Pics of old bags

[mozltovcoktail]

Hi all. My first TB bag, a Synapse 25 in Black Halcyon with Wasabi interior, is on the way!

One of the many reasons I chose to buy a TB was the lifetime guarantee. I'm hoping to have my new bag for decades to come, and I'd love to see some pictures of how yours have aged. If you're so inclined, would you post your pics of your oldest bags here so we can see how they've withstood the test of time? Thanks!

[bchaplin]

Here is an example of a bag that's new to me, but has to be quite a few years old. It's a ballistic steel/UV Co-Pilot that another forum member traded to me, and I'm very fond of it. The tag ("Portable Culture") is no longer made; perhaps @moriond remembers when they switched over, which would help date it.

You can see that it's in pretty great shape. The fabric softens a little over time; when I took the picture it was under-packed, so it's not perfectly smooth. The zippers show a tiny bit of fraying, whch is a cosmetic issue that does not affect functionality; the new-style zippers are reversed so this kind of thing is less visible.

TB bags are not, of course, completely impervious to dirt or wear, but I don't see any obvious signs of usage on this one. Other bags that I carried on a regular basis have held up similarly well. In some cases the larger travel bags have developed scuff marks from getting set down on the floor a lot (and, honestly, dragged along the floor when I was tired).

[Trane]

I don't have the forum links handy (so someone can improve upon my answer), but Made in the USA tags started in early 2013 and Since 1972 tags started in early-ish 2015. Really taking a leap of memory, but I think the blue Portable Culture tags were a 2007 thing on some colors of bags, but I don't recall if that was the start of Portable Culture or not. A pictorial guide to the labels and years would bet super fun.
- Mark

[mozltovcoktail]

Thanks for the replies! That's some great info, and quite a lovely old bag you've got there.