Has Tom Bihn Ever Used or Considered Fidlock Buckles (or has anyone hacked one)?

[ayazgood]

I searched the forums and found nothing. Has TB ever used or considered using Fidlock magnetic buckles? Has anyone hacked their bag by replacing a Duraflex buckle with a Fidlock buckle? The cafe bags seem like a natural for the 25 mm Fidlock slider buckle.

[haraya]

I don't know about Fidlock, but I recall seeing on the FB group where someone had hacked their Synapse shoulder straps with Cobra buckles.

AustriAlpin Cobra buckles

[imagineez]

@haraya I remember seeing that mod with the cobra buckles - it was for the quick release of the shoulder straps. Very cool and nice touch.

@ayazgood I’ve found myself wishing for some Fidlocks. It might make me go back to the bags with flaps. So easy for the magnets at both ends to find each other and align the buckle ends back into place.


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[backpack]

The Cobras are metal, way too heavy and I don't want any magnet anywhere near a bag that might contain electronic.

Tom Bihn's buckles are the best! The sturdiest and they are lightweight.

[ayazgood]

I used to have a cheap canvass flap over bag that I liked, but it was not well built and had funky hardware closures that broke. I really liked the casual material and form factor though, and the ease of getting in and out of it, while still having some cover. I started eyeing the small cafe bag as a possible midway bag between my sling bag and a backpack, or as a simple travel companion to the GE SN30 I ordered. However, I find the buckle closure kind of clunky looking and I suspect I would find it cumbersome in practice. I have a briefcase with a magnetic flap, but that is just over an outside pocket. Having seen several travel bags and straps using magnetic closures and fidlocks, I wondered if TB had ever considered anything similar.

[slightlysaltybagman]

I had a fidlock slider sewn in place of the buckle on a Maker's Bag, and it's amazing. In my opinion it makes the bag so much more functional with the ability to operate the closure one-handed, and gives a more premium vibe. Fidlocks, and the slider in particular, really do feel like wizardry.

[terayon]

I think I’m going to replace the clip in my Ego with one of those Fidlocks!

[bigtruck1369]

I’m glad I found your comment! I’ve got a Maker’s Bag that I carry everywhere, and I’ve been thinking about adding a Fidlock or something similar to it for easier one-handed operation. Can you post a picture of how yours turned out, or provide any additional info?

[Tycho]

I’d like to see this as well! How do you purchase a single buckle, and how much did it cost to install? Thanks!

[Surrealle]

I replaced the buckle on my Makers Bag with a plastic Fidlock buckle (got it for about $12 on eBay). I was able to unthread the bottom buckle and I used a dremel tool to make a slanted cut in the middle(ish) part of the bar on the top buckle. From there you just slide the strap through the slanted cut and you're done. Because of where the handle is placed, the buckle isn't particularly load-bearing so it works well even though it's been cut. My only (small) quibble with the upgrade is that I have to snug up the bottom strap occasionally because there's only one bar on the bottom half of the buckle I bought. If it gets too annoying I'm sure I can secure it better with an elastic or sewing a few stitches.

Anyways, if you go this route, make sure to wear hand and eye protection. The dremel can jump around unpredictably and it will chip off plastic bits. It's a pretty easy process overall though and only took a few minutes.

[Tycho]

@Surrealle Would you mind posting a few pics, if you get a second? I’ve got a Maker’s bag as well and am very intrigued. I would need the Slider 25 or 40 (I’m assuming the 40). Also, it wouldn’t invalidate the entire bag’s warranty, would it?

[Surrealle]

Sure, I'll take pictures when I get home. As far as the warranty, I'm no authority at TB but I would assume it would only void the warranty for that component, like when people cut the zipper pulls.

And yes, I used a 40mm buckle for it.

[G42]

@Surrealle Would you mind posting a few pics, if you get a second? I’ve got a Maker’s bag as well and am very intrigued. I would need the Slider 25 or 40 (I’m assuming the 40). Also, it wouldn’t invalidate the entire bag’s warranty, would it?

Sure, I'll take pictures when I get home. As far as the warranty, I'm no authority at TB but I would assume it would only void the warranty for that component, like when people cut the zipper pulls.

And yes, I used a 40mm buckle for it.

@Darcy has chimed in previously that only the part of the bag modified would be out of warranty...the link below is one of those posts

https://forums.tombihn.com/general-b...tml#post185178

[Surrealle]

@Tycho Here you go, hope this helps! I couldn't get a full picture of the cut but hopefully you can get an idea of what I did. And the second picture is my attempt to show the bottom part that loosens a little easier than I'd like, though I'm sure a sturdy elastic or a few stitches would fix the issue.

[Tycho]

Hi @Surrealle ! Thanks so much for taking the time to post those pictures for me -- it really does help illustrate what you've done.

So I went ahead and bought a Fidlock Slider 40 from a UK vendor on eBay, but it's going to take a few weeks to get here. I was wondering though, how did you remove the upper half of the original TB buckle? Just use the Dremel to cut a similar groove as you did in Fidlock buckle? If so, how did you protect the bag from getting cut in the process? I feel like that part might be a two-person job, or maybe I'm just over-complicating the whole thing?

I'll certainly let you know when the Fidlock arrives in the mail, and fingers crossed that I don't screw up too badly! I'll post some pics of the finished product, and hopefully it won't be of a destroyed TB bag...