defybags

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Does your guy like Scotch? Action movies? Has he seen some of them so many times it makes you wonder about his mental health? If so, please head to defybags.com to buy him the perfect Valentine's Day gift. One that's Hand-Crafted in Chicago and made from uber durable materials that Jason Bourne himself couldn't wear out. We understand your guy. We are that guy.

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Super stoked to launch our Horween OxBlood Recons this week! Each one takes one complete side of leather & 2 hours to craft. We've pulled out all the stops on these.

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Courier Strap Pack

Here’s a quick peek at our new courier strap pack. It fits an iPhone 6 and comes with: MIL SPEC MOLLE webbing, 2 D Rings, an additional storage pocket, adjustable 2" velcro straps on the back and a separate pen or tool holder on the side for quick access.

But you know what it doesn’t have? A name! Got any ideas? If you do, send them on over to us. The winner will have their name announced and receive a free...whatever it’s called. Pre-Order now | Ships in 3 weeks.

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Vicious Sabbath

Lets face it, some bike bags just f'n rock; they fit your life and just become a part of you. At times you don't even notice they're slung around your back as you ride.

Meet the 3rd generation of our Vicious Series: the Sabbath Edition. Why did we call it Sabbath? You tell us. But with 3 imported AustriAlpin Cobra Buckles, this bag is better equipped than any cycling messenger we can think of on the freakin' planet and nothing rocks harder — except maybe Sabbath.

With 1,000 Denier Cordura, 18 wheel truck tarpaulin lining and solid steel components & MIL-SPEC Webbing, this isn't your average overseas mass produced messenger: DEFY hand-crafts each and every Vicious in Chicago using blood, sweat and tears and some badass industrial sewing machines! Check them out on the site, they ship in 3 weeks.

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The DEFY Horween Leather Cycling bag is in production right now. Distressed Brass hardware and adjustable hand-crafted leather strapping lets you to hang the bag on either the handle bars or the bike’s frame. We're looking for names now, so if anyone has a name suggestion that we use, you'll win a bag for free and have your name announced.

We can’t wait to hear what you come up with!

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Here’s another sneak peek: this is a true one-off (for the moment): a DEFY ‘Ultimate Weekender' in gorgeous Horween leather’, accompanied by a 'Gear Kit' in OxBlood leather. This photograph was shoot on location at the Thompson Hotel, Chicago. 

This bag and Gear Kit will soon be available for pre-order on our web site.

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Here's a sneak peek of the DEFY 'The Ultimate Overnighter Horween OxBlood Leather Edition' and 'Recon Horween OxBlood Leather Edition. This picture is from our recent photo shoot on location at the Thompson Hotel, Chicago This particlur shot was taken on one of the lusciously gold couches in Nico's Bar  

You'll soon be able to pre-order these reassuringly luxurious bags from our web site, but for now, just gaze upon their awesomeness

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NYC know's how to DEFY the snow: just grab yourself a big ass @Jeep with some humungous tires! Photo @Happicamp

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DEFY Intern Program 2015

We're proud to have Teddy VerBockel from The Art Institute of Chicago, as one of the first of many great interns we hope to have at DEFY. And we’re proud that DEFY is now an officially recognized company in the Art Institute of Chicago's Co-op program, joining the likes of Ralph Lauren and other respected fashion brands — how did that happen?!

Our internships are a bit…well…different. Here are some examples of an average day for Teddy at DEFY: writing social media posts, sketching ideas, taking pictures, helping to build vintage wood displays or shop tables, walking 'The Otis' (our ever growing Bernese Mountain Dog), going on beer & coffee runs (he's 21 finally!), modeling DEFY’s products, and so much more.

Teddy's latest opportunity? How about acting as part intern / part DEFY Sales Rep? The sky is truly the limit when the company's name is DEFY and everyone is treated like a fellow entrepreneur!! Get out there and do it young lad...who says a non-paid 'college credit only' internship needs to $tay that way?!

If you're looking for a possible internship @ DEFY, you don't need to be part of the Art Institute, hit us up with your info now!

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How to Build a Better American Company — Step 2: Hire a Brit

It was over a decade ago when DEFY's founder, Chris Tag, was working in advertising as a Creative Director on the Boeing account and found himself traveling to the UK to work with a world class photographer named James Bareham. When James arrived to greet the team in a Range Rover Vogue HSE he stated, 'I hope you don't mind, but I've arranged some proper British transport'. Chris and the crew knew this was going to go swimmingly.

They traveled the English countryside, stayed in a grand English country house ( Cowley Manor — which is straight out of a fairy tale, but with a modern twist); staged an eating contest between James' Producer and Chris to see who could eat the most Pork Scratchings, (video proof exists of Chris' disgusting drunken victory which nearly got them banned from the upscale Charlotte Street Hotel in London) and they even managed to produce some great work along the way.

That work was challenging: show up in various factories making parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and then on the fly, and with minimal crew, create great shots of actual workers. Chris and James thrived on it, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Charlotte Street Hotel, London, England

Fast forward to present day: James is now living in NYC and he and Chris are doing the same 'run and gun' shooting for the next great American company, DEFY! Okay, so we're a tad bit smaller than Boeing, but you get the drift ;)

They literally talk on the phone twice a day chatting about everything from current events, to finding new ways of making DEFY more rad, and anything else in between.

James continues to add so much to DEFY beyond just his amazing photography. He’ll be helping to opening up a DEFY East Coast office (yes, that’s coming!); acting as a global path finder; helping to plan our trade shows like our upcoming Capsule Show in Las Vegas next month (where Chris and James will man the DEFY stand); and always on hand to give cogent, dependable advice — using an genuine British accent, so it always sounds smarter. Oh yeah, one more thing: how could you not partner with a guy who has a 'Be Brave' tattoo on his forearm and lives that credo daily?!

Welcome James, it's going to be one helluva ride! Thanks for DEFYING with us.

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Dopp Kits & Camp Wandawega's Sportsmans Weekend

As we may have mentioned, our friends and owners of Camp Wandawega in Wisconsin know how to throw a party. When owners Tereasa & David Surratt told us they had 50 year old Boy Scout tents that they wanted DEFY to turn into something rad for their 'Sportsman's Weekend', we knew just what to make: Dopp Kits with Wandawega's Boy Scout canvas lined with curtain material your grandmother would love. Functional AND Cool, that's how we roll.

You can read more about this collaboration on our web site. And if you sign up for our newsletter, we'll not only love you forever, we'll give you 10% off your next order. 

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Our most recent email newsletter celebrated some of the most successful collaborations with our corporate clients. Here's a couple:

Maserati  |  Horween Leather Aesthetic iPad Sleeves @ 217 mph

We developed a ton of these hand-crafted Maserati logo embossed Aesthetic iPad sleeves for Maserati dealers. We should've swapped some race track laps for these bad boys! 

AJ Capital Partners  |  SOHO House, Chicago

When the developer of the SOHO House, Chicago called and asked if we could come up with a great surprise gift for their employee retreat, we couldn't wait to start working on the project.

When we then found out they were having their retreat at our friend's idyllic getaway, Camp Wandawega, our minds were blown! AND when we found out Kevin Bacon would be there…well not really, just kidding!

Nevertheless, it was a corporate kismet no-brainer that we do this project. We recommended that they rock a custom Bucktown backpack and AJ agreed.

We also decided that making some custom woven patches at our friend's sewing facility on the South Side of Chicago would make their bags extra special. It was nice to have multiple Chicago companies working together toward a common goal; we’d like to do more of that.

Want to keep up with all things DEFY? Easy, just sign up to our newsletter on defymfg.com. And we'll give you 10% off your next order — what's not to love about that?

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WEAR THIS: CHICAGO BREED

This is exceptionally cool: the 'VerBockel' Rolltop Backpack in Wax Canvas is featured on Cool Material today, along with some other great Chicago brands. We're proud to be in such good company.

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DEFY bags are made to be used, to be worn and to wear. Check out James Bareham's Horween Leather Workcase after a year of abuse. 

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Timeless. Still out most popular bag: the DEFY 'Recon' in Tarp.

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Winter is coming. We need wood, a fine axe, and a bag made of 18.5 oz Cotton Duck Canvas with a handle made of Horween Bridle Leather. Presenting the DEFY Henley Log Carrier. For Men.

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Limited Edition DEFY Gear Kits made in Japanese Selvedge Denim, supplied by our friends at Freenote Cloth in LA, part of an awesome collaboration to create unique products for a pop-up at Mild Blend Supply in Chicago. We love collabs.