Bag-making resources:
(updated December 2008-- a quick draft to get some thoughts down)
Fabric:
- The material used for many courier bags, backpacks, and luggage is typically a synthetic woven nylon or polyester-based material
- Cordura is a brand name for a popular fabric used in many bags, and there are various similar off-brand materials (K-Dura, etc.). It is rated in denier, representing how thick or heavy-duty it is. 1000 denier is a standart heavy-duty bag material.
- These materials are very abrasion and tear-resistant. They are not intrinsically waterproof like vinyl: the fibers themselves are water resistant, but as a somewhat coarsely-woven fabric, water can still penetrate between the fibers). However, you can buy Cordura and similar fabrics with a urethane coating on one side that makes them more waterproof.
- Cordura materials are available in many different colors
- Luggage and backpacks also use a "ballistics nylon"
- Waxed cotton (from companies such as WaxWear) is an older take on waterproof bag material. I've been trying to find a place to buy some of this in small quantities as opposed to a full roll.
- Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics is a small business in Idaho that's an excellent mail-order source for heavy-duty fabric, webbing, hardware, and so on, and they have some great swatch/sample sets.
- To place an order, you have to fill out a special form and fax or call it in. If you just want to try them out, you could use this "starter pack order form" I threw together, which is a $40 sampling of various fabric and hardware I've tried and like (no, I'm not affiliated with them and don't get a commission, I just thought this might, some day, save someone a few minutes and some hassle...).
- This demo form was created in Fall 2008 based on their price list at the time-- if you're reading this much after then, it's possible prices have gone up or certain items are no longer carried.
- Sailrite (in Indiana, and online) sells a variety of boat-related fabrics (marine fabrics, awning fabrics, nylons, upholstery, and so on)
- San Francisco has various fabric stores, such as:
- SCRAP -- very cheap, remnant/upholstery/etc
- Whiz Bang fabrics in the Mission
- Britex -- sort of expensive, not much bag hardware, but a wide selection of fabrics, including some heavy-duty ones
- The comprehensive list of "places to get fabric in the SF Bay Area" is huge-- this is a topic for a future update
Webbing and Hardware:
- OWF, as mentioned above
- In a pinch, places like REI or other hiking shops will typically sell a few types of webbing and some basic D-rings and fasteners, for backpack repair. They're relatively expensive, though
- Hardware stores will sometimes also sell webbing by the foot
- Fabric stores will have the basic fasteners (snaps, velcro, some zippers)
- For creative fasteners, there are probably all sorts of interesting sources-- if you're one of the probably 10 people who will ever read this, and you know some interesting sources for buckles, side-pull fasteners, or other large fasteners, let me know
- For example, you can find seatbelt buckles, airline seatbelt buckles, or parachuting buckles at various local stores or online
Sewing Machines and related:
- You can buy or borrow a machine. Heavier-duty machines help for sewing through many layers of Cordura and webbing (especially in areas such as the corners of the bag or the strap attachment points, where you might momentarily have as many as 8 layers of fabric involved depending how you design the lining and borders).
- It doesn't specifically have to be an "industrial" machine (and real industrial machines like some Jukis are large, heavy, noisy, and/or will gladly sew through your hand). Machines typically considered to be industrial are designed for very fast stitch rates and rapid produciton, and may also require more frequenct lubrication. That being said, lots of bag companies use Juki machines.
- If you're working on a small scale, just a machine with a good strong motor, high-quality design, and the capability to take larger needles are useful.
- "Walking foot" type machines certainly help for thick or unwieldy fabrics
- That being said, I have a bias for solid, metal machines, like old-school Singers or the modern Sailrite series. I have an LS-1 (straight stitch only, 1/10 HP motor, walking foot) and made all the bags on the main bags page on it.
- For quasi-industrial machines like the Sailrite, I typically use their #18 needle with V-92 or V-69 thread
- I like bonded polyester thread (bonded nylon should work too, but would be more affected by water?)
- Note that industrial and quasi-industrial sewing machines like the Sailrite use different needles than standard home sewing machines, and slightly different orientations -- read the threading guide carefully! Things like left-to-right vs right-to-left for needle threading do make a difference.
- There are also places in the Bay Area to rent sewing machine access (though I feel like having the tools on-hand is a great motivator)
- Techshop (though their machines were not in the best of repair when I saw them-- sharing nice tools between lots of people who are just learning to use them is tricky)
- Some sewing place in the Mission that was recommended-- I need to look up the name
Other: