manufacture bags for months, we just won’t be able to restock everything.
We are working on the list of designs that will retire and will share that list as soon as we can.“

Based on ^^ how soon can we expect “the list” @Darcy ?

Good question. So, it's often a difficult balance (or at least I find it to be) between sharing enough information so that you guys know what's going on with bags, can make informed decisions and share feedback *and* making sure I don't share information too soon because it may still be subject to change (in timeline, the details, context, etc.) We also usually like to take our time to make as thoughtful a decision as we can; often, we make a decision, sleep on it, and then reevaluate it the next day. One of the difficulties of the last few months is that things have been moving and changing so quickly we haven't had that luxury. Not saying any of that to be whiney or anything, more like the context for: umm, I may have shared the news about the retirements too soon because the list isn't quite ready yet! So, take all of the below with a hunk of salt, because things are still changing quickly, but here's where we're at right now:

It may be another couple of weeks before I can share that list, as these aren't easy decisions for us. Right now, what we're moving towards is more semi-retirements than full-on retirements, and by that I mean: semi-retired designs won't be stocked on a regular basis, and instead of that, we expect to be able to offer special pre-orders of those designs on an occasional basis based on interest level.

And here’s where I’ll tell you something where I’m going to err (again) on the side of maybe sharing information too soon, but in the hopes you guys might offer your feedback: one idea we’re discussing is to offer more pre-orders and less in-stock bags. If we can adjust our system to be able to manage multiple bag pre-orders at once it means that (in addition to more semi-retirements instead of full retirements) we can offer even more new designs, including experimental designs, one-run only designs, existing designs made out of new fabrics we’re evaluating, and other fun stuff.

These retirements and semi-retirements were likely going to come anyhow; we’ve debuted quite a few new designs in recent years, and haven’t retired many designs. There’s a lot of benefits to offering (and trying to keep in-stock) a wide variety of designs, and also some drawbacks — namely, manufacturing a very large variety of designs for a company our size increases our overall complexity in materials management, manufacturing, shipping, customer service and the website. Our solution to that complexity is to build smart and efficient systems, and that has worked pretty well.

That said, managing that complexity, even if done well, takes our time away from debuting new designs. There's a lot of them in the works, and if you watched the Zoom call w/Tom on the Facebook Group, you know it's not just bags…

[KBA]

I personally would love more preorders.

One interesting aspect I’ve found with limited/restricted shipping through the pandemic is the ‘add to my held order’ shipping option. That has saved me a couple shipping costs already, and with the sporadic/unpredictable drops of certain accessories in certain colours that tend to sell-out quickly, I could see that kind of thing being a nice option in the future if you’ve already pre-ordered an item. Maybe this functionality already exists, but I thought I’d mention it anyway

[lang]

And here’s where I’ll tell you something where I’m going to err (again) on the side of maybe sharing information too soon, but in the hopes you guys might offer your feedback: one idea we’re discussing is to offer more pre-orders and less in-stock bags. If we can adjust our system to be able to manage multiple bag pre-orders at once it means that (in addition to more semi-retirements instead of full retirements) we can offer even more new designs, including experimental designs, one-run only designs, existing designs made out of new fabrics we’re evaluating, and other fun stuff.

I personally think that moving more toward pre-orders is a great idea. The pre-orders that you have run before gave some unique color / fabric options, so it seems like a great chance to get the color / fabric that you really want. I'd love to see pre-orders become a bigger part of your business, personally, while keeping a smaller runs of "staples" around for those customers who "just need a good bag" and don't want to wait for the next pre-order.

And the chance to experiment with new design options is pretty exciting bonus!

[Blisscosity]

As a resident of a HIGH SHIPPING COST state, I have also found the ADD TO HELD ORDER pandemic option really nice! If I want a special item that comes in stock, I have to pay $30 for shipping of larger items, and I am waiting on several IN PRODUCTION items, so might have to pay that shipping several times. So I vote for a preorder option, also. Happy to pay for the item to hold it.

What about custom orders? Too much?
Seems like Bihnions really know what they like and come up with really awesome color combos, which I have never seen and probably wouldn’t be fast enough to snag! ☹️

[carrot]

To be honest I think the idea of a pre-order system is just fine (particularly for big-ticket items) as long as some items deemed staples are always made available.

I’m thinking things like the Synapse, Aeronaut, Shop Bags, Trucks, various OPs should always be available for immediate shipping. I should say, I have very often ordered things just a few days before I am supposed to take a flight, as I make adjustments to my packing list and itinerary.

This makes me think of a popular headlamp maker that keeps such slim inventory that any time you purchase, you are on a back order of 3-4 weeks. That makes it frustrating to deal with them and I only do because nobody else makes a competitive product.

[Wanderlust77]

...one idea we’re discussing is to offer more pre-orders and less in-stock bags. If we can adjust our system to be able to manage multiple bag pre-orders at once it means that (in addition to more semi-retirements instead of full retirements) we can offer even more new designs, including experimental designs, one-run only designs, existing designs made out of new fabrics we’re evaluating, and other fun stuff.…

I love the pre-order! I use it kind of like a layaway plan where I can make an initial order, then add to it over time, taking advantage the single shipping fee. So I would not mind more pre-orders! The downside is having to wait, but the anticipation is magnified.

[BigBadD]

To be honest I think the idea of a pre-order system is just fine (particularly for big-ticket items) as long as some items deemed staples are always made available.

I’m thinking things like the Synapse, Aeronaut, Shop Bags, Trucks, various OPs should always be available for immediate shipping. I should say, I have very often ordered things just a few days before I am supposed to take a flight, as I make adjustments to my packing list and itinerary.

This makes me think of a popular headlamp maker that keeps such slim inventory that any time you purchase, you are on a back order of 3-4 weeks. That makes it frustrating to deal with them and I only do because nobody else makes a competitive product.

Agreed. As an existing owner and regular user of a good selection of Tom Bihn bags, I support the idea of pre-orders for any additional bags that I might fancy - nothing is a real urgency, just nice to have. But having promoted Tom Bihn bags to many family and friends, it is difficult to explain to them why there is often no stock or pre-orders for their potential first purchases - so potentially lost new first time customers. So there’s definitely a balance needed between pre-orders for new or special items and, as Carrot well refers to them, ensuring routine availability of some bags that are Tom Bihn staples.