Tag Archives: Bag 101

Who are these YKK folks and why do they make every single zipper I have? #lowkeymonopoly — Barrett Jones (@BarrettAJones) May 3, 2013 Ever thought about who the “YKK” people are who created your zippers lol. They have to be rich as fuck! — CIRE (@CireSox) March 3, 2020 ‍ If you’ve ever had the […]

When you’re looking for a new work bag, an essential feature is the bag’s durability. Whether you’re commuting to work or on the road again, you want to be prepared for any situation.  Just like how the different grades of leather can have some confusing terminology, the same can be said about a product’s water-resistant […]

The story of how the zipper came to be and its rise to the top of the clothing industry is a surprisingly complicated one. Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, was the first to patent the idea for a “continuous clothing closure” in 1851, but the popularity of the sewing machine prevented him […]

When designing the straps of the ISM Backpack, we wanted to combine comfort with a refined and sleek finish. To make the straps feel as comfortable as possible, we decided to use a combination of memory foam (technically known as EVA foam) and mesh padding. Both materials provide function — the foam gives structure and […]

A bag made with real full-grain leather like the ISM backpack is made to last for years, especially if it’s regularly taken care of. To make sure your leather bag lasts for the duration of its use, this is one method for cleaning and ensuring your leather bag’s longevity: ‍ ‍ 1. Remove dirt and […]

In leather goods, the grade and quality of the end product are largely determined by the type of leather grain used. At a high level, leather grain can be categorized into two main categories of leather — “fewer imperfections”, and “lots of imperfections.” One common misconception with real leather is what the different grades of […]

We believe in creating great products using high-quality materials at a fair price made in world-class factories. All of the suppliers and factories that we partner with are state-of-the-art. It took us a while to get to them, but we’re proud to provide you a bag made by the same hands as products made for […]

How do people really feel about the ISM Backpack? We wanted to find out. To do so, we exported over 500 reviews from our Website, Instagram, and Twitter.  The result is a word cloud that paints a candid picture of why our customers love (it’s the 2nd most used word!) using the ISM backpack and […]

No matter what your use case for a backpack, be it something for work, school, travel, or a weekend getaway — having something that is lightweight is always an important feature to look for. The demand for lightweight backpacks derives from a few trends; how the digitization of our lives has allowed us to carry […]

Choosing the correct backpack size is important as carrying weight incorrectly on your back can cause pain on your spine and shoulders. A study done at Stanford reports that carrying a heavy backpack “can cause severe deterioration of the lumbar on your spine” (Hossain & Tonima). A study done at Stanford reports that carrying a […]