When it comes to Brady, I always shop from the robust, more-than-I-need department: body-width game bags with knotted nets and two inch web straps, rubber lined fishing bags that would fit a full salmon, and big, VW engine-sized totes (well, maybe e-bike sized).
As a thought exercise, I started to explore some of the more diminutive Brady offering, including the Brady Colne Mini Shoulder Bag in Canvas. Per the Brady site, the Colne Mini is a model inspired from Brady’s traditional cartridge bags, combining canvas, English leather, brass fittings and cotton webbing. It has a very stylish leather strap closure and a handy pocket running the length of the back panel.
I don’t really understand the use case of a tiny cartridge bag but I could certainly anticipate using it for dog training treats or (on on the rare occasion when I’m not wearing five pocket jeans and a barn coat) as portage for my iPhone.
In any event, here’s a mini assortment of Brady Colne Mini Shoulder Bags from assorted Japanese web shops.
Colne Mini Shoulder Bag
Brady Colne regular Shoulder Bag
Colne Regular Shoulder Bag
You might just squeeze a paperback into the mini? The regular Colne looks like you might get a trade paperback and a water bottle in there, along with phone/keys/wallet, which might be useful as a summer bag when I’m not wearing a coat with many pockets. I suppose it would save me from my tendency to carry too much in a shoulder bag…
(I recently bought a Quality Gunslips field bag, having seen them in posts here over the years, and have been very happy with it – it’s small enough to (mostly) stop me overloading it, but roomy enough for a day around town or a walk in the country.)
Jakob, I’d love to see the photos of your Quality Gunships bag! I’ve always wanted to buy one. I’ve just admired them from afar.
Belatedly saw this! Have put some photos up at https://imgur.com/a/gPLa33t . I’ve been really happy with my bag. I’d put it in the same category as my Carradice (or indeed William Lennon) kit: UK made, Archival-approved materials (Cotton, leather, heavyweight webbing, brass hardware etc.), occasionally functional rather than beautiful finishing*, should last for years and age gracefully. I did consider getting a Brady – I live just down the road from the factory – but while something like an Ariel Trout is a bit more refined, it’s also about 4x the cost, which makes the QGL pretty unbeatable value. I had it within a week of ordering, which isn’t half bad for made to order.
*Quite possibly the Japan-market stuff has more time spent on the finishing, which would explain the higher prices?