Antigua Leather 13″ Messenger – $129.00 (special Kickstarter price)
Remember Antigua Leather? They were a kickstarter project that caught fire back in August. Their goal was to raise $7,500, and instead they raised $68,000. And just like that, they were on the hook to produce 900% of what $7,500 worth of bags and iPhone/iPad cases would have generated. Murphy’s law appeared to take over, and they missed their shipment goal of the end of August by a mile. Some got pissed and vented on their comments page. Others cut them some slack since they probably got crushed by the response. But the goods have finally started showing up.
This was the first reaction when the Antigua Leather 13″ messenger bag was pulled out of the box:
What’s with the enormous buckles?
There’s a “Mom goes country-line dancing” vibe here.
Hightailed it back to their kickstarter page, and sure enough… the buckles have changed. The original design all over their site has slim, subtle, roller-style buckles. But the bag that arrived has thick, brushed but still extremely noticeable standard buckles that have some curves to them.
Changing the hardware after the purchase? That’s like changing the headlights on a car after someone signs the paperwork. This right here appears to be a bit of a mess.
Flap up. Main exterior pouch has room for a mouse & charger
It looks like back on August 30th they posted an update that made mention of and showed the changes:
…at our own cost we have elected to make some hardware improvements to the bag. We have added stronger, higher quality buckles and put a durable liner into the interior. We believe this makes for a more professional, fashionable, higher quality bag overall.
That last sentence? Well, some are going to disagree. And it’s going to come as a surprise to those of us who stopped reading the updates after the first couple since it became obvious that they were getting buried by the response (shades of Flint and Tinder). That, and the comments were getting annoying.
Side pouches are nice. Should hold most slim (not blackberry) smart phones.
Here are a few things that most reasonable people will probably believe:
- These guys aren’t scam artists and have good intentions.
- The overwhelming support was just that. Overwhelming. It hurt them.
- The pressure put on them by backers in the comments probably didn’t help matters. There was a lot of armchair bag production consultants piling on.
Bottom line is this: It’s no Saddleback, but for $130 it seems well made, the stitching is solid, and the rawness of it is really appealing. It’s certainly stiff to start, but over time it’ll probably pick up some good character.
But these buckles. No thanks.
Live and learn. And the lesson here for those who don’t like the buckles will be to skip future Kickstarter projects. Usually the creator is showcasing a prototype, and if there’s any sort of changes that happen, you might end up a big-buckle creek.
Thoughts from you guys? Is the buckle switch really that big of a deal? Leave it all in the comments…
I don’t think they look too bad. Or too noticeable
How’s the liner? It looked a little wonky in the kickstarter updates
I’m sure it looks different in person, but I don’t see it as a huge issue. It shouldn’t be too difficult to change out the buckles if one really wanted to, right?
It seems as though the lesson should be to read updates regarding investments you’ve made more carefully, or perhaps even to establish a healthier relationship to one’s own expectations, rather than to avoid Kickstarter altogether. That lesson seems a bit…reactionary.
Joe, it looks as though Antigua Leather buckled under pressure. Ba dum tchh!
More pictures! I have yet to receive mine, but for $150, and real leather from an independent guy, I’m not going to complain.
You will be glad you don’t have roller buckles. They make threading the leather thread through easier, but SCREEEEEE!
Dull the buckles down with emery cloth or superfine sandpaper. Or, while I am thinking about how to fix your bag, use some gun black on it and make it less contrasting.
Kickstarter is not a group order, pre sale, discount store. This is lesson I am learning too (flint and tinder)
I like the buckles. Certainly aren’t offensive or anything. However I agree that changing the product after payment is a little lame.
I agree those look higher quality than the roller buckles, but they are a bit noticeable – I’m not a fan.
I’ve had a few nice leather bags become unusable due to flimsy buckles or clips. While I agree the roller style ones in the original pics looked nicer, I’m pretty sure these will be a better pragmatic choice.
Curt, good advice on the sanding & coloration–I think that will make a big difference in how much they fit in with the overall bag design.
The oversized buckles do give it a bit of a purse look. I think I’d stick with Copper River for an affordable Saddleback alternative, personally.
it’s a dealbreaker. Makes the bag look completely different. Glad I passed on this, because I wouldn’t have been able to get past the buckles
I had just purchased a Copper River bag when the Antigua Kickstarter launched, but still wanted to lend some support, and bought the iPhone sleeve for $20. It arrived Saturday morning, and I feel like it’s pretty low quality. Sure, a) it was $20 and 2) it will serve the purpose of holding a phone; but if we’re spending money on things we anticipate will last as long as (longer than?) we do, my money would have gone to Makr, Chester Mox or back to the well at Copper River… and at the rate it’s wearing over only the last two days, my money still might.
I feel bad for them because they obviously didn’t set out trying to make people angry with this, but I understand people being upset about not getting what they signed on for with the purchase. Was/is there any way to return them if you’re not happy, or are you stuck with it?
You’re the king of these.
I’d be more than happy with a little noise. The shape is still way too big for the bag. Good suggestions though for dulling them down.
On the plus side, if you ever want to craft two of your own belts, you have 2 durable buckles to use. I just got mine this morning and will see in real life how they are, but this “In Person” was very informative. Thanks!
Even if I would have read the updates… there’s nothing I could have done about it? I don’t think having an expectation of the product remaining the same visually is that far off.
It’s just sorta in there. I don’t know why they felt a need to apply it. It’s just a textured sorta thing adhered to the inside of the bag.
They’re very likely an easy fix. It’s just a rivet holding that buckle in there. I’ll drill it out and put what I’m 99% sure is the original buckle back in for ya, man. Hit me up.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/Buckles/roller-buckles/1525-092.aspx
Completely agree with you. I feel bad for em’ too. They were just getting crushed in the comments on their Kickstarter page about the delay in delivery which I didn’t personally have a problem with at all. Things happen. But this buckle thing seems like it was a choice, and it changes the look of the bag.
Pretty sure I’m stuck with it. Which is just fine, gonna take Curt’s advice and do some customization on the buckles, but the size and the shape of em’ just don’t appeal to me at all. That’s the thing about Kickstarter. You’re not really buying product, but helping a business get off the ground and they have thank you “rewards” for doing so. So… eh, it’s a little different. I do wish them all the best.
I think the important thing here is that when you donate money to a Kickstarter project, it’s not a purchase. You’re helping fund (investing in) a project that’s still in development stages. There’s been alot of confusion about this, and it looks like Kickstarter is taking steps to address it: “It’s hard to know how many people feel like they’re shopping at a store when they’re backing projects on Kickstarter, but we want to make sure that it’s no one.” http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store
Joe, everything you said is 100% on the money. My first impression was not positive (I’m too used to my tank of a Filson 256) but I will say that the informality of the design is starting to grow on me. I’m not going to purposely beat this bag to death, BUT I will put it through its paces and won’t feel bag doing it. It’s no Filson, definitely not a Saddleback, but it’s enough for what I need: an inexpensive, full grain leather bag for my daily commute.
Just got my bag in the mail today via parcel post. A few quick impressions before I do a full review some time in the future:
-The leather is not stained on both sides. The interior of the bag is lined with what feels to be flimsy adhesive liner.
-The leather is not stained on both sides. Thus, the natural color of the leather is on the back of the strap (which is actually cleverly integrated into the frame of the bag, lending more structural support), the flaps, and the straps securing
the bag compartments. Some may not prefer this (I don’t but c’est la vie).
-The buckle change from a roller buckle to strap/keeper model (like a typical tongue and groove belt) is a major aesthetic change (for the worse in most backers’ opinion) which does change the look of the bag. I don’t think the change makes it look particularly masculine, but I also don’t think it makes the bag look
like a purse, as others have suggested.
-The bag’s exterior (I got the cognac colored one) has visual marbling and spots which I initially did not prefer but which I now think add a bit of character to it. It’s
reminiscent of wood, and how wood sometimes has knots or other features in it.
Overall, it’s not a bad bag. It at times resembles a leather apprentice’s art school project since the straps are rather rough and the cutting isn’t 100% precise, but it’s
fairly close to what was advertised at the outset of the Kickstarter. It seems durable enough for my 11 inch laptop (I got the 13 inch bag) and since you can’t return it (being a Kickstarter) I’m keeping mine instead of selling it.
http://bit.ly/TU1SsO
It’s early on enough in the Kickstarter era of production that it’s hard to fault these guys for not seeing this coming, but it seems like the trend is that either projects don’t hit their goal or they catch on and get orders wildly exceeding the breakeven “goal.” The moral of the story is, not having a contingency plan for blowing past you goal is simply planning for failure (in the “If you’re not planning for success…” sense). These guys might become a casualty on the way to this becoming the standard Kickstarter MO, but while that’s unfortunate for them, I think it’s good for Kickstarter.
this bag would be awesome with shoulder straps. i havw a convertible with that i love but it is 40+ years old and can’t take my beatings.
Those are clearly belt buckles. Gross.
Madeska, you bring up a very important distinction. I think the Kickstarter team is making strides in ensuring future projects avoid setting unrealistic expectations and disappointing backers.
Remember that Kickstarter is crowd-sourced venture funding, complete with the same sort of risk/reward dynamics as genuine angel investing.
You and the rest of the Kickstarter group are hoping that you’re going to get a steal for $129, but since the product doesn’t exist yet, the risk that it’s a dud is significantly higher.
Well, Christmas is sneaking up on us….you can always pass it off to the uncle with pleated pants!
+1 to Madeska. Having backed nearly 50 projects on Kickstarter, I’ve stopped reading the comments because there are too many people that aren’t understanding the relationship here; you’re funding a project and they’re nice enough to give you something in return for your funding. It’s a form of investment (if you will…) and not every form of investment works out.
Part of the joy for me is helping people start a new venture or business and seeing the process; both the good and the bad. Some people run into issues that are new for them; manufacturing, shipping (chocolates in summer, for instance), scale, and yes some even get far bigger than they wanted in the first place. Some projects don’t satisfy, some outright fail. That’s the risk.
Indeed!
…. for now
http://i.imgur.com/RkQNK.gif
Yeah. This has crossed my mind, swapping it out (not that I’m a pro like you though). But this changing of the design after the fact thing is still disappointing.
Agreed, but the likelihood of seemingly unnecessary design changes to the “rewards” will lead plenty of people, like me, to think twice before helping fund a company that’s going to be making goods that have some sort of visual aesthetic to em’.
I agree, it’s not like shopping at a store. Which is why I was 100% okay with the delay in delivery of the purchase. I suppose the buckle switch is sort of in that same category, but I don’t see why it had to be done. I suppose we all draw the line somewhere. What if the prototype they showcased had to be turned into a messenger only style with no top grab handle? Is that okay then too?
yeah, there’s two issues here: fixing your own, particular bag (honestly, it’s dead easy to do…I’d only have an advantage because I have the appropriate tools to do it, and we all know how much the right tool makes the job). the second issue is an overall commentary on the process of what kickstarter is–what you’re ex- and implicitly agreeing to when you buy in, and whether any change in product is, essentially, a breach of contract. I don’t have an opinion on that–but I’m INCREDIBLY sympathetic with design changes…and, honestly, that’s why I take so long with products in testing; so I can be as certain as possible that I’ve considered alternatives and don’t change mid-stream.
It is a distinction that’s worth noting, but the Kickstarter team might be attempting to have their cake and eat it too. The rewards are obviously a huge incentive for backers. Without em, and a reasonable expectation that the rewards will come out as promised, then Kickstarter probably isn’t what it is.
That all said, it just depends on how you define “reasonable.” I was buying into the funding of the project in part because I liked how they designed the bags. And the end result was a design I don’t like nearly as much.
I supported the kickstarter project but have yet to receive my bag (I think I’m in the second shipment). But those buckles look way sturdier than the previous picture. I’m glad they made change. From the pictures the bag looks built like a tank, I can’t tell you how many other bags I have destroyed since I starting carrying a messenger bag/briefcase in high school (I refuse to pay 500$ for a bag). It is yet to be seen if it makes a big difference in person, but I think it looks great, espically for 139$.
This is, honestly, what separates good companies from great ones: how these guys handle this SNAFU. Stuff like this is absolutely inevitable when you’re starting out (believe me, I know). THAT is the real issue here…If I knew them at all, I would be telling them over and over to do absolutely anything to make sure people like what they got. If that means money back, do it. If it’s replacing the buckles, do it, whether that’s by yourself or shipping them the buckle they prefer and giving them a credit toward a local leatherworker (cobbler, probably).
for clarity: I don’t know the dudes from Antigua AT ALL…absolutely zero knowledge of them/her/him whatsoever…just speaking as a small craftsman.
This is like the business that offers a Groupon and doesn’t set a limit, then gets overrun by people trying to save a buck who don’t come back. I think Kickstarter does have a cap function, so projects that want to start slow don’t get crushed. Thinking this is the way to go: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/612992795/anstead-watches-the-oceanis It’s all sold out, but this guy has gone way above and beyond (and for good reason, look at the watch) of what his original goal was.
I wouldn’t return it even if it was an option, I’m just disappointed in the end result when my hopes were real high at the onset. And it just didn’t seem like a necessary switch. I do wonder if all the arm-chair designing in the comments got to them. There were lots of questions about the durability of the first-design buckles by backers.
Which to me.. I mean, if you’re that freaked about it, don’t back it.
Like I said, live and learn. And now I’m well aware of how much a reward can change.
I think it is reasonable to be disappointed with changes that don’t seem to have been made for any reason other than the designer changing their mind. It is a good-looking bag, and I’m sure the creators are learning a lot through this process, but the just might have been safer sticking with what they showcased during the bulk of their campaign.
Just rec’d mine today. It does look good in the darker leather. I ordered the iphone sleeve andipad sleeve in the lighter colored leather; it does not looks as good as the dark leather. But altogether the package is fine.And I look at it as helping someone get started in business. Good karma with something decent in return.
Agree – those big buckles make the bag look a lot more feminine.
If I hadn’t ever seen the original, I don’t think it would bother me too much. But, I also don’t think I would have donated with these buckles. So, meh.
I love the buckles, if you don’t want it let me know and I’ll buy it from you. Wish I had known about it when it was still on KickStart.
Yeah, true enough. I think I spoiled myself getting a Filson, because I find that I can’t enjoy the leather that this bag uses since it feels sort of plasticky and not supple. I do hope the leather softens with use, but I’m just not a fan of the natural leather look on one side and a tanned leather look on the other.
Sheesh. Enough with the pleated pants vendetta.
Oh come on…just riffing off Joe’s joke about the buckles looking like a cowboy’s mom’s belt 😛
Received my bag today. The buckles honestly don’t bother me at all, and I’m satisfied with the aesthetic. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the overall construction of the bag or the quality of the leather. I have a feeling this thing is going to start disintegrating before the leather really starts breaking in.
And with all of the freaking out by people over the liner–mine doesn’t even have one!
I completely agree with the buckles. I’m a backer too, and once I get my bag, replacing the buckles will probably be the first thing I do.
It should be noted that including Copper River’s $70 straps, CR becomes an entirely different price outside the $100-200 range. However, it seems like they’re having a ‘sale’, so I think their prices are roughly $210 dollars for a normal-sized laptop bag. Still quite a lot more than $130-150 that Antigua offered during the Kickstarter.
Thanks for the follow up and review Chris. Like I, I’m keeping it and I’ve been using it since I got it. Still not a fan of the buckles, and I’m gonna work to change those out. As far as the look of the leather goes in the pics? White Balance & Early morning light? It is a little stiff, and doesn’t have that depth/pliability of a saddleback (even though saddleback leather is knife-proof) but it’s pretty solid, to me, for the price.
Just to circle back around to this, the buckles are not a concern for me and actually look fine in person, imo.
The problem is all the exposed undersides to the leather which slough off all over the place. You can’t really see it except on the shoulder strap in the pictures (in fact, the pictures shown above are pretty strategically angled to not see this), but that exposed, unfinished underside exists on the buckle straps, flaps, and interior of the smaller pockets, and exposes the possible cheapness of the leather used. The large bag interior is lined; it’s not pigskin, but this isn’t a luxury bag, either.
Looking inside the pockets you can see glued materials and other various markings of production. Fine, but looks dirty and super rustic and makes me wonder how much life this will have. The outer dye job looks fine on the outside, but look at the leather from the side and you can see how surface-only it is. I’m no expert but it almost feels like it might be unfinished leather.
That said, the bag isn’t a $400 job from Saddleback. It’s a $150 product from a new shop, so it’s really fine for what it is: a rustic, pre-worn bag you can toss around and scratch up and sling around. It’s definitely lighter than most that I have, yet structured in the main body to protect its contents. Not bad, but definitely be wary.
“in fact, the pictures shown above are pretty strategically angled to not see this”. What are you implying? There was no strategy going into not showing the unfinished leather.