Jack on his farewell catalogue: the Doolin first, then everything else leaving the workshop
Jack on his farewell catalogue: the Doolin first, then everything else leaving the workshop
After 29 years I am going custom-only. I had one last catalogue printed of the ready-made bags that are left, and page one is the Doolin.
Page one: the Doolin.
After 29 years of ready-made bags, I am going custom-only. The final Doolins are £154.95, down from £619.95. These will not be made again, and I would rather tell you plainly.
I had one last catalogue printed. Not because anyone asked for it, but because I wanted the last of my ready-made bags written down properly, the way it used to be when you could sit with a catalogue and a cup of tea and take your time.
It came through the letterbox, the way the old ones used to.
Page one is the Doolin. Waxed cotton canvas on the outside, full-grain leather on the handles and the base, a top zip, pockets inside for the small things and a quick pocket outside for the keys. Thirty-eight litres, enough for a long weekend and the boots.
Page two is the colours: khaki, black, army green and grey. People ask me which one to take, and I never know what to tell them. Take the one you will reach for on a wet Friday.
Page two: the four colours.
After that comes everything else still leaving the workshop: the rucksacks, the messenger bags and the other weekend bags. When this catalogue is sold through, there will not be another one.
1997
Today
The four colours, next to their page.
Rain on the outside
I asked for waxed cotton canvas with a naturally water-resistant finish. I wanted the outside to meet a rainy walk without becoming decoration. On the way to work, the material meets the weather at the surface.
"I stopped folding a plastic bag over my things whenever the forecast turned grey."
Leather for daily handling
I chose full-grain crazy horse leather for the body, with leather handles at the points I actually hold. I wanted the main material to meet daily carrying and the wear that comes with it. On a two-day trip, that was the honest answer.
"I stopped treating the first scuff as an instruction to buy another bag."
Canvas allowed to age
I let the waxed canvas earn its marks instead of chasing a permanent showroom finish. Its surface develops a patina as it is used. After a long drive, the marks are part of what the bag carries.
"I stopped moving my clean bag to the front and hiding the one I had actually used."
Places for the little things
I insisted on two zip pockets and two slot pockets, while leaving the main compartment spacious. Small things need places, not hiding places. On a busy weekday journey, there is less need to turn everything out.
"I stopped turning the whole bag out when my phone rang, because it was in a zip pocket rather than at the bottom."
Keys where I can reach them
I put a quick-access pocket outside the main compartment. It gives the keys a fixed place that can be reached without opening the main zip. Before leaving the house, I stopped emptying the whole bag on the mat to find them.
"I stopped emptying the whole bag on the mat. My partner stopped asking where the keys were."
Two ways to carry it
I kept the dual leather handles and the removable, adjustable padded shoulder strap, because I wanted two ways to carry it. You can take the strap off and pick up the handles. In a departure queue, the bag can change position without a scramble.
"I stopped moving the bag from shoulder to hand every few minutes while waiting to board."
The Doolin, against the canvas duffle bags you have been buying
One deep pile of mixed things
One forced carrying style
Keys buried at the bottom
Weather marks seen as a reason to replace it
Two zips, two slots and a roomy main compartment
Carry by padded strap or leather handles
A quick-access pocket keeps keys within reach
Water-resistant canvas that develops a patina
Page one is the Doolin. It is the bag I am proudest of.
The honest bit, and the honest price
This is a farewell sale because I am changing from ready-made bags to pieces made to order. After 29 years, the Doolin will not be made in this form again.
The clearance price is £154.95, against the usual price of £619.95. That is a serious cut, and I know it should be. I have put both figures in front of you rather than hiding one behind clever wording.
I used to keep a spare weekend bag in the boot for emergencies. Now I take the Doolin and stop pretending I need another version of the same week.
For wet roads, crowded platforms and weekends that begin at the door.
Circled in pen. That is how a catalogue gets read.
Take your time with it, the way you would with a printed catalogue. Start with the Doolin, then turn the pages.
If something is not right for you, you can send it back within 30 days.
Also leaving the workshop
The Doolins in khaki, black, army green and grey. The Harrogate and Connemara rucksacks, the Ottawa and Phoenix sling bags, the Missoula and Keswick weekend bags, and the rest of the ready-made work. It is all in one place now, in the Farewell Sale.
The full farewell catalogue
- The Doolin: £154.95, against the usual £619.95
- Every ready-made bag that is left, in one place
- 30-day returns
You have likely overpaid for the high-street bag that lasts two winters. This one is £154.95 against its usual £619.95.
Open the full catalogueAbout the writer. Jack founded Jack Reid in the United Kingdom in 1997. He continues to make leather bags by hand.