Messenger bag
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A messenger bag (also called a courier bag) is a type of sack, usually made out of some kind of cloth (natural or synthetic), that is worn over one shoulder with a strap that winds around the chest resting the bag on the lower back. Messenger bags are often used by bicycle messengers, though they are increasingly becoming an urban fashion icon.
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[edit] History
This type of bag has been used in the transportation of mail and goods by numerous types of messengers, including Pony Express riders, postal workers, messengers on foot (especially in ancient times), and bicycle couriers. Some Royal Mail carriers in the United Kingdom currently use large messenger bags to deliver mail.
The design of the modern messenger bag traces its origin to the utility lineman's bag of the 1950s made by De Martini Globe Canvas Company, which was founded by Frank De Martini and run with his two daughters, Kathleen and Marge. It was formerly located in an underground shop at 177 Mott Street in Little Italy New York City, and later Purchases by Rod Hanson.[citation needed] The original bags were hand made by the De Martinis themselves at a high quality with custom features to order on the spot with two hard working old Singer industrial flat bed sewing machines and a pattern stacked worn down cutting table in chain hung fluorescent lights room with grey industrial bolted shelving filled with rainbow colored bags stacked and fade from sight above the fluorescent lights into the dark ceiling along the glossy black painted walls of the basement shop. The original bags cost $20 to $40. The present bags are mass manufacturing and for the large bag where $80 but recently raised to $100 custom work or additional frills are no longer done. The bags originally allowed lineman to carry necessary tools within easy reach while climbing utility poles.
In the early 1980s, John Peters, the founder of Manhattan Portage, redesigned a trendy version of the more durable De Martini messenger bag which used all stainless steel hardware converting to lighter weight plastic clips and hardware with slimmer softer nylon straps. These bags were briefly popular towards the tail end of when the Manhattan bicycle messengers, business started to die out due to the invention of the fax machine just a years shy of the first Macintosh. Just a few companies had their own labeled bags but the majority of the messengers had their own bags usually De Martini in crazy colors. Commuters where bigger on the more trendy Manhattan Portage sold in bag shops and boutiques instead of a downtown basement with spotty distribution and word of mouth promotion.
[edit] Use
Similar in function to backpacks, messenger bags ensure comfort to people carrying heavy and/or bulky items, while allowing easy access to the contents.
Messenger bags typically incorporate features that make them particularly suitable for cycling, such as fittings that make it easy to adjust the shoulder strap, quick release buckles, an adjustable hinged buckle, and the ability to attach a variety of accessories, such as lights, phone holsters, or U-locks. Contemporary stabilizing straps help to prevent the bag from shifting while riding. The top-opening one-strap design allows messenger bags to be easily swung around front so that their contents can be accessed without having to remove the bag.
Messenger bags are often used as a fashion accessory. While they can be found in the possession of either gender, they are often commonly employed by men in a function analogous to a woman's purse (that is, to carry bulky items that do not fit into pockets, or a large number of items, while doubling as a fashion accessory). Messenger bags have also become fashionable in urban environments, among cyclists and commuters. Many college and high-school students make use of them for fashionable and functional purposes, especially those who commute on bicycles. Compared to a backpack, it is much easier to place and remove text-books, notebooks, essays and supplies from a messenger bag because they lie on the side of the body, granting the wearer better accessibility. Messenger bags also provide more weather resistance than traditional leather school bags.
[edit] Construction
Materials used in messenger bags are often more durable and water-resistant than other over-the-shoulder bags. Contemporary bags use thicker gauges of canvas and tarp shielding for the inner waterproof lining. The most popular materials used for the construction of a messenger bag's outer shell are Cordura 1000 Super Durable Water Resistant Nylon By Invista and ballistic nylon. Other materials include vinyl waterproof tarp lining used to make the messenger bag waterproof. In addition to making the messenger bag waterproof, the liner also provides the support structure for the messenger bag. This keeps the bag from falling over on itself. Some companies eschew the standard PVC waterproof lining for compounds such as thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are newer, comparatively expensive, more durable, more environmentally friendly, and less volatile.[citation needed]
