This is the compact one: 16 liters, 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) empty, and magnetic clasps that get you into it in a second. It is handmade from 65% beeswax-treated canvas and 35% calfskin leather, with a leather top, stainless bronze buckles, padded shoulder straps, and a hand-sewn saddle stitch throughout. It measures 42 x 30 x 12 cm (16.5 x 11.8 x 4.7 in), and the OG in the name is short for Original Gentleman's.
Key facts
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16 liters, 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) empty: this is our day-carry size, built around a commute rather than a week away.
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Magnetic clasps for quick opening: you get the vintage buckle shape without working a strap back through hardware every time you want your keys.
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65% waxed canvas, 35% calfskin leather: beeswax-treated canvas over the body, calfskin for the top, which is the part your hands touch every day.
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Stainless bronze buckles: solid metal, which is exactly where a cheap bag gives out first.
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Laptop sleeve, main compartment, interior zip pocket: plus front pockets and side pockets outside, and a polyester lining that keeps the wax off what you carry.
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Hand-sewn saddle stitch: each stitch locks on its own, so one broken thread cannot run a seam open under load.
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Footprint: 42 x 30 x 12 cm (16.5 x 11.8 x 4.7 in), on padded shoulder straps.
16 liters, and what that actually carries
Sixteen liters is a deliberate number. This backpack measures 42 x 30 x 12 cm (16.5 x 11.8 x 4.7 in) and weighs 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) empty, which puts it at the compact end of what we make in canvas. Inside there is one large main compartment with a laptop sleeve and an interior zip pocket for the things that must not migrate to the bottom, all lined in polyester so the wax never sits against your clothes. Outside there are front pockets and side pockets for whatever you reach for without taking the bag off. The 12 cm (4.7 in) depth keeps the bag flat against your back on a crowded train instead of pushing you into the person behind you.
Laptop fit depends on the footprint of your machine and not on its advertised diagonal. Measure your laptop's width and height and compare them against the 42 x 30 cm (16.5 x 11.8 in) exterior, remembering that the sleeve sits inside that.
Magnetic clasps, or why this one stays in use
Most vintage-styled backpacks make you pay for the look every single time you need something out of them: strap out of the buckle, strap back through the buckle, twice, before you can reach a charger. We built this one with magnetic clasps for that reason. The stainless bronze buckles carry the shape the design is asking for, and the magnets do the latching, so the top opens with a pull and closes when you bring it back together. It sounds like a small thing until you own it. A bag that opens in a second is one you use through the day, and a bag you have to unpick is one you pack in the morning and do not touch again until you are home.
The materials: beeswaxed canvas and calfskin
This backpack is 65% waxed canvas and 35% calfskin leather. The canvas is treated with beeswax, which leaves a matte finish and a slightly gritty hand rather than a plastic sheen, and it is the wax that does all of the weather work. The calfskin forms the leather top, the part that is handled daily and that will darken first. Hardware is stainless bronze. The interior is lined in polyester, and the bag is handmade and hand-sewn with a saddle stitch, which locks every stitch independently instead of trusting one continuous machine thread to hold a loaded seam. If you have not owned waxed canvas before, our guide to canvas backpacks explains how the fabric behaves over years rather than weeks.
What the wax shrugs off, and what it does not
Beeswax does not absorb water, so rain beads on the surface and runs off, and a wet walk to the station is a non-event. It is not waterproof: nothing on this bag is taped or sealed, so it is made for weather and not for immersion. The same finish is what makes the surface dust resistant and fingerprint resistant, gives it scratch protection, and lets it take heat without the surface lifting. Marks that would be permanent on a smooth coated fabric usually rub out under a thumb here, because wax moves rather than scratches.
Which of our canvas backpacks is right for you
Choose this one if: you are carrying a laptop and the things that go with it for a single day, and you want fast access without giving up the vintage shape.
Choose our larger retro vintage canvas backpack instead if: you pack for a few days away, you carry gym kit alongside work, or you come home with more than you left with. That one is the travel size in our canvas range and this one is the daily size. The difference between them is capacity, not construction.
Look elsewhere entirely if: you want something that still looks showroom-new in two years. Waxed canvas creases where it folds and lightens where it rubs, and the leather top darkens as it is handled. That is the material doing what it is supposed to do, but if it would nag at you, it will nag at you daily. It is also not a featherweight: at 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) empty you are carrying canvas, calfskin, and solid hardware before you put anything inside. And if you need a sealed pack for the outdoors, buy something technical and keep this for the city.
If you are still working out what a work bag has to do, our roundup of work and office backpacks lays out the trade-offs.
Caring for waxed canvas and a leather top
One rule matters more than all the others: never machine wash it, and never use detergent or hot water. All three strip the wax out of the weave, and stripped wax is a canvas bag that no longer sheds rain. To clean it, brush the dry dirt off first, then sponge the mark with cold water and let it air dry at room temperature. The finish handles warmth in normal use, but drying it against a radiator or a heater is the one form of heat to avoid, because that is what drives the wax out of the fabric. When water stops beading, re-wax it: warm the canvas, work a wax bar over it in thin layers, and leave it overnight to cure. The calfskin top wants a neutral conditioner once or twice a year and no more than that, and our leather cleaning tips cover how to apply it without darkening the leather unevenly.
What customers say
The build is what owners keep coming back to. They call the canvas heavy duty, the stitching reinforced, and the bag as a whole well made and ready for everyday use. On the opening, an owner reports that the magnetic buttons snap neatly into place with a gentle push. Buyers also tell us it fits daily life, from school and studies to gym sessions. Owners call the leather soft and durable, and an owner writes that every scratch only adds character.
Questions buyers ask
How much does it hold? 16 liters, in one large main compartment, plus a laptop sleeve, an interior zip pocket, front pockets, and side pockets.
What are the dimensions? 42 x 30 x 12 cm, or 16.5 x 11.8 x 4.7 in.
How heavy is it empty? 1.2 kg, 2.65 lb.
Will my laptop fit? There is a dedicated laptop sleeve inside the main compartment. Measure your machine's width and height and compare them against the 42 x 30 cm (16.5 x 11.8 in) exterior, since the sleeve sits inside that.
Is it waterproof? No. The beeswax-treated canvas is water-repellent and sheds rain, but nothing is taped or sealed, so it is not a dry bag.
How does it open? Stainless bronze buckles with magnetic clasps, so it opens quickly instead of needing a strap threaded back through hardware.
What is it made of? 65% waxed canvas and 35% calfskin leather, with a leather top, a polyester lining, stainless bronze buckles, and hand-sewn saddle stitching.
Are the straps padded? Yes. That matters more on a compact bag than people expect, because a small bag tends to get packed dense.
Can I wash it? No. Never machine wash waxed canvas and never use detergent. Brush it, then spot clean with cold water.
What does OG stand for? Original Gentleman's.
Is it unisex? Yes. Nothing about the size or the shape is gendered, whichever color you choose above.
