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Why does my strap stand up?
I have had a Laptop Messenger for close to two years now and the other day when looking at other people's Timbuk2 bags I realized that my strap might be defective. Let me tell you what it does and if you can help me. When, I first received my bag, I thought it was a matter of "breaking it in" but after using it for two years, the characteristic of the strap is still there! The characteristic is: my strap stands up by itself! My strap seems abormally stiff and does not yield like a free-form strap that if left to its own devices will allow gravity to impart a relaxed, fallen shape. Instead, in tight situations like an elevator, I am left holding all my strap and bending it to my will to prevent it from interfering with other people. In the end, I love my bag, but I really wish I had what everyone else does, a nice malleable strap.
I’m feeling like I received a lemon.
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Inappropriate?I think you're being a bit harsh; there really isn't a way that a piece of webbing can be that "defective". The truth is the webbing is quite naturally stiff and a lot of things will influence its malleability. The amount of flex you get will depend on how you load the bag, if the bag never has much stuff in it the strap won't bend much. If you don't wear the bag across your body, again it isn't going to bend much. The strap needs to be flexed a lot to get it to give naturally - I do emphasise naturally - if you force the strap to bend then you'll probably damage it. My Timbuk2 bag is 6 and a half years old and I reckon it probably took about three years before the stiff loop of the shoulder strap became softer. The bag is not a lemon and I really do think you're expecting too much from it.
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this answers the question
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Inappropriate?I don't think my expectations for the bag are too harsh. If the bag were 20 bucks, yes. But, the bag I bought was 100+ and I expect to get what I paid for. You see, my only concern is that I see a discrepancy between my bag and others that I see in stores and that my friends carry. Gitfinger, you state that your bag is 6+ years old, have you shopped for a new timbuk2 recently? I think you'll find that the straps are in fact quite malleable, or at least to the point that they won't "stand up" as I am stating. If a timbuk2 representative can state that they've gone through different versions of the strap and that I probably have an older version, then I would be placated and the mystery would be solved. If I were being harsh, I would be adamantly demanding a refund or use of my warranty. Instead, I'm just seeking a reasonable explanation.
I’m still concerned
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Inappropriate?Hey Albie and Gitfinger,
You both make excellent points. My guess for you Albie is that you are comparing your bag against different models of Timbuk2 Bags. The shoulder straps on our Messenger and Laptop Messenger are quite stiff as they have to feed through the Cam buckle for quick strap adjustments. The Commute and Metro (both bags with removable straps) are made with a softer thinner webbing.
Another thought...when you say it stands up, just out of curiosity, at about what length do you keep your strap extended? Our Medium Laptop Messenger comes with a strap that extends up to 48" long. If it is standing straight up in the air when fully extended, I would say, yeah, that's bizarre, you have a very special strap. Now if you wear your bag really close to your body and it stands up when only extended say 18", that's not quite as wacky.
I've been here close to 4 years, and in that time I have seen 2 different webbing styles, one was a bit more soft and supple and one was a bit more rugged, but the difference was fairly negligible. I can't say I saw either one do a stand up salute when fully extended.
You don't have any pictures of it do you?
I’m impressed with Gitfingers bag breaking in techniques!
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Inappropriate?In order for us to evaluate anything maybe you can send us a pic. Send it to CustomerService@Timbuk2.com. -
Inappropriate?My three messengers all have different straps (2005, 2008, 2009). The suppliers must change or something? But yeah, my older one is the stiffest. I actually hated the softest (2008) one because it didn't feed very well through the cam buckle. My latest feels very nice so far, but it just got here. :)
