Ego vs Super Ego: How to tell the difference (other than measurements)?

[Travel]

I'm trying to figure out which of the two messenger bags I have: Ego or Super Ego. Are there any telling/notable differences between the retired messenger bags Ego and Super Ego other than size? I've measured my bag and read this post, this post and this post, as well as this blog entry when they were retired, and I'm still not sure exactly which one I have. And with a fabric item, its difficult to know exactly where and how to measure it in order to compare with the standards. Are there any differences in compartments, pockets or features between the Ego and Super Ego so that I could immediately tell the difference and know which one I have? Sure would appreciate any help. Thanks!

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums @travel!

The Ego & SuperEgo were before my time... @moriond is our amazing history person, so hopefully they'll chime in

[moriond]

Welcome to the forums, @Travel!

I’m hoping @aedifica can answer this post, since she was in the same position of having to try to identify a bag that turned out to be a Super Ego — many more of those show up on eBay compared to the Ego, since laptops have become smaller and lighter. The Super Ego is the older model, so if you have one of the really older versions it will have a wide shoulder strap that is incompatible with using other common shoulder straps like the Absolute Strap (and the Quick-Adjust Measenger Strap). But otherwise, it is really a question of the dimensions of the bag. However, I’ll point you to another couple of threads with pictures that might help you decide:

• Ego questions! is the thread @aedifica started when she was trying to identify her bag. It probably helped her because it included pictures of a 5’3” woman wearing the Ego. I agree with her comments that for someone of that height and a petite build, the Ego is just manageable.

• Benefits of an Ego vs S25 is a thread that @JeffA started when he was trying to decide whether to get one of the last Egos before they were retired. It has lots of pictures of what can fit into the Ego, and some pictures of people wearing the bag, that might give you an idea of its size.

HTH

moriond

[Travel]

Thanks! You folks are so nice and helpful! Thanks for the replies and the links.

I have decided there is no way my bag can be an Ego because it is not as small as 13.3" in any direction of measurement (except thickness). It must be a Super Ego. But mine seems to be about 17-18" in both directions: east-west and north-south. Do the bag measurements exclude the carrying handle? Even with that excluded... this seems like a Super-Super Ego, LOL.

It is a fantastic bag and I'm lucky to have received it. It was passed to me by a family member who had never used it. It came up by accident in a conversation... I said I was looking for one and he said, "Do you want mine?" Do I? Do I? Heck, yeah! And I just LOVE it. And guess what? -it came with an Absolute Shoulder Strap. Woohoo!

[AVService]

I own both of these and your thinking that yo have the SuperSuper ego tells me that it is a Super too!
The bag is just Honking Huge! But in a Good Way for sure!
Usually.

[ceb]

Welcome to the forums, @Travel!

I’m hoping @aedifica can answer this post, since she was in the same position of having to try to identify a bag that turned out to be a Super Ego — many more of those show up on eBay compared to the Ego, since laptops have become smaller and lighter. The Super Ego is the older model, so if you have one of the really older versions it will have a wide shoulder strap that is incompatible with using other common shoulder straps like the Absolute Strap (and the Quick-Adjust Measenger Strap). But otherwise, it is really a question of the dimensions of the bag. However, I’ll point you to another couple of threads with pictures that might help you decide:

• Ego questions! is the thread @aedifica started when she was trying to identify her bag. It probably helped her because it included pictures of a 5’3” woman wearing the Ego. I agree with her comments that for someone of that height and a petite build, the Ego is just manageable.

• Benefits of an Ego vs S25 is a thread that @JeffA started when he was trying to decide whether to get one of the last Egos before they were retired. It has lots of pictures of what can fit into the Ego, and some pictures of people wearing the bag, that might give you an idea of its size.

HTH

moriond

Not quite correct. For some reason I have two Egos and two Super Egos. Both supers have the narrow strap and one of the regular Egos has a wide strap.

Don't ask.....

My wife says I have multiple personalities and each one has an Ego or Super Ego

[ceb]

I just measured my Ego/Super Ego

Lay your bag face down and measure from seam to seam.

Ego is 14 inches and change
Super Ego is a hair over 16 1/2

The difference is a clear 2 inches.

[Travel]

Lay your bag face down and measure from seam to seam.

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it! Which direction?: Side-to-side (East-West), or top-to-bottom (North-South)?

[moriond]

The Super Ego is the older model, so if you have one of the really older versions it will have a wide shoulder strap that is incompatible with using other common shoulder straps like the Absolute Strap (and the Quick-Adjust Messenger Strap).

HTH

moriond

Not quite correct. For some reason I have two Egos and two Super Egos. Both supers have the narrow strap and one of the regular Egos has a wide strap.

Don't ask.....

My wife says I have multiple personalities and each one has an Ego or Super Ego

Hi @ceb,

I've put my qualifiers in red (before the section that you bolded in the quoted remarks); I was referring to versions of the Super Ego that were made between 2005 and late April 2007, when the default shoulder strap used webbing that was 2" wide.

Here's a quote from Darcy's post dated 03-15-2007, where she responded to questions about the default Super Ego strap by a forum member:

Can anyone compare the Absoulte Shoulder strap to the one the super ego has, is it a lot better or it's not that much of a difference?

(Please note that the links to the product pages will not work, since the web site host has migrated since that time):

The strap that comes with the current Super Ego (with a 2" toothed shoulder strap slide) and the Standard Shoulder Strap that comes with the Ego, ID, and Imago are two different straps. Both straps are comfortable, though the new Standard Shoulder Strap has a lower profile.

The next batch of Super Ego bags (available around April 15th) that our factory is working on will have the 1 1/2" toothed shoulder strap slide - the same toothed slide that the Ego, ID, and Imago have. That means you can use the Standard Strap, Absolute Strap, or the soon-to-be-released Q-AM (Quick-Adjust Messenger) strap on the next "version" (everything will be the same on the next batch of Super Ego bags except for the toothed slide change) of Super Ego.

We're also working on coming up with an adapter that people who have older bags with 2" shoulder strap slides could use that would allow them to use the Absolute Shoulder Strap on their bags.

However, it's possible to verify that the Super Ego's product page did change between April 1, 2007 when its shoulder strap was described as "The Super Ego rides your shoulder with 2"-wide heavy-nylon webbing and has a 1/2"-thick foam pad girded by a non-slip fabric on the underside." and May 22, 2007 when they stated "You can choose between three different shoulder straps to use on your Super Ego bag. The Standard Shoulder Strap, included in the price of the Super Ego, is a 1-1/2" wide heavy nylon webbing strap and features a comfortable, wide foam pad that won't slip off your shoulder and is designed to conform to your shoulder and back. For an extra $10.00, you can switch out the Standard Shoulder Strap and replace it with the Q-AM (Quick-Adjust Messenger) Shoulder Strap. For an extra $15.00, you can switch out the Standard Shoulder Strap and replace it with the Absolute Shoulder Strap."

(I've linked to the relevant product pages using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine).

By contrast, the earliest product page captured for the Ego Messenger Bag is March 1, 2007 , reflecting its later creation date. It's product page description states "The Ego rides your shoulder with the Tom Bihn Standard Shoulder Strap, a 1—1/2" wide heavy nylon webbing strap with a comfortable wide foam pad that won't slip off your shoulder and is designed to conform to your shoulder and back. For an extra $15.00, you have the option of switching out the Standard Shoulder Strap and pad and replacing it with the Absolute Shoulder Strap. The Absolute Shoulder Strap, which combines a soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing, has a unique patented internal control-stretch system that has given it a well-earned reputation as the one of the best shoulder straps available."

Can you measure the wide strap on your Ego? When did you buy this model? (BTW, I'm assuming that you're speaking about the width of the webbing strap that attaches to the bag at its base; the Quick-Adjust Messenger Strap, as may be seen in some of the linked posts in my earlier reply, distributes weight across a wider padded area, but attaches to the messenger bag via 1.5" wide webbing at the base.)

I don't have personal knowledge of these earlier models because I'm about the height of @adalangdon (shown wearing the Ego in my links) and @aedifica. So, I'm only replying based on the memory of earlier forum discussions. Responses from folks who actually own these bags should be more helpful, of course! (And you can navigate through the linked Wayback machine product pages to revisit the color combinations and carrying strap options for yourself.)

HTH

moriond

[ceb]

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it! Which direction?: Side-to-side (East-West), or top-to-bottom (North-South)?

Sorry, side to side. I measured from stabilizing loop to stabilizing loop (those loops where the stabilizing strap goes if you're carrying it cross body and don't want it flopping about.

[ceb]

Hi @ceb,

I've put my qualifiers in red (before the section that you bolded in the quoted remarks); I was referring to versions of the Super Ego that were made between 2005 and late April 2007, when the default shoulder strap used webbing that was 2" wide.

Here's a quote from Darcy's post dated 03-15-2007, where she responded to questions about the default Super Ego strap by a forum member:


(Please note that the links to the product pages will not work, since the web site host has migrated since that time):


However, it's possible to verify that the Super Ego's product page did change between April 1, 2007 when its shoulder strap was described as "The Super Ego rides your shoulder with 2"-wide heavy-nylon webbing and has a 1/2"-thick foam pad girded by a non-slip fabric on the underside." and May 22, 2007 when they stated "You can choose between three different shoulder straps to use on your Super Ego bag. The Standard Shoulder Strap, included in the price of the Super Ego, is a 1-1/2" wide heavy nylon webbing strap and features a comfortable, wide foam pad that won't slip off your shoulder and is designed to conform to your shoulder and back. For an extra $10.00, you can switch out the Standard Shoulder Strap and replace it with the Q-AM (Quick-Adjust Messenger) Shoulder Strap. For an extra $15.00, you can switch out the Standard Shoulder Strap and replace it with the Absolute Shoulder Strap."

(I've linked to the relevant product pages using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine).

By contrast, the earliest product page captured for the Ego Messenger Bag is March 1, 2007 , reflecting its later creation date. It's product page description states "The Ego rides your shoulder with the Tom Bihn Standard Shoulder Strap, a 1—1/2" wide heavy nylon webbing strap with a comfortable wide foam pad that won't slip off your shoulder and is designed to conform to your shoulder and back. For an extra $15.00, you have the option of switching out the Standard Shoulder Strap and pad and replacing it with the Absolute Shoulder Strap. The Absolute Shoulder Strap, which combines a soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing, has a unique patented internal control-stretch system that has given it a well-earned reputation as the one of the best shoulder straps available."

Can you measure the wide strap on your Ego? When did you buy this model? (BTW, I'm assuming that you're speaking about the width of the webbing strap that attaches to the bag at its base; the Quick-Adjust Messenger Strap, as may be seen in some of the linked posts in my earlier reply, distributes weight across a wider padded area, but attaches to the messenger bag via 1.5" wide webbing at the base.)

I don't have personal knowledge of these earlier models because I'm about the height of @adalangdon (shown wearing the Ego in my links) and @aedifica. So, I'm only replying based on the memory of earlier forum discussions. Responses from folks who actually own these bags should be more helpful, of course! (And you can navigate through the linked Wayback machine product pages to revisit the color combinations and carrying strap options for yourself.)

HTH

moriond

This is interesting. My Ego is gray with a blue interior with the really shiny zipper seals (the inside out zippers) so it is clearly one of the very early ones.

I found this one at a Goodwill store a couple of years ago. It had a Dell computer strap attached where somebody had cut off the clips on the end.

I paid $4.95 for it and it was pretty beat up. I'm not sure what it was used for previously but it looked awful. It had some repairs done to it, so it really isn't a usable bag any longer.

[aedifica]

I don't think I have anything to add at this point--I'm glad @moriond was able to dig up those older threads (though I'm not surprised--that's moriond's superpower!) and that everyone else has had useful things to say too.

[Travel]

I just measured my Ego/Super Ego

Lay your bag face down and measure from seam to seam.

Ego is 14 inches and change
Super Ego is a hair over 16 1/2

The difference is a clear 2 inches.

This was very helpful! I laid my bag face down and from side-to-side (left-to-right), seam-to-seam it measures 16 3/4 inches (no pulling or tugging). Thank you for the confirmation! Love this bag. I'm now addicted to the culture.

[ceb]

I don't think I have anything to add at this point--I'm glad @moriond was able to dig up those older threads (though I'm not surprised--that's moriond's superpower!) and that everyone else has had useful things to say too.

Yep, moriond is undoubtedly the master of all things TB.

[ceb]

This was very helpful! I laid my bag face down and from side-to-side (left-to-right), seam-to-seam it measures 16 3/4 inches (no pulling or tugging). Thank you for the confirmation! Love this bag. I'm now addicted to the culture.

And this won't be your last TB bag - and probably not your last Super Ego.

You know that you can change the color of the stripe up front, right. I'm sure that TB still has a selection. They are a bit tricky to swap - you have to break the bond of the velcro, but pushing a long ruler between the stripe and the bag makes removal easy. To reinsert, lay the stripe on the ruler and reinsert. Finally, pull out the ruler and press down on the stripe as you're pulling the ruler out.