At Style.No.Chaser, we are always attracted to brands that put a major emphasis on quality goods that last for years and get better over time. Tanner Goods based out of Portland, Oregon is one such brand. They source local materials of the highest quality to produce handmade menswear accessories and other covetable products that stand out leagues above the competition. When it came time to pick out the next brand for the continuation of our popular Break-In series, Tanner Goods was an option that made a lot of sense. Here are the items we picked below …
Anthony picked the Four-pocket Wallet – Here are his initial thoughts:
The brown leather Tanner Goods four pocket wallet is sleek, stylish and functional. It smells of fine authentic leather and invites you to use it right away. It stays relatively thin no matter how many cards and bills you insert. It is surprising how such a simple utilitarian item can incite so much joy, but I believe the fact that the item is crafted so well, and looks virtually indestructible, is the main reason for the excitement. I have a good feeling about this but we will wait and see. I have always believed that simple items that exude craftsmanship and attention to detail speak louder than trendy garbage that is only good for starting conversations, and I hope this wallet proves me right.
Geo picked The Workman Wallet in Chicago Tan – These are his initial musings:
I’ve gotten just about fed-up with puny wallets that get too bulky and basically don’t get the job done. The Workman Wallet looks like it can be the solution to all my woes. There are several slots for all my cards and ID, and I actually really love the fact that it doesn’t fold in two – I think that will prevent me from having a bulky back pocket and enable my fresh dollar bills to stay crisper even longer. I must admit, the one thing I’m worried about is how the length of the wallet will work with my different trousers and denim bottoms – we’ll see soon. I really like the long tether attached to it too. Any pickpockets trying to take what’s mine will have to get by that extra layer of stylish security. Looking forward to the leather aging really nicely too. I’ll check back in a month to let you know how it’s all going.
Ben picked the Tanner Goods Field Camera Bag – Here are his thoughts:
When I was presented with the opportunity to try out his bag I was pretty psyched. As a photographer I’m naturally into gear and I have amassed tons of bags and cases over the years. From aluminum Halliburton cases, to Lowe Pro, to Crumpler, to Tenba, I’ve basically tried all of the major brands. Most of the photography bags and cases I’ve had have been fairly large, heavy, full of pockets, with lots of spec to back up their claims. Some have been very capable. None have really had any heart though. This Field Bag however, has heart. Like, it’s got a soul. The canvas is waxed and has a nice luminescent sheen as do the oiled leather straps. It feels soft and kind of luxurious to the touch, but with a confidence building rigidity. It feels well padded though it’s not the least bit bulky. You can tell that the designers really wanted this to be as minimal as possible and the results are very successful. There’s no extra pockets to lose your stuff in, just two exterior pockets and two small interior pockets. The top flap of the bag is a sleeve which goes to the base and you can throw random stuff in there. On the inside it’s got these two padded dividers that you can use to snake around the pieces in your kit to satisfy a variety of different packing formations. I put my full ‘small camera kit’ inside of it and it all fits snugly together. Though it looks small, and it is, I have managed to comfortably stow the following items in it with ease:
-Olympus OM-D E-M5
-25mm lens
-45mm lens
-17mm lens
-Olympus E-PL2 with 14-42mm lens
-Fujifilm X10
-Batteries for all
-Chargers for all
-Memory Card book
-Random other stuff I throw in the top flap, like gum, Emergen-C packets, my keys…
-I plan to add a small flash to this bag as well and have no doubt I’ll be able to get it in…
This hodgepodge little kit was homeless in my apartment for years. Jumping from bag to bag, getting mixed with my bigger cameras, losing little doodads. Now it’s all sitting pretty. I love that I can now simply grab this little bag and have a full kit to shoot. I have been super sweet to this bag since I’ve had it because I didn’t wanna start terrorizing it before we officially started this Break-In process. And it has been rough because I really wanted to abuse it. Luckily, now I have the green light. As I stated earlier, this bag has a soul, and as a soulful handmade product, it makes you wanna use it and touch it all the time. Not to get all sappy, but it really does. My ex-girlfriends brother had this really fly Louis Vuitton watch roll up bag, which I always admired. The watches were great inside but the pure class and joie de vivre that the roll case exuded far outweighed its contents, and it was full of Cartier. That’s the feeling I get with this bag. I want my cameras in there forever when not in use and I look forward to having it for a really long time. Oh, and it fits perfectly in the basket of my beater Schwinn Cruiser. If you are familiar with Tanner Goods’ product line, you know they are all intended to be worn and wear well, to age and progress as an object over time. That’s really what this Break-In concept is all about. Putting well made products to the test and appreciating the journey. I’m really pumped to start that process with this bag, and based off initial impressions, I would recommend this bag to anyone looking to house a smaller camera kit… I’ll keep you posted. Cheers!
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