IT WAS NEVER ABOUT BAGS
It was 1989. Timbuk2’s founder Rob Honeycutt was a freethinking, freewheeling bike messenger in San Francisco. He fell in love with the functionality and utility of the messenger bag and wanted it to be accessible to all. In the heart of the eclectic Mission District neighborhood, the Classic Messenger Bag was born. But it was never really about bags - it was what the messenger bag made possible. A new community of urban nomads emerged, moving fluidly through the chaos, pivoting from meetings to meetups, outsmarting the challenges of the city. Thirty years on, we’re still taking meaningful risks, building quality bags and giving a damn about the world around us, with a keen eye on the past and the future.
What started in a garage in San Francisco in 1989, has become a global community of nomads, risk-takers, thinkers and doers. Explore our story of how we got here, and get a glimpse of what the future holds.
Rob Honeycutt, a San Francisco bicycle messenger buys a sewing machine and makes his first messenger bag in his garage in the Mission District. He names the company “Scumbags”.
Rob changes the name to Timbuk2, inspired by the African city, Timbuktu and his favorite band, Timbuk3. The Bike Gallery in Portland, OR, places the first wholesale order for Timbuk2 bags.
Doodling on a cocktail napkin with a felt-tip marker, Rob pens the original Timbuk2 “swirl” logo. Timbuk2 moves out of Rob’s garage and opens shop on Dore Street, in San Francisco’s SOMA District.
Rob becomes a student of mass customization and lean manufacturing production. He perfects his patented three-panel, tri-color messenger bag design, and consumers can “Build Your Own Bag”.
Rob takes the entire production line to the Interbike trade show in Anaheim, California and produces custom messenger bags during the show.
Timbuk2 launches its award-winning online Bag Builder on timbuk2.com, the first of its kind. Fans all over the world can now design their own unique bag!
As people start carrying their computers everywhere they go, the messenger bag gets an update. Laptops to go! Timbuk2 begins offering specific laptop sleeves and mobile phone pockets.
The first flagship store opens in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. The brand’s bag donation program, Break Up With Your Bag, is launched, encouraging customers to donate their used bags. The first rolltop backpack launches!
First travel roller suitcase launches. Bon voyage!
Timbuk2 begins its global retail expansion and opens shops in Seattle, and Singapore.
Patti Cazzato, Timbuk2’s first female CEO, is appointed. Lifecycle launches, Timbuk2’s environmental responsibility initiative, with a commitment to keep bags out of landfills.
Timbuk2 begins the trek east, opening shops near and far in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Tokyo.
G’day mate! Timbuk2 opens in Australia, with its first shop in Melbourne. The iconic swirl gets an update, and the Original Scumbags Messenger is reissued.
Timbuk2 celebrates 30 years. What started in a garage in the Mission District with custom messenger bags, has turned into a global brand offering backpacks, travel bags, bike accessories, and of course, the messenger bag. Here's to 30 more years of evolution.
We take our responsibility to the city personally.
We live here. We manufacture here. We recycle here. We give a damn and are committed to urban progress. Through the below sustainability programs, ZERO Timbuk2 bags have been sent to landfills since 2014, and thousands of bags have been repaired or repurposed. We take our commitments seriously.
LIFETIME WARRANTY
We build Timbuk2 products to last, and stand behind our legendary quality. It starts at the design level with uncompromising craftsmanship and sourcing sustainably produced materials from Bluesign® certified mills, that are extensively tested for durability. Timbuk2 products are built to last a lifetime and we support them through their complete lifecycle. All Timbuk2 bags and accessories come with our lifetime warranty. Forever.
SEWN IN SF | CA
Since 1989, we’ve remained committed to manufacturing our custom-built bags in San Francisco. The sound of sewing machines is music to our ears and it’s with great pride that we support local workers, their communities, and San Francisco at large. Manufacturing locally ensures top quality, better working conditions, and helps us work towards a more sustainable business model by cutting CO2 emissions significantly.
REPAIR: WE'LL FIX IT
Life (and holes) happen. Repairing bags is one step above recycling, because it is more environmentally friendly to fix what has already been made. Our San Francisco team is proud to repair over 6,000 bags a year.
We geek out over every fabric, stitch, seam, and zipper. We obsess over form, fit and finish. Getting it right the first time, ensures it lasts a lifetime.
Our design ethos originates from the functionality of the OG bicycle messenger bag and the revolution in urban mobility that it created.
We hire fresh thinkers with industrial, fashion and outdoor design backgrounds who bring their vision to create what we believe are the world’s best damn bags. This creative mash-up aligns with an outward eye to street, runway and technical influences that empowers them to merge style and purpose. The resulting products are highly functional, express individuality and deliver a great place to stash your keys.
We’ve always offered our community an opportunity to participate as designers. Our bag customizer provides a canvas in which you can create a unique bag that speaks to your story. With billions of combinations, no bag or person is alike.
