Archive | Tactical Gear

Whenever I post about custom gear that costs more than production or overseas made gear, someone complains about the price in the comments. The optimist in me thinks maybe it is just because the complainer doesn’t understand what goes into making these sometimes very complex items one at a time (the pessimist in me thinks they are probably just d-bags). So, just in case it will change someone’s mind, here is a glimpse at what goes into a single custom bag.

JAVRAN recently posted this image of all the various unassembled parts of their Wingman Messenger bag. It, like most custom bags, is expensive due to the large amount of time and materials that go into them. The image you see above contains 120 individual parts and pieces. All of that Velcro, Cordura Nylon, foam, webbing, paracord, and all those zippers go into just one bag. Imagine the cost in keeping all of those materials in various colors on hand. Imagine the time it takes to cut them all. Imagine the time it takes to assemble them. Image the equipment it takes to sew through all the layers. All that time, all those materials, and all that equipment add up to one thing: money.

Do you still want to complain about the price? Surely these craftsman deserve a wage that reflects the time and expertise that goes into such a product. Next time you are tempted to complain about a price online remember: sometimes thing are expensive to buy because they are expensive to produce (and it makes you sound like a d-bag).

Now before you get too down on yourself, take a look at the finished Wingman on JAVRAN’s Facebook page. One look at this killer bag will cheer you right up.