Warning: No books were harmed in the making of this product.
This was one of those products that screamed, “You must have me!” I’d never seen anything like it. A book bag. Shaped like a book. In which you can carry books. (And your laptop.) Pretty meta, and also very cool.
Brought to you by our very good friends at ThinkGeek, the Olde Book Messenger Bag looks like an antique, leather-bound tome with a metal fastener. In reality, it is made of faux leather, but the fastener is real. It’s made of metal, and there is a snap underneath. In addition, the front flap of the book/messenger bag closes with magnets. And the whole thing is a little bigger than you might imagine (see photo near bottom of post). When you receive it, it may have that New Bag Smell™, but it will dissipate in time.
Inside the Olde Book, there is plenty of safe, rectangular-shaped storage for your books, papers, or anything else you might need, and a padded pocket for your laptop. The inside also has a zipper compartment, an open pocket, and some pen loops. The shoulder strap is adjustable.
The bag is completely functional, but half the reason to get it is for how it looks. People will likely come up to you and ask questions. You’ve got a giant book at your side. People will ask if it’s a real book. Prepare some witty responses, perhaps involving your secret, wizardly plans to protect the world from certain doom.
I find that this bag is perfect for carrying things that need to stay flat. The bag isn’t hard sided, per se, but its sides are very sturdy and firm, lending itself well to keeping papers flat and workbooks or file folders uncrumpled. If your work or play necessitates carrying around a lot of paperwork, this bag will be especially functional for you. It is also fantastically themed for carrying your library books to and from the library, but prepare yourself for some covetous looks from the librarians. Or perhaps they have just discovered your secret, magic plot.
The Olde Book Messenger Bag is only available at ThinkGeek, costs $49.99, and will appeal to the bibliophiles in your life. Which is pretty much everyone–let’s be honest.
If you generally like to use items that are shaped like books, also check out ThinkGeek’s Olde Book Pillow Classics.
Note: I received a bag for review purposes.
