I found these great vintage Swiss military bread bags at an Army-Navy surplus store the other day. Amazingly well-made. I was immediately drawn to them aesthetically, and seeing how I’ve been building up a vintage Italian road bike as of late, I thought they’d be perfect candidates for panniers.
Vintage Swiss Army Bread Bag
The steel and honey leather accents would match my Brooks saddle and leather handlebar tape. They were also a far superior alternative to what I’d found online. With the exception of the thin shoulder strap (which I probably wouldn’t use anyhow) everything about them just works.
But would they stand up against abuse? I wouldn’t be carrying too much of a load on my bike as they aren’t really roomy enough to carry too much. Still, I’m betting these things could last through a war, and though Switzerland has a long history of neutrality, I’m sure they would survive one.
I put it to a test of my own. I first inspected the construction, looking for tell-tale signs that would let me know how sturdy the bag would be. The bag is made of tightly-woven heavy duty canvas, heavy duty saddle leather, heavy duty steel rivets, and a heavy duty clamshell lid of green vinyl. (Did I mention heavy duty?)
Most bags with a significant amount of weight tend to give out at the seams, but these are built to last. The stress points (namely, the places where the seams would tear due to stress, especially the lip of the bag) have been reinforced several times, even double-and triple-stitched. These bags are inexpensive, and although a weight weenie wouldn’t even think about adding them to their bike, someone who wanted a well-built bag should take a second look. I thought they’d make great gifts for a few of my friends who ride bikes and bought several.
Vinyl Cover Rain Protection
The bag was made in 1971 by Walter Wyss, a company in Horgen, Switzerland. Sattler is the name for an old, traditional profession. Sattler’s make fabric and leather products for equestrianism, carriages and cars. After a three year of apprenticeship, you can still become Sattler today.
Made by Walter Wyss in Horgen, Switzerland
11 Comments
Hello,
Do you have a pic of them on your bike?
Thanks,
Matt
Hello Matt, Yes, I will load up some images of my bike with the bag. Thanks for your comment. David
Hello mate,
I was just wondering how you are gonig to strap them to your bike?
Hello Dirk,
I hang the bag from the top tube — if you look at the photos you can see the leather loops that are long enough to fit a narrow tube like mine (an old Italian steel frame) or a wider tubed bike like a mountain bike. The actual bag is very narrow (about 2 in.), so unless you have a lot in it, your knees shouldn’t bump into it while riding.
I’m still in the process of converting two bags into pannier bags. I’ll probably place them on either side of my back wheel and attach them to a rear rack using the belt loops on the vinyl side (so as to be protected from any water kicked up from the wheels).
- David
I love these bags, such a classic look. Great idea to use them on your bike.
man that first photo with the swiss stamp + hardware detail is just amazing. it’s good to see great details of something worth paying attention to.
David- These are a great find- any suggestions on where to find them in SF?
I found mine at an Army-Navy Surplus store. My guess is that they’re fairly common, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding them at most stores.
I have one of these bags but it is stamped GAG ZBL 8 8 instead of
Walter Wyss. Also there is a tag inside with the name Breitenmoser ,Thomas and on the other side of the tag it has 206.68.
246.AA8? I’m not sure if th 2 is a Z and if the AA is an upsideV. What can you tell me about this.
I have one of these bags but it is stamped GAG ZBL 8 8 instead of
Walter Wyss. Also there is a tag inside with the name Breitenmoser ,Thomas and on the other side of the tag it has 206.68.
246.AA8? I’m not sure if th 2 is a Z and if the AA is an upsideV. What can you tell me about this.
I have one of these bags but it is stamped GAG ZBL 8 8 instead of
Walter Wyss. Also there is a tag inside with the name Breitenmoser ,Thomas and on the other side of the tag it has 206.68.
246.AA8? I’m not sure if th 2 is a Z and if the AA is an upsideV. What can you tell me about this.