Still on active duty.
The “PORTER TANKER 2WAY BRIEFCASE.”
My time with this one is longer than with that TUMI. Before I knew it, it's probably approaching 20 years.
This expandable briefcase has done great work at my job. Widen the gusset when I carry more, hold it slim on light days. Materials, laptop, documents, even mysterious small items—it has taken everything for years, a hard worker.
The logo is gone, but it's still a PORTER
By now, PORTER's soft fabric logo has long since rubbed off and traveled somewhere.
No logo.
But it's a PORTER.
As long as the owner knows, that's enough.
A veteran employee with 20 years of service
And today it's again swaying on the train. Used for nearly 20 years, it still commutes normally. This is less a bag than a veteran employee.
For so long it has carried out the duty of “supporting the owner's work” without a single complaint. In rain, on packed trains, on days stuffed to the limit, it has kept working silently.
Considering its years of service and achievements, it even feels entitled to a pension.
But it apparently has no intention of retiring or of living on a pension. Today again, the shoulder strap is slung over my shoulder and it's off to work as an active employee.
More willing to work than the owner.
A formidable bag.
Lightness is strength
And it's just strong.
The soft material unique to this Tanker is truly strong. It may not have the fortress feeling of TUMI's ballistic nylon. But it has a decisive strength.
It's light.
Just so light.
When I was young I never cared about a bag's weight, but as you get on in years, this lightness sinks in. If TUMI is a “max-defense tank,” the Tanker is “a lightly equipped veteran soldier who survives a long campaign.”
Repair is not mending. It's respect
Inside, clear plastic dividers are used. After years of use they had cracked, so I repaired them with repair sheets.
What I used was GearAid's outdoor repair sheet.
For some reason, I want to invest here.
“Isn't Scotch tape fine?”
was one opinion.
Of course, rejected.
Sloppily slapping Scotch tape on a legendary bag that has worked for nearly 20 years is out of the question. Only by generously using a sheet good enough to repair tears in tents and outdoor gear under harsh conditions is this bag's value preserved.
Looking at the repair cost alone, it may be a bit excessive.
But this is not mending.
It's respect.
Still, I'll keep using it
There are countless small scratches and scuffs. The beauty of its new days is gone. Even so, its function as a bag hasn't declined at all.
If anything, I feel it's easier to use now.
When it was new, I was a little careful not to dirty or scuff it. Now I don't mind if I bump it a bit. In rain, on crowded trains, even setting it on the floor, I use it without hesitation.
Being able to use something without fuss is probably a strength only tools you've lived with for years have.
It looks worn out.
The logo is gone.
Repair sheets are stuck inside.
Even so, it's perfectly usable today.
The PORTER TANKER 2WAY BRIEFCASE.
This one is still going strong.
Or perhaps the owner will retire before the bag does.
PORTERいいよね
KAZUKIN Rating
- 💼 Work ethic of 20 years of service — ★★★★★
- 🏷️ Survival rate of the logo — ★☆☆☆☆ (long gone)
- 🪶 Lightness (versus TUMI) — ★★★★★
- 🩹 Performance of the repair sheet — ★★★★☆
- 🎖️ Pension eligibility — ★★★★★ (it has no intention of retiring)
This article is a personal opinion and record of use. KAZUKIN LAB has no relationship with Yoshida & Co., Ltd. (PORTER) or GearAid. I'm just a PORTER fan. Repairs are done at my own risk. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
The illustration is an image based on KAZUKIN's experience. It may differ from real stores and products. It is not an official manufacturer image.