As a birthday gift, my wife bought me the F38 Carry On in brown. Then, the pandemic hit, and the bag and I were grounded. Fast forward to 2021, this domestic nomadic gentleman is once again exploring. So, here is my review on the F38.
I believe in traveling with style. The design of the F38 is elegant, the leather is rich, and the quality of construction is evident. To that end, it is the perfect travel accessory.
For my 3–4-day excursion, I was able to pack the necessary wardrobe for all my activities including a suit and extra pair of shoes. But, not without taking out the center compartment. There would have been no way to fit a pair of Allen Edmunds in that compartment along with 3-4 days of clothes. Once removed it was plenty of space, but then you lose the ability to separate the dopp kitt, socks, and underwear from the rest of your wardrobe. Nevertheless, it still works.
To use this bag, you must be an experienced nomad when it comes to efficient packing. On the outbound, I packed a sports coat along with my suit. Since the F38 can accommodate two suits, it would have been nice to have an extra hanger and hangar connection for the suits to travel independently. I also packed my dress shirts in the garment section which worked but was probably not as efficient had they been folded.
With the inner compartment installed, the access pocket is the perfect place for the F12 dopp kitt, socks, and underwear. However, once the inner compartment is removed, it did not make sense to put your dopp kitt adjacent to the zipper for the access pocket. The website says the access pocket can be used to access a laptop, but this is not practical. If your clothes are folded, pulling out a laptop would only wrinkle them and with the inner compartment installed, a laptop definitely will not fit. Besides, most nomads carry a backpack or briefcase.
While the exterior of the bag was quite handsome, there were areas where it could be more functional. The hidden document pocket in the telescopic handle is too small. My passport is housed in a leather wallet, but the wallet will not fit in the document pocket, only the passport. Also, the new larger Samsung Note and iPhone with a case do not fit in the document pocket. After retracting the telescopic handle there needs to be a real handle on that side of the bag for lifting. Maybe that is what the magnetic strap is for, but I was afraid it was not sturdy enough for continued use. This is necessary when lifting the bag or pulling it out of the overhead bin. On occasion, I liked to carry my bag by the actual handle opposite the telescopic handle. But I cannot sit it down in this position as it will fall over. Because the side opposite this handle is the sexy side of the bag, I am not sure how this can be resolved without taking away from the character of the bag.
I found the F12 dopp kitt, which I own, to be the perfect size. However, the 1.7 oz bottles that come with it are too large, so I did not use them. In the travel section of most pharmacy stores, face wash and deodorant are sold in 1 oz bottles which are sufficient for 3-4 days. Ironically, the travel size mouthwash is 3.2 oz yet it is the same size as the 1.7 oz bottles that come with the F12. Go figure.
Considering I have only been on one trip with my F38, I would give it 4 stars. I think we need to get to know each other better to understand how well we function as a team. In time.
First impression is very good. The looks, use en feel are above expected.
I like the appearance, but have a few concerns about it (full disclosure - I have not traveled with it yet). The bag is very sturdy, perhaps too rigid. Seems like a lot of space is consumed with the frame, and given my primary reason for purchasing it was to address the smaller plane issue,I may be limited in its use for a 1 or 2 day trip, but that would probably be it.
A very nicely processed piece of luggage, made of high quality leather. The division is successful - you shouldn't pack stressful the first time, but if you know how to pack it's very quick and easy - after a week on tour, I'm really excited about the trolley. The suits come out smoothly even after 3 days in the compartment.
Excellent product; pretty durable and can withstand the normal airline abuse in the cabin.
A very nicely finished briefcase, made of high quality leather. The division is successful - you can find a compartment for all the small parts that you carry around with you and there is still enough space for documents, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone and, and, and…..
This bag is super stylish and very sexy. It’s one of these accessories you can dress up or dress down! I highly recommend it and I will be purchasing the book bag and suitcase! Awesome bag!
The briefcase really looks amazing, has a lot of space and the quality is superb. The workmanship is excellent and you can really see that it is a premium product.
Just received still don t know how it works traveling but since the beginning the feeling is incredible smart, good quality, stylish
Overall it seems to be a high quality bag with an unostentatious, elegant look. I also really like the lifetime warranty (but because I didn't try it I hope that it is not just a marketing gag-> looking for someone with experience).
Zippers run very smoothly, leather looks nice. The shoulder pad is super soft and comfortable, the strap is ok however might be a little bit short for tall men.
Downsides:
- The links between metal and leather parts are creaking loudly.
- The cotton interior is soft and doesn't seem to be long lasting (would prefer e.g. canvas).
- The cotton interior for the notebook compartment is very loose (and on the same side like the other compartments).
- The framework is covered in plastic, I would prefer it to be in leather (better looking)
Overall it seems to be a high quality bag with an unostentatious, elegant look. I also really like the lifetime warranty (but because I didn't try it I hope that it is not just a marketing gag-> looking for someone with experience).
Zippers run smoothly, leather looks nice. The shoulder pad is super soft and comfortable, the strap is ok however might be a little bit short for tall men.
Downsides:
- The links between metal and leather parts are creaking loudly.
- If you have to carry heavy items and use the shoulder strap the bag is deforming.
- the cotton interior is soft and doesn't seem to be long lasting (would prefer e.g. canvas). Moreover it is a bit loose at some points.
- the framework is covered in plastic, I would prefer it to be in leather (better looking)
- weight is a little bit on the heavier side (ca. 1600g + 200g shoulder strap)
- a small bag on the outside for tickets, passports, ... would be nice
Ich finde das Reiseportemonnaie sehr schön und praktikabel und passt natürlich perfekt zu meinem Kofferset. Das Material ist sehr robust. Praktisch finde ich die Aufteilung der Innenfächer für Karten oder auch ein wenig Kleingeld. Ich habe es mir hauptsächlich für meine Reisedokumente (ob Zug-, Bus- oder Flugtickets) gekauft die ich dadurch endlich schnell zur Hand habe.
Erst habe ich etwas gezögert aufgrund des Preises, jetzt freue ich mich dass ich da Teil gekauft habe :-)
Ich habe das Italien Leather Passport Cover für meinen Freund als Geschenk gekauft. Das Cover ist ein sehr guter Schutz für den Pass und sieht sehr edel aus. Es bietet auch gut Platz für Visitenkarte und Geldscheine. Die Verarbeitung ist auch top. Sehr schön finde ich auch die Verpackung in der das Leather Passport Cover versendet wird, fast zu schade um es zu öffnen.
