genck and duluth tool bags

[Kenneth Jankura]

I bought the Big House and it's an amazingly well-designed bag. I  
filled it and it's heavy.
The shoulder strap is so good, you almost don't notice the weight. I  
know, sounds crazy but it's true.
To be honest, I tuned on campus two days ago and I did notice the  
weight eventually :-)
The Big House is a little big (like bopping into the customer's door  
jamb upon entry), so I bought the Jailhouse, too.
For now I like the Jailhouse better. I may switch back at some time.
My palm PDA fits in the outside pocket just right.
One small complaint, it closes up a little too tight at the top.
There are times when I want to throw in one more thing, like the  
Piano Atlas, or a semi-bulky tool,
and other times when I just want to fit what I normally carry, back  
in, without doing the jigsaw puzzle boogie,
and the top closes small enough that you just can't be sloppy about  
how it gets packed.
And the way the pockets are layed out, sometimes you really have to  
dig to get that seldom used tool or part.
I also have serious tool fall-itis in the cover that has the tool  
slots along one side.
I have velcroed a cover flap over the tool tops so they don't fall  
out, but I need to do a better job sometime.
I will probably just opt to carry a small roll of combo -handle tools  
inside instead of using those slots at all.
It does take a little getting used to, with the two-sided format,
having to go from one side to the other for tools during regulation  
procedures sometimes.
For the most part, I am delighted with it. It's sturdy, looks good,  
feels good, and holds a ton o'stuff, so I give it a
hearty recommendation.

Ken Jankura RPT
Newville, PA


On Sep 26, 2007, at 10:42 PM, Tom Sivak wrote:

> List
>
> I have used a Genck Ultimate case for about ten years now, and I  
> thought I'd never switch.  It wasn't perfect, but it did meet my  
> basic needs, and even if things did spill out into each other's  
> little compartments, I did basically know where everything was.
>
> Then I read here on the list about Duluth Trading Co and their Big  
> House tool bag, so I went to the website and checked it out:
>
> http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/97251.aspx? 
> feature=Product_1
>
> At $64.50, certainly cheaper than a Genck...
>
> So, after arguing with myself for a couple of months,  I went ahead  
> and bought it,  It arrived last week.  It took another week before  
> I had the courage to empty out the old Genck and load up the  
> Duluth.  Wasn't sure if I'd like it, and inertia is a powerful  
> force...
>
> Wow.
>
> I can't believe how much room there is in there, how many pockets  
> there are, and how well everything I have fits in there.  I can  
> even put my Verituner in one side and have it all in one (albeit  
> heavy) bag!  And now, tools aren't rubbing against each other,  
> ruining their wooden handles, etc.
>
> The way it's designed, there's a place for everything, and nothing  
> falls out of its pocket and spills out into anything else. It all  
> stays where you put it!
>
> I will be lost for awhile, searching for a tool, not sure where I  
> put it, but eventually, this is going to improve my life.  Really,  
> it's all so visible, all the tools right there in front of your  
> eyes, not piled on top of one another in a little compartment...it  
> really won't take long at all to adapt to this.
>
> One bit of advice, should anyone else consider the same move...the  
> Big House bag is almost too big.  I might try the Jailhouse.  It's  
> almost the same price, so I went for the bigger bag, but I actually  
> have a couple of dozen pockets that are empty in this new bag!  I  
> guess I'll find things to put in there...  The one drawback is that  
> the bag itself is heavier than the Genck.  Putting my Verituner in  
> there makes it even heavier, but I'm really up for just one bag.
>
> This list is such an asset to us all.  You can glean what you want  
> from it; you can go to it to get specific info; you can read it for  
> enjoyment, enlightenment, or inspiration...
>
> Thank you all,
>
> Tom Sivak
> Chicago