One thing to bear in mind when comparing prices of bags is the actual size/capacity/features and materials quality....just because something looks similar, doesn't mean it is.
For example, I've seen people comparing the £34O Black Rainbow Project 'RED' bag to the PAC ultimate which is approx £5O cheaper in Brick lane bikes...But is also smaller, has all plastic buckles, and some different materials and features. If you were to compare the BRP 'RED' to the biggest PAC which is the ultimate oversized the price difference would be smaller.
Also bags like Chrome, Mission workshop, SAG, T level, etc are all made on a much larger scale, and are made in countries with a weaker currency than ours which will always make them far cheaper than a UK made bag...especially if the UK made bag is then having to import the materials from other countries.
At the end of the day, You pays your money, you takes your choice.
It's like comparing a mass produced frame to a handmade custom frame...some people may not notice the difference between the two, and can't understand why one is twice the price of the other, but the devil is in the details...and it can quite often be the smallest details that make the biggest difference in both comfort and longevity. Just because a bag looks good on the outside, it doesn't mean it's been made to last.
From what I've seen of Belk, Levrier, Project Tortoise, and myself over the years...The UK is doing a bloody good job of giving the bags from other countries a run for their money.
You may save a few quid in the short term by buying bags from other countries, but by supporting the UK builders you're making it that much more likely for them to be able to expand and hopefully, eventually, be able to reduce their own prices a little.
One of the biggest reasons the UK builders are less well known worldwide is because the cost of shipping combined with a potential customers weaker currency just makes them too expensive to people outside of the UK.
I'm not one to promote the 'buy local/buy British' thing just for the sake of it...but the UK bag builders are now able to offer products of comparable, and sometimes even better quality to their foreign competitors. With companies as good as PAC out there, that is no mean feat.
One thing to bear in mind when comparing prices of bags is the actual size/capacity/features and materials quality....just because something looks similar, doesn't mean it is.
For example, I've seen people comparing the £34O Black Rainbow Project 'RED' bag to the PAC ultimate which is approx £5O cheaper in Brick lane bikes...But is also smaller, has all plastic buckles, and some different materials and features. If you were to compare the BRP 'RED' to the biggest PAC which is the ultimate oversized the price difference would be smaller.
Also bags like Chrome, Mission workshop, SAG, T level, etc are all made on a much larger scale, and are made in countries with a weaker currency than ours which will always make them far cheaper than a UK made bag...especially if the UK made bag is then having to import the materials from other countries.
At the end of the day, You pays your money, you takes your choice.
It's like comparing a mass produced frame to a handmade custom frame...some people may not notice the difference between the two, and can't understand why one is twice the price of the other, but the devil is in the details...and it can quite often be the smallest details that make the biggest difference in both comfort and longevity. Just because a bag looks good on the outside, it doesn't mean it's been made to last.
From what I've seen of Belk, Levrier, Project Tortoise, and myself over the years...The UK is doing a bloody good job of giving the bags from other countries a run for their money.
You may save a few quid in the short term by buying bags from other countries, but by supporting the UK builders you're making it that much more likely for them to be able to expand and hopefully, eventually, be able to reduce their own prices a little.
One of the biggest reasons the UK builders are less well known worldwide is because the cost of shipping combined with a potential customers weaker currency just makes them too expensive to people outside of the UK.
I'm not one to promote the 'buy local/buy British' thing just for the sake of it...but the UK bag builders are now able to offer products of comparable, and sometimes even better quality to their foreign competitors. With companies as good as PAC out there, that is no mean feat.