Black Star Bags

My wife and I were looking for some decent bike bags and we happened to see the shop next to Coventry Bikes (where I was having a high racer recumbent made) and she thought new bags would be great for me. I got black fabric and red thread and red interior. My bike is black and red so I thought I would carry on the theme. They are awesome bags and I have been using them through sun, rain (lots of rain), snow and cold for 2 years. They still look great and I use them 5 days a week and they keep everything nice and dry.
Are these guys cheap? No, but the bags are long lasting and seemingly indestructable. I try to direct everyone I see to go to Black Star for any type of bag. I bought a bag made for hauling a suit on a bike from another company and it is not totally waterproof in a downpour. I plan on taking it to Black Star so they can reverse engineer and make something better.
Best bags anywhere.

My wife gave me gift certificate for Christmas to get a Black Star bag. I have stopped by four different days trying out different bags/​sizes/​styles/​configurations … They have been super duper answering all my questions and of course they are insightful, they know bags & backpacks. I soon became very impressed with the quality; their bags are meant to last a very very long time! With their patient help I am getting a custom bag. Two thumbs up !!

What a great find! I am bike commuting again after many years of driving. I was in the market for some good waterproof bags for my commute. I heard about Black Star at a Portland Parkways event and so glad I stopped to see the bags. I believe it was the owner that helped me at the store. He was so helpful. He helped me to figure out exactly what would work best for my bike commuting needs. I really appreciated his expertise and time that he spent with me to help me determine what I needed. I love my panniers. I will be back! This a great local business!

I have seen Black Star bags all around town and a while ago decided that was one I should check out when it was time for new. Excellent quality. Easy on and off with added security. I just got back from Europe using it as primary Carrier and loved it. Not the cheapest but way worth it. Mine has been through six countries in Europe and still looking beautiful.

Dave really knows his bags. When I walked in and gave him a fraction of an idea of a bag that I wanted he stopped what he was doing and he explained to me what would work and what wouldn’t, what would be good and what would be great. The overall experience of piecing together my first Blackstar bag was such a fun and unique process. I had called in a couple of weeks later after my initial visit and they gave me a pretty accurate answer to when I could expect my bag to be shipped. Fletcher was also rad, he even made a personal touch to take a picture of the bag when it was finished and send it to me as a proof. I love this company and the simplicity of what they stand for, and I will surely be back again!

I was in business for a new backpack after I pulled my knee due to carrying textbooks in a lopsided messenger bag. Black Star Bags seemed to be the go-​to answer for my bag needs, according to Unilocal.
Located in the heart of Hawthorne, I was expecting a small vendor and not much else. Well I was pleasantly surprised to enter the store and see that most of the space was dedicated workshop where the actual bags were being made by hand. This immediately made me feel better about the purchase.
The fellow who was helping me, seemed passionate about their products – which makes all the difference when giving a sales pitch. The bags themselves seem to be of very good quality. Totally waterproof and quite durable. These bags would be totally suitable for camping, traveling, biking, or in my case: book lugging. The designs seem smart and practical. Nothing superfluous about these backpacks. Assuming the bag I bought lasts for many years (it should!), I can wholeheartedly endorse a visit the next time you’re ready to upgrade your backpack or bike bag.

To avoid my excitement over having a new bag influencing my review, i intentionally waited to write this. Black Star Bags put my rolltop backpack together nearly 6 months ago and it still looks brand new. Not only were they super helpful in helping me realize the customizations I wanted, they never railroaded me into doing something i didn’t want. I went in nervous about explaining my ideas, and walked out having had a genuinely fun experience.
As for the bag itself: Super comfortable even when fully loaded with books and groceries. I’m tall, so it was nice to find a bag that fit my frame. The stitching is really well done and hasn’t come out at all. There are lots of places to strap things and attach bike lights. They also added extra reflective material. They matched my customizations to a t and the bag ended up looking better than i had even envisioned it. The padding is really nice, and doesn’t cause the back of my shirt to ride up every ten feet of walking. I also bought a custom cellphone pouch that they matched to the bag (including the waterproof lining). They sized it to fit my phone, and it was a really nice finishing touch for the nicest bag I’ve owned. I’m really glad I ditched my Chrome bag and upgraded.
The shop is super cool and you can see all the materials they use hung on the walls. There are tons of pre made goods to look over for ideas. The service is exceptional. The whole vibe reminds me of the Portland i grew up with. These folks are excellent tradespeople. Can’t recommend them enough!

After Doom Bag I and II, technical backpacks both, died a horrible death of zippers busting under stress, I was distraught. Doubly so because Portland is a rainy place and my laptop was rapidly becoming one with the local precipitation. But when I wandered into Black Star on a rainy day in need of salvation, I had no idea how Doom Bag III would change my life.
Need to move a large chicken or a small goat? You can fit it in the roll top. And your laptop. Also half a case of wine. Moved the chicken and/​or goat back out to the goat blocks? Full case of wine. Plus your laptop, laptop charger, and whatever accessories you haul around. What you drop in will stay dry, thanks to a slick lining of vinyl and a tough outer coating of canvas. The front pocket will neatly sort whatever you drop in it. The side pockets can hold two more bottles of wine, in case the first twelve weren’t enough for your purposes.
Once you’re done abusing it, you can empty it and clean it out with a hose. It doesn’t seem to care.
Sure, Doom Bag III cost me a ton, especially buying off the rack, but there’s a good chance that this is the last backpack I’ll ever need.
EDIT: Almost two years later, both of my cats have graduated to using Doom Bag III as a scratching post and cat bed. The pack doesn’t seem to notice.

I was a little reluctant at first to buy a purely custom messenger bag. Especially given the fact that I never even gave an ounce of thought as to what I would need in a messenger bag, let alone the amount of craftsmen ship that a good messenger bag would entail. All those concerns were quickly alleviated once Dave at Black Star began explaining the process. He is extremely innovative in his art and has, at least in my view, thought of everything to make the bag extremely functional as well as stylish. Satisfied doesn’t begin to describe how much I love this bag. I originally bought this bag for school, but it is extremely clear to me now that I will use it for much more than that for many years to come. Thanks Dave!

I was looking for a well-​made bag for me and for a friend as gift. I happened upon Black Star Bags while in the Hawthorne. Local is always preferred. I decided to go ahead and have a pair of bags made. Dave Stoops owner/​designer met with me. In two weeks I had two great waterproof and very trendy bags. The construction is top-​notch, and the ability to make a custom design is just super. For a messenger bag, a small pack, etc. Black Star Bags is the place to go. Way to go Dave!

Went in just to get my messenger bag fixed up late one day. It wasn’t made by Black Star Bags but Dave was super helpful and fixed the straps for me pretty much while I waited. I’m definitely going to buy my next bag from them. Support local bag making people.

I’ve had my bag (medium) for a few months now. It’s everything I was looking for. I needed a messenger bag to sling over my right shoulder which I couldn’t find anywhere, just when I was going to order one online I heard about Black Star. They didn’t have a right shoulder bag in stock and would have to make one, no big deal because I would have to wait anyway. About 7 – 10 days later it was ready.
Everybody looks for something different in a bag. I needed waterproof for the Portland weather, comfort for long rides, and specifically a right shouldered bag. Also a plus is the bags have two options to harness the chest strap. Across the body like normal or a little higher up on the shoulder which is great when I’m not carrying very much.
I’ve rode my bike outside with this bag everyday since about December and nothing inside has gotten wet. Another strap on the back to put a rear light would be nice, but it already has one.
The release mechanism is awesome too.
It’s just a great bag!
Also I like keeping my money here in Portland, you can walk in and talk to them instead of over a phone.

Being the year round bicycle commuter that I am, I have gone through a lot of messenger bags. Not only does the significant amount of precipitation in our state erode cliff sides and carve out river valleys, but it also erodes the hell out of a cyclists messenger bag and destroy all of its contents (if it isn’t properly weather sealed). I finally decided to stop spend money every year or so on an inferior messenger bag and opt for something that will last a bit better.
I came to Black Star per the recommendation of a friend who couldn’t stop talking about the bag that he got from them. When I walked in, the owner Dave immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted me. He showcased all of the awesome features that his messenger bags have, including their awesome quick release system for putting the bag on and off, the waterproofing they use, all of their fancy pockets and how the bag can be completely adjusted based on your body type or how much gear you’re carrying.
I told him what I was looking for in a bag and he wrote up an estimate of what it would cost. It wasn’t cheap by any means, but if the materials as great as they said they were and it was going to last me a good amount of time, then I figured that I might as well go for it. Hell, these things are hand made to order!
They estimated three weeks on my order, but it arrived in just over one. Dave explained the break in period that these messenger bags have and how they’ll fix any seams if they end up coming undone, which is pretty badass to me.
I’ve had the bag for about 2 months now and I absolutely adore it. It’s extremely comfortable to wear on a ride of any length and carrying any amount of cargo. I’ve even taken it through a few of the downpours that we’ve had last week and the inside stayed bone dry. Awesome stuff!
They don’t just do messenger bags either. They’ll make backpacks, panniers, hip bags and do any sort of custom design on the outside that you’d wish. I think I’ll be heading back once when I finally decide to buy those custom keyboard cat panniers.

Black Star Bags is EXACTLY what you’d want from any business… on Earth. Friendly, patient, easy to work with, involved, hands-​on, and their products are designed to last a life time. No catches, no nothin’.

Black Star Bags kick so much ass. I’ve been wanting a new bag for years, seriously gone through countless backpacks, weird mountaineering bags, messenger bags, and sidebags and just couldn’t find any I liked. Finally, manned up and bought myself a fantastic (albeit pricey) new bag.
Black Star Bags has been around since 2006 with the oh-​so-​humble roots of sewing machined gear out of founder Dave’s home. Dave has been making these for a long time (all by hand and only a few hands at that) and each one has their own exceptional hand-​crafted touch. The shop does tons of custom bags, too, no problem and they just got the creation time down to a month out, something he was quite happy to mention. There’s a portfolio out showcasing some custom designs and accessories, each of which gets a nicely embroidered design with extra fabric and style.
The second I stepped inside Dave jumped up and welcomed be to the place. The dude’s incredibly genuine and helpful, showing me everything he had, throwing out design features and exactly how to wear and fold the bags for maximum bestness. The well-​lit and comfy workshop seems to have a rotating dozen or so (left and right swing/​shoulder).
Small bags: $ 120
Medium bags: $ 150 (My choice)
Large bags: $ 180
Yeah, they’re pricey, but that’s because they are damn worth it.
The bags themselves are ingenously designed, with some nice overlap to prevent water from getting in the bag, a clever slipping loop for cinching up the bag and plenty of inner pockets of various sizes. Furthermore, even with the outer waterproof material the inner lining is sewn separately from the exterior, adding an even further layer of waterproof protection.
Note: I’ve only had this bag for a couple days, so this review is mostly about the quality of the shop (top freakin notch) but I’ll make sure to update after I beat the newness out of this bag and see how it handles.

I was given one of their tool bags from Bike Craft last year, and love how sturdy it is, perfect for putting up with all sorts of jostling and abuse. Ordered one for a fellow bikey-​type — called to place the order, and it was done by the end of that business day — no upcharge for the speed. (And $ 10 for a bombproof tool bag? Win!)
Friendly staff, small shop, locally-​owned and otherwise good news. One of my coworkers and one of my students has bags from black star — they love ‘em (durable, fashionable, waterproof, local). Recommended.

After the Vy & Elle bag I bought started to fall apart after 6 months the wonderful Michelle at Herbivore suggested I check out Black Star Bags. I was thrilled to find this small, local shop in my neighborhood and was really amazed at some of the custom bags they’d made.
You can pretty much bring in any design and Dave & the fine crew at Black Star will try to turn it into a bag for you. Case in point, the «shrinky-​dink» necklace I brought in and asked to have turned into a bag design. I also sent in some digital images to help assist with the design process.
I went in, got to spend as much time as I liked picking out colors for the outside, inside, trim, and for the design on my necklace. We also ordered a hip pouch done in my partner’s favorite colors — a very cool rendering of the Portland skyline with a crescent moon overhead. For the messenger bags you can also choose to have the add in a padded laptop compartment. They even measured the dimensions of my laptop in the travel sleeve I use so it would fit perfectly in the finished bag.
Several weeks later, because they’re pretty busy with custom orders (I was pleased to hear), but in time for our big birthday trip, the bags were ready to go. We both absolutely love the bags we had made. There is no question that they are worth the expense of having gear this well made and so great looking. I get comments on my bag all the time. It is so striking and the design came out perfectly. My partner’s hip pouch also gets a lot of compliments.
We already plan on getting more custom pieces from Black Star!
**Check out my bag in the photos — the purple & orange one w/​the octopus

Awsome business that I’m happy to give my money to. The people working here are friendly, and the bags are made before your very eyes!

The staff is helpful and friendly, and the beautiful high-​quality bags are made right there. What more could you ask for? Best is having a custom bag made for you. Finest kind!

Oooh, another Portland local is making cool stuff on Alberta Street! I do love our PDX entrepreneurs. In this case, we’re talking S-​W-​E-​E-​T messenger bags.
The story goes that former bike messenger Dave Stoops wanted a decent bag, so he made his own… and now he’s making them for you, too. Cool custom bike bags, panniers, and backpacks, crafted for you right here in the back of the little shop behind «Bye and Bye» off Alberta on the corner of 10^th. I found them by accident when visiting Bye and Bye and saw this little store out back, and wandered in.
We snagged an awesome ginormous black and green bag that will probably hold all the usual messenger bag stuff, plus I could still probably fit my dog in there, too, (just kidding) and strap it all safely to my body while while touring the streets of Portland. Made with really nice, industrial strength materials, and is supposedly waterproof! The lady who sold me the bag said that if there are ever any problems with it, bring it back for service and repairs. Cool.
I plan to come back and have a sweet custom girly bag made for myself, soon (well…not TOO girly). By the way, I should probably mention that given the quality materials, the bags aren’t cheap, but seemed in line with other similar top o’the line stuff that won’t disintegrate under the first Portland raindrop.
p. s. I will update this entry with the name of the shop, as well as a website address, if I can find one… If you want Dave’s email address, send me a message, I grabbed his business card but didn’t want to post it to the world and send him a ton of spam.