Red Hammer COLFAX Messenger

Very sturdy bag with lots of space. Waterproofing is a great feature.

I bought the COLFAX in the waxed canvas version about a month ago (I purchased directly from Red Hammer, not through Amazon), and I am absolutely in love with this messenger bag. If it were a man, I'd ask it to marry me, as it offers the whole package and then some. I commute by bicycle and need a messenger that can carry heavy loads while being comfortable to wear, and the Colfax is just that and more. The bag is vey well made and both material and craftsmanship make this a bag that can handle some abuse in day-to-day roughin' and toughin'.As far as usability and practicality goes, it beats every messenger bag I've ever owned, and I've owned plenty, including, but not limited to, messengers from Timbuk2, Freitag, Ortlieb, and Vaude. I love the commuter harness that keeps the bag in place, the inside pockets and compartments are well thought out, and the outside loops for bicycle lights and additional attachments are a helpful touch. The size is marvelous, too, and that's a beef I've had with other brands. This messenger fits my 15.6" laptop along with binders, water bottle, and all kinds of nicknacks I tend to carry with no problems at all. It's easily large enough to fit all necessities for a weekend trip as well.All in all a fantastic bag, that I also find handsome-looking. The waxed canvas appeals to my environmentalist heart, and I love that the bag was made in the United States and not in some third-world country. I definitely recommend the Colfax to anyone looking for a versatile and durable messenger bag.The only issue I have with this fantastic piece of swag is the lack of waterproofing. While the Colfax withstands moisture and mild rains just fine, I wouldn't want to wear it during a Florida summer downpour, so I won't retire my Ortliebs just yet. I guess nothing beats an Ortlieb backpack when it comes to water resistance, but I will keep my eyes open for waterproof Red Hammer options.

About 6 weeks into owning this bag and I really, really like it. I was previously using an Incase sleeve + backpack as my "work bag" to carry 15" MacBook Pro R, iPad, cables/adapters, Field Notes, water bottle and light jacket. It sucked. I now travel regularly, M-F but usually bike to a co-work space when I'm working from my home city. My old setup was a PITA, the Colfax bag is so nice; keeps all my stuff much safer and better organized plus has room to spare. It's not overly large like some other bags, but really a perfect size. Very durable canvas, comfortable strap that keeps everything in place when riding and/or is easy to get on/off.I found this bag after about 2 weeks researching bags from Chrome, Manhattan Portage, TimBuk2, Freitag, Patagonia, Incase etc. One of the things that really got me interested was seeing that the bag is all sourced from US producers (buckles, straps, etc.) and produced locally (for me at least) in Denver, CO.I sent the Red Hammer an email asking if there were any retailers that carried these bags that I could check out, since I have never heard of the company. Scott promptly called me, literally within 5 minutes of sending the email. I ended up going to the Red Hammer HQ to check out the bags and made my purchase in person. I'm putting my review here because I would've never found this bag w/o searching Amazon. Scott gave me his card and told me to email him anytime with issues, so far I can say it's great, personal customer service.I would totally buy this bag again, but I doubt I will need to for some time, it's bomber.- Chase