Kettle Bag

[Griffin NoName]

I have been searching and searching hours and hours online to replace my handbag which is worn out. I want something similar to what I have. Eventually I discovered that the style is called a kettle bag. Not that this helped. All bags are too big, much too big. There seems to be a conspiracy of big bags. I hate fashion. Anyway, I cannot see why a kettle bag is called a kettle bag. (Maybe this should be in easy questions).

[pieces o nine]

Quite a range of styles under that umbrella term!

[Opsa]

I have the opposite problem- no bag is big enough for me... or has enough pockets. I should give up and get a camera bag.

[Griffin NoName]

Buy a bag on a UK site Ops!! Some are gigantic. most have several pockets.

I got into obsessive/compulsive mode today and spent 4-5 hours looking for a bag less than 32cm wide but found none except ones that were then too small in the other dimensions. My worn out bag is quite ordinary, it's just ordinary is not in fashion.

I used to have big bags Ops, until I had my breast cancer. My shoulder is now too mucked up for a big bag. I came up with the idea of having a little bag with just essentials, to put inside a big bag when absolutely necessary. Hence the bag needs to be small enough to go inside a big bag and still leave room in the big bag for shopping or whatever. This has worked great for 11 years............... but bags do eventually wear out.

[Opsa]

That's true. Plus now we're hearing all these horror stories about handbags containing zillions of nasty germs, which I suspect is the handbag industry's way of trying to scare us into buying new, sanitary handbags.

All I want is a handbag with a large zippered pocket in front for my keys, and an inside with several compartments for wallet, checkbooks, phone, camera (I know- I can't afford any decent cameraphones right now), notes, medicines (nothing serious, but I do like to have head and tummy relief on hand), hairbrush and a little bit of makeup in case I have to tidy myself.

Is that so much to ask?

[Griffin NoName]

EEeeek!! What's a sanitary handbag?

No not too much to ask, and they do exist over here. The largest I found was 44 cm width. Unfortunately I can't remember where I found it.

[Darlica]

Opsa! If the look isn't an issue take a peek at these bags.
http://www.redoxx.com/

L has a black "CPA" bag it's big, think weekend bag. "Metro" is a bout half of that size more of a soft briefcase. "Gator carry on" is smaller, I would buy one if the it wasn't so darn expensive to buy things form the States.  All their bags has is a lot of and judging by L's bag they are of very high quality.

Personally I think a perfect handbag is as illusive as the holy graal.  Never found it.

[Griffin NoName]

Personally I think a perfect handbag is as illusive as the holy graal.  Never found it.

Possibly because, ask any woman, and her requirements will be unlike any other's (globally) 

[pieces o nine]

I carry the smallest bag possible (only changed from driver's license and some cash in my back hip pocket & keys & change in front pocket when I got contact lenses back in the day and needed to carry eye holders!) I prefer not much more than a glorified wallet on a long, cross-body strap. It has to have a secure external pocket for cellphone/or/camera, an easily accessibly zippered change pocket, separate secure pocket for paper money, small card slot for driver's license and bank card, with other slots or secure internal pocket(s) for "loyalty" cards and such. If there's enough room inside for a pack of gum or a tissue, great. I attached secure rings to the strap hardware if a sufficient one isn't built in to attach keys (on a ring with a heavy-duty lobster claw), tiny flashlight (can be dark to see locks in winter) also on a heavy-duty lobster claw, and a changeable steampunk dangle(s) on a lobster claw. Very compact, very efficient, and very prone to jingle like spurs if I'm moving too fast.
 

My mom carries what I describe as a Samsonite suitcase (short handles) which she wears slid half-way up to her shoulder. She keeps you on the handbag side and repeatedly smacks you about the head and shoulders if you walk next to her.       She claims to be unaware that this is happening.

I have a small, portable dvd player which I'm designing a kindle-esque cover for. I've been toying with designs that would accommodate a super slim jewel case, a trade paperback book, and maybe a loop for a magazine, as I always have something to read with me. And a secure fastener to attach my normal bag. And...but that becomes "huje" rather quickly!

[Griffin NoName]

What people carry is always fascinating.

In my small handbag: purse, car keys, house keys (when not innside), important notes about stuff I might forget, an insect bite zapper attached to ring attached to inside of bag, sweetners, pack of tissues, small zipped bag with tiny notebook, two pens, two tiny minute bags with poppers with vital tablets inside (eg. for migraines etc), credit cards in zipped compartment, a few spurious cards like my Freedom Pass for the bus which I never use, one dose of pain killers, a comb, mobile phone.

I have ordered a new bag, but it is really too expensive, and it's red not green, and although it is roughly the right size it is upside down to what I want. I'll have to see if I am going to keep it when it arrives. The new bag is wider at the bottom than the top, whereas my current bag is wider at the top than the bottom. The advantage of wider at the top is that it is easy to see all that is inside, whereas with narrower at the top means cannot open the bag to full extent to see stuff. I attach a picture of the problem. A further issue is that the old bag closes with a popper which is easy to open with one hand, the new bag is zipped, which generally needs two hands which I don't usually have available, and also zips further restrict the amouunt the bag will actually open.