Waxwing Bag Co.

Home
United States
Falmouth, MA
Waxwing Bag Co.

Making custom cycling gear for randonneurs, commuters and tourers, and anyone who want to carry stu

07/26/2026

Summer chilling in Woods Hole

06/29/2026

.
When I started making bags I was essentially making fabric boxes, with smaller boxes attached for pockets. Fair enough—my quest was to emulate the storied Berthoud handlebar bags.

From that starting point I’ve increasingly moved towards seeing bags more in their sculptural form—shaping the bags to function well, but also please the eye.

This saddlebag is a great example of that. Early on my saddlebags were inspired by the functional and boxy Carradice bags, but over time more and more shape found its way in there to the point that there is nary a square corner left at this point.

On the one hand I have a deep reverence for tradition, but I also have a persistent urge to shape, adjust, and refine. While serving the same purpose this bag bears little resemblance to where its earlier iterations started.

I suppose they are all a work in progress and that’s a virtue of one person making things one at a time—there’s very little hindrance to constant evolution.

Medium sized Briquette Saddlebag with brass hardware and honey leather trim.

#83°

06/18/2026

.
I love this little bag--known as the Sandwich Bag-- which is a slightly smaller version of the Lunch Bag.

The evolution of this design is a little vague to me at this point, but I think I was inspired by the larger basket bags I’d made, but sized for the basics. What I like too about this bag is it’s compact enough to secure to a rack with just a set of RaClips and the backstop sleeve. Unless there’s some weird top-heavy load, it’ll be secure without a decaleur.

This is the bag I use as a default—easy, compact, uncomplicated—and yet expandable as needed. Unlike the version I made for myself, this one has back pockets which makes it that much more of a great choice.

Red Rocks xPac, black leather trim, poly straps and G hook closures.

#61°

05/07/2026

.
Such a sweet bag!

The waxed natural canvas, nickel hardware and white elastics paired up with the honey colored leather make for an almost luminescent result.

I'm sure effects of time, exposure and use will alter it from this starting point, but I'd wager that the bag will carry some vestige of its brightness throughout its life.

Here's to some great journeys ahead...

#53°

03/11/2026

Grocery run to town!

02/25/2026

.
Truth is I don’t love frame bags—not sure why—they certainly have a place when thinking about loading up a bike, and they present a great opportunity to splash out with some cool creative ideas, but still, I don’t find I get excited about making them in the way I do various other bags.

And yet, here you go. Isn’t this a fun bag? The customer tried to give me some direction with colors and design, but gave up and said “You go for it—I trust you—it’ll be cool” while referencing some possible color options.

In keeping with the other bags already on the bike, and the frame color, this is what I came up with.

Provided USPS does its work, this bag will be out on an adventure in New Mexico by the end of the month. How fun!

Purple, Bottle Green, Terra Cotta and Harvest Tan, along with Turquoise lacing. The bag will mount into the Tanglefoot Hardtack with a combo of bolt-on mounts and lacing. Waterproof zipper access to main compartment on drive side, sleeve pocket on the non-drive side.

It’ll take some time to attach the bag, but it’ll be solid and secure once it’s’ on. And there’s no velcro to distract from the overall look.

02/13/2026

.
Handlebar bags are usually box shaped, yet most front racks have an angled backstop that mirror the angle of the head tube—resulting in inherent (and generally unresolved) tension. Attaching a 90º box to a 110º backstop tends to distort the bag slightly. It’s kind of a quirk that we all live with.

This bag solves that little bugaboo.

Taking direct inspiration from Guu Watanabe, the lower third of the back of the bag tilts out to match the angle of the backstop. Not only is it a great solution to the tug between the rack and bag, but it also makes for a really lovely design, literally “thinking outside the box” -shaped bag.

If you are not familiar with Guu Watanabe : Japanese bag makers Shoichi-san and Tomoko-san Watanabe made a blinding array of gorgeous bags until they retired a number of years ago. Their work was a big inspiration as I tried to learn this craft, and remains so today. (A number of years ago I wrote a blog post tribute—link in bio)

Making this style bag is a rare treat. The customer did a quality job making a cardboard mock-up which made it easy for me to make the bag. Given the tight space above the backstop, we opted to make the sleeve openable for attachment.

Olive canvas, nickel hardware, honey brown trim. Pleated front pocket.

01/13/2026

.
Such a funky little bu**er.

This one is designed to fit in the little frame triangle on a Brompton. Tiny bag for a tiny space, but it'll be a great place to store tools and a tube, or something of that ilk.

Bottle Green, Athletic Gold and Terra Cotta definitely win the funnest colors in recent memory award. Molle around the perimeter allows for playing with attachment points with the leather straps.Waterproof zipper to round it off.

01/08/2026

.
The sun came out and the temperatures went above freezing, which naturally awakesn my imagination towards dreams of spring.

Do have a trips you are looking forward to this year? Daydream journeys over mountain passes? Long miles through a foreign land? Let me know what you're hoping (or planning) to do!

Years ago I followed 's trip through Portugal and ever since I've wanted to go ride there. No plans yet, but boy, it's fun to imagine. Could this be the year?

This set is headed to cold Canada, hopefully in anticipation of fair weather adventures.

Camping panniers and large saddlebag are in waxed Brush Brown, nickel hardware and honey brown trim. Rixen Kaul hardware mounts the panniers securely and easily. This rugged and roomy set of bags will be perfect for some miles far from town or village.

12/25/2025

Happy Hollidays to you!

Thanks to all who supported Waxwing Bag Co over the last year with your orders, creative ideas. patience and good energy.

Here's looking forward to whatever we come up with together in the new year!

Address

Surf Drive
Falmouth, MA
02540

Website

http://www.waxwingbagco.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Waxwing Bag Co. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Waxwing Bag Co.:

Want your business to be the top-listed Gym/sports Facility in Falmouth?