First off, I gotta say, the very *idea* of a “faux leather” messenger bag kinda makes me chuckle. I mean, the whole point of a messenger bag, originally anyway, was that it was TOUGH. Like, San Francisco bike messenger tough. Timbuk2, bless their heart, they *get* it. They build bags that can probably survive a nuclear apocalypse, or at least a particularly aggressive pigeon attack.
But these eBay deals? “Free shipping on many items!” Yeah, free shipping on a bag that’s gonna fall apart the minute you put anything heavier than a feather duster in it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking a good bargain, but sometimes cheap *is* cheap. Ya get what ya pay for, right?
And the *faux* leather… oh, the faux leather. It always looks like it’s trying too hard, you know? Like it’s desperately trying to convince you it’s the real deal, but it’s just… *off*. It’s got that weird plasticy sheen, and that smell that’s like… chemical cookies? I dunno, it’s just not right.
Plus, here’s the thing that REALLY bugs me: the whole point of a messenger bag is kinda the… vibe, right? The “I’m a cool, urban professional, maybe I deliver important packages, maybe I’m just heading to the coffee shop to write my groundbreaking novel on my laptop” vibe. But when you’re rocking a suspiciously shiny, “faux” leather bag that probably cost less than your latte, that vibe just… evaporates.
Listen, I’m not saying you gotta spend a fortune on a Timbuk2. Maybe you *are* on a budget. Maybe you just need a bag to carry your stuff from point A to point B. Fair enough. But maybe, just maybe, consider a canvas bag? Or a sturdy backpack? SOMETHING that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not.
