You have settled for replacing the same duffle every year or two and calling that normal. I made the Pembroke for the week you actually live, not for the tidy life shown in a photograph. After 29 years of ready-made bags, I am moving Jack Reid to custom-only work. The remaining Pembrokes are £154.95, down from £514.95. This is final stock, and these will not be made again.

The people who write to me rarely ask for more pockets. They ask for a bag that can take a gym bag, a change of clothes and the loose ends of a trip without becoming a separate piece of luggage. The Pembroke is a weekender first, but it has to cope with the ordinary hours around that weekend too.

I have read customer messages for years. The small complaints are more revealing than the grand ones: a base scratched by the pavement, a zip that catches, a shoulder strap that asks too much. Those are the details I return to when I am deciding what to keep.

I refused to smooth away the character in the leather. Natural variations mean each piece looks a little different. Handmade work should leave a trace of the hands that made it, not a false promise of perfect sameness.

1997

Today

A base that can take knocks: I added scratch-protective rivets along the bottom. On a wet Monday commute, you can set the bag down without checking the base first. I wanted the part that meets the pavement to be considered, not left to chance.

A zip that works one-handed: I chose doubled run-through zips, with buckles where they help. After the gym, the opening can be worked with one hand while the other holds a water bottle. I wanted less tugging and bending, not a bag that needs a set of instructions.

A strap with some give: I made the shoulder strap detachable, adjustable and padded. At an airport queue, you can put it over your shoulder when your hands are full, then take it off when you pick the bag up. I wanted the same bag to suit the journey rather than dictate one way to carry it.

Room to organise the week: I gave the main compartment a roomy organiser, a zipped pocket and slot pockets. On a gym morning, small things can stay apart from the bulk instead of vanishing underneath. I wanted useful order, not a row of decorative pockets.

Handles made for carrying: I chose doubled leather strap handles, with the bag made from waxed cotton canvas and genuine crazy horse leather. On a weekend away, you have a solid grip when the bag is full. I wanted the handle and body to be chosen together, not a trim added at the end.

The pocket I can check: I put a front slot pocket within reach and kept a zipped pocket at the back. At the front door, you can check the front pocket without opening everything. I wanted the little things to stay easy to find, not turn every arrival into a search.

The Pembroke, against the canvas duffle bags you have been buying

The last of the ready-made Pembrokes

This is the farewell sale. I am changing the workshop from ready-made bags to custom-only pieces, and the remaining Pembrokes are £154.95, down from £514.95.

Once this final stock has gone, it will not be made again in the same ready-made way. I am proud of these bags, but I would rather clear them honestly than pretend there will be another run.

A note from Jack, tucked inside the parcel.

The people who write to me often notice the small things first. A pocket they can reach. A strap they can adjust. A bag they do not need to think about before leaving the house. I remember those notes because they are the reason I kept refining the work.

More than anything, I hope the Pembroke fits how you live. If it is not right, you can send it back within 30 days. Thank you for reading my note, and for giving my work a place in your week.

29 years of ready-made bags. 30-day returns.