Tram21
Announcement
Extremely FAST Shipping times:
1-3 working days - USA
2-5 working days - EU
A Messenger Bag or a Duffel Bag, a Satchel, a Backpack or a Tote bag, we make them all, using waxed canvas and saddle leather of outstanding quality.
For half a year I've visited more than 20 producers to find the best waxed canvas and the finest leather. I wanted to make a premium collection of bags, where quality in both fabrics and craftsmanship can't be equaled. And I think I made it! I'm not saying it because I love my bags so much, that I dream of myself wearing 3 of them at a time, but look what my clients are saying:
*****
❝This leather satchel is more exquisite than I even anticipated [...]❞
*****
"The material looks and feels amazing! Got so many compliments already!"
*****
"Absolutely stunning workmanship. Blown away by the quality. The waxed Canvas and leather are gorgeous. "
*****
"If there is a Lamborghini of duffel bags - this is it." <- This is my favourite review!
An now, a little bit about myself :D
*****
"The shop owner is very responsive and was able to ship this out earlier than standard timing [...]"
I use the messenger bag every day.
When I take short trips during the weekend I have the duffel bag.
The backpack comes with me when I go by bike to my atelier.
No, I'm not wearing the tote bags, but my wife is very happy she married a bag designer.
That's me!
Announcement
Extremely FAST Shipping times:
1-3 working days - USA
2-5 working days - EU
A Messenger Bag or a Duffel Bag, a Satchel, a Backpack or a Tote bag, we make them all, using waxed canvas and saddle leather of outstanding quality.
For half a year I've visited more than 20 producers to find the best waxed canvas and the finest leather. I wanted to make a premium collection of bags, where quality in both fabrics and craftsmanship can't be equaled. And I think I made it! I'm not saying it because I love my bags so much, that I dream of myself wearing 3 of them at a time, but look what my clients are saying:
*****
❝This leather satchel is more exquisite than I even anticipated [...]❞
*****
"The material looks and feels amazing! Got so many compliments already!"
*****
"Absolutely stunning workmanship. Blown away by the quality. The waxed Canvas and leather are gorgeous. "
*****
"If there is a Lamborghini of duffel bags - this is it." <- This is my favourite review!
An now, a little bit about myself :D
*****
"The shop owner is very responsive and was able to ship this out earlier than standard timing [...]"
I use the messenger bag every day.
When I take short trips during the weekend I have the duffel bag.
The backpack comes with me when I go by bike to my atelier.
No, I'm not wearing the tote bags, but my wife is very happy she married a bag designer.
That's me!
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
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Tony on Feb 24, 2021
5 out of 5 starsGreat workmanship, and it gets better with use and age.
I could make very suggestions of improvement.
Having said that, with next order I will make some personal adjustments to the internal pockets, but this is purely personal.
A happy customer. -
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Stephanie on Jan 18, 2021
5 out of 5 starsThis was my best Christmas gift of the season, hands down. So unique and beautifully well made. Crazy fast shipping too.
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britney on Dec 29, 2020
5 out of 5 starsdelivery was so fast! the item is everything we were looking for, thank you
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kjholmes2 on Nov 30, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis item was easy to customize and was sent out quickly. The item looks exactly like the picture, but the photo doesn't capture the beautiful leather top flap --- it looks better in person! The inside has 3 compartments, and is all protected by a zipper. This was a great purchase and I recommend this vendor --- 2.5 weeks to Canada from Europe!!
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Bianca Leung on Nov 8, 2020
5 out of 5 starsIt arrived in such a short time regardless me being on the other side of the globe! I got it for my boyfriend as Xmas present, I hope he likes it cause I like it a lot! Thinking of getting myself one as well hahaha!
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Depreson on Oct 20, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThank you Bogdan, for your help on the delivery, the bag is very useful and high quality！
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Tony on Feb 24, 2021
5 out of 5 starsA great piece of kit. It ages and wears well, and I get the impression I could follow up this assessment in 10 years time and still be happy.
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Updates
About Tram21
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Drawing a new pattern
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My 25+ years old Pfaff machine
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The tools I use to cut the leather
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Colourful leather
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Working on a prototype
Grit and passion - How I made my first waxed canvas messenger bag, a backpack, a satchel, a duffel bag or a duffle bag and a leather and canvas bag
My name is Bogdan and I'm the designer behind Tram 21. I live in Brussels, Belgium, with my wife and our new-born daughter. I would have liked to tell you that I inherited my creativity from my parents, who made bags their whole lives, like you hear from so many small businesses. But that is not my story. My parents worked in other fields, so I had to start from scratch. Here's how I did it.
How did it all begin?
I have always worked as a designer, a computer graphic designer, and I used to apply my creativity only in the virtual environment. Everything I created was intangible, and the only thing I was doing with my hands was pressing the keys and moving the mouse. This was one of the reasons why I felt the need for a change.
I am fascinated by objects that travel through time, things that somebody will find after many years at the back of a closet and wonder: how old is this bag? how many travels did it go on? how many more can it take with me? I had my own ideas about the kind of bag I would like to use everyday and the kind of materials that would make it last my whole life. I tried to put that on paper, but it took me a while to learn how to make a professional pattern. The next step was learning how to use a sewing machine. I progressed well with the help of a good friend and mostly through trial and error. I felt very happy when I was finally able to transform the patterns of my own design into concrete objects.
So, after 15 years as a graphic designer, working for other people's projects, I decided it was time to start my own. One that will not dissapear when I unplug my computer.
I started my project - creating leather and canvas bags - at about the same time that my wife became pregnant. And she delivered one month earlier than I did :). We are now the happy parents of a wonderful baby girl. This is an extra incentive for me to take a deep breath and make it work.
Was it difficult to design the first bags, to find the right fabrics or the right people to work with? it surelly was. Sometimes I felt it would be impossible to solve the puzzle. But during that time a human life had been created! If that was possible, everything else seemed like a breeze. Through steady work, I managed to pull through and find the right people and the right suppliers. I now work with an enthusiastic team of four, creating bags that will travel with you for many years, silently witnessing your journies. Let's see how far we can go!
What about the materials?
It is very important for me to control every stage of the production of my bags. And it must start with how the materials are sourced. I want to make sure that they are fairly made and of the highest quality. This is why I visited all my suppliers personally.
I started with a visit to Alcanena, Portugal, which I had heard was an area with a rich tannery tradition. I met there a familly that had been perfecting the art of tanning for five generations. I was delighted that they agreed to work with me, being a start-up with just hopes and dreams and lots of uncertainties. It is amazing to watch how they work, how they analyse each piece of leather and how they strive to achieve the highest quality. And, indeed, the quality of the leather they produce for my bags is outstanding. I am proud to be partner with the best Alcanenian tannery.
I got some of the canvas from Portugal as well, but most of it is from the UK. The waxed cotton I use has a long history, starting from the mid 19th century, when it was first introduced in the sailing industry, due to it's waterproofing quality. Even if it was eventually replaced by synthetic materials, waxed canvas is still used not least due to its charactheristic appearance. I love the scratches and shades it gains over time. The UK factory I work with is more than 100 years old and their history overlaps with the waxed canvas history itself. I'm happy I can help take it further.
You can see here the outcomes of the dreams and hard work of a self-made man, who believes that anything can be mastered with grit and passion.
I hope you like them.
Tram 21
Packing your memories
LATER EDIT
Things moved much faster than I expected. Here's an update of the journey.
Now I have two ateliers. One in Brussels, where I make the designs and one in Romania where I make the bags. I fly back and forth two times a month. In Romania, two of my colleagues help me cut and sew the bags. Then I got them shipped to Belgium, from where I ship worldwide.
Sometimes, to save a few days, I ship them directly from Romania.
The waxed canvas is from Manchester, the leather comes from Portugal, the design is made in Brussels and the bags are produced in Bucharest, Romania.
So, that's the story. The bag is produced 100% in Europe, with all the money staying here and not going to Asia. This is something very important to me and I thank you all for buying from us.
Shop members
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Bogdan V
Owner, Designer, Customer Service
I'm a self-made man, who believes that anything can be mastered with grit and passion.
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Dorina C
Designer
Dorina is the engineer who oversees the production of the bags. She also helped me with the prototypes, as she knows a lot about structures and fabrics.
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Florin G
Photographer
Florin is the friend with whom I had the longest talks about art and family. He is the photographer who took the first shot after 2 hours of setting-up the background for the duffle bag. "It has to be perfect", he said.
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Mia
Maker
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Maria
Maker
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Narcisa
Maker
Shop policies
Here's our collection of silent companions, made to travel with you for a very long time.
Accepted payment methods
Returns and exchanges
I gladly accept returns, exchanges, and cancellations
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
- Custom or personalized orders
Returns and exchange details
For that reason, here at Tram 21 we offer a 14 days no-matter-what return policy. We know this won't happen, because our products are perfect :), but if you change your mind, you have 21 days to send back the item. So contact us with 14 days of delivery and return the bag within 21 days of delivery. The product should be in perfect condition without any signs of wear.
We are reasonable people and we'll try to solve any problems you'll have. More than anything else, we want happy customers! We offer free returns as a sign of good will and we hope our dear customers will use it in good faith.
Payment
Shipping
Normally, you'll receive your package within one week, no matter where you are.
Yes, I know, that's VERY FAST!
If you are in a hurry, select Express Shipping and you'll get your package in 1-3 days for US and Europe, and 3-5 days for Australia.
For the non-EU deliveries, it might take a few extra days for the customs clearance in the destination country. And there's a slight possibility that you'll pay some extra taxes and duties, when you'll receive the package.
For the US, you DON'T have to pay custom taxes if the purchase is less than $800. That's good news!
Custom taxes are something out of my control. If you are asked to pay them, please understand there is nothing I can do about it. A bad review for my shop caused by this tax will make me very sad.
If, by any reason, you'll not be able to receive the package and it will be shipped back to us, you'll need to cover all the shipping costs.
If you want your item to be shipped to a different address than the one associated to your Etsy account, please mention it in the comment section of your order.