Homestead Brand X Carl Murawski

Three former Nicks Boots employees are shaking things up with their leathercraft, and this collaboration is a perfect example.

The Collection

In late 2023 Homestead Brand hit the market with a lineup of fine leather products which were mostly aimed at female consumers. However, they were eager to get back into the men’s space as soon as possible. Shortly after, we joined forces for these variants of their luggage in shrunken bison.

Truth be told, these bag designs might be familiar to you. The guys at Homestead have always been huge fans of Dustin Spencer at Vermilyea Pelle, just a few hours West in Washington State.  When they heard Dustin was looking to sell, they jumped all over it.  They made several trips purchasing equipment, patterns, and receiving training from Dustin.  In their words, “He (Dustin) is the real deal: a one-man-band making timeless leather bags in the men’s heritage space. Dustin is simply the best at the craft.  His legacy had to continue.” While Dustin focused on unique leather combinations for his bags, Homestead Brand is using tried and true boot leathers for their models.

Construction

It doesn’t really matter how great a design is if the construction is sub-par. Fortunately, Homestead Brand has sourced the very best for this collaboration:

1. Bag body: Milwaukee, WI, Law Tanning USA tanned Shrunken Bison. 
2. Bag Straps: Wickett and Craig, PA, veg tanned strap leather. 
3. Handle Closure: USA made brass branded snaps.
4. Solid brass D-rings and trigger snaps.
5. YKK solid brass zippers.

Interestingly, Homestead has made several tweaks to Dustin’s designs:

Briefcases and Duffle:

1. They’re utilizing 3 pieces (long base + 2 short side gussets) with rolled overlap seams vs your 2 pieces and French seam design. 
2. The handle strap keeper shape has also changed. 
3. Pocket edges are rolled vs bound.  
4. Homestead is using their own zipper pull design.
5. All straps have the Homestead signature embossing.  
6. The organizer pocket size is smaller.
7. Different laptop slot size and shape.

Field Bag:

1. They have eliminated the zipper.
2. Changed the flap shape and dimension
3. Gusset construction and sizing has been changed.
4. The handle strap keeper shape has also changed. 
5. Pocket edges are rolled vs bound.  
6. All straps have the Homestead signature embossing.  
7. The organizer pocket size is smaller.
8. Different laptop slot size and shape.
9. Different flap strap attachment system- they are using magnetic snaps.

The Bag Models

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Field Bag

• Dimensions: 14″ width, 11″ height, 3.5″ depth    

Based on the classic mailbag, the Homestead Field Bag is a simple flap-top design with a shoulder strap and (thankfully) a carry handle. The bag opens via two hidden magnetic fasteners beneath the buckles, meaning getting into the bag is quick and easy.

Beneath the flap is one full-width pocket with snap closure, and the main compartment is divided with a simple leather piece. There are three pockets sewn into the interior: two pockets which are large enough for a full-sized smartphone and a center pen sleeve.

It’s almost a shame that the Homestead Brand debossed snaps are hidden beneath the strap! They’re a classy touch.

Standard and Large Briefcase

• Large Briefcase dimensions: 15.5″ width x 11.75″ height x 4.5″ depth 

• Standard Briefcase dimensions: 14″ width, 11″ height, 3.5″ depth   

This is the bag I’ve been carrying most lately. It features two full-width exterior pockets with snap closures (one on each side). The top is opened via a 2-way YKK zipper with Homestead Brands own zipper pulls.

The interior is very much like the Field Bag, with a leather divider, three small pockets, and no lining. The shrunken bison leather flesh side offers a nicely textured, soft surface to keep the surface of your laptop from getting scratched.

The handle keeper is Homestead designed, and works very well. This makes me miss the Filson variant which was deleted from their Original Briefcase. I always appreciated the multi-level stages of security offered by a zipper and handle closure. Of course, the shoulder strap is still there if you prefer a hands free carry method.

Standard Duffel

• Dimensions: 20″ width x 10″ depth x 12″ height  

A classic and extremely useful bag which belongs in everyone’s arsenal. This is about as simple as you can get, with the addition of two full-length exterior pockets.

The Standard Duffel features the same pockets found in the Field Bag and Briefcase, but does away with the leather divider. If you’re like me and prefer to create your own interior organization, this is a welcome configuration.

The straps wrap around the bag in a fashion which prevent the shrunken bison leather from being stressed under load. This isn’t a new design, but one which I prefer since it puts the stress on the straps which are stronger and can be replaced easier if they ever fail.

The Bottom Line

The Homestead Brand X Carl Murawski shrunken bison collection represent the culmination of years and years of experience across disciplines resulting in some of the most handsome luggage ever. Thankfully they’ll also outlive you, meaning that your heirs will receive a bag from the early days of a future heritage brand.

Brands Mentioned: Homestead Brand, Nicks Boots