Waxwing Bag Co. is nestled in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains.
All bags are made by me, Dave Cain (in blue shirt on left above). The desire --perhaps need -- to make functional beauty is a significant part of who I am and it's been that way for most of my life. With a background is in design, woodworking, art and architecture, I've been making things, in one form or another for as long as I can remember; I've built boats and houses, studied painting and architecture, and created furniture, yet bags are where I've landed, and happily so. They provide a perfect opportunity to connect that desire to make with the world of bikes and adventure. I love the notion that my work helps facilitate the requirements of others as they travel, commute, adventure or simply just ride around.
A number of years ago I wanted a Rivendell Hobo bag. Since they were no longer available I decided to make my own. The process was so engaging and fun that I knew I had to do more of this. With no real experience, I just started making bags. It really was one of those lightbulb moments where I knew with a surprising amount of clarity that this is what I wanted to do.
Not long after making that Hobo bag, I noticed a ragged old French handlebar bag crudely strapped to the rear rack of an ancient three-speed at a nearby bike shop (see photo). Unable to get the poor lump of canvas out of my mind, I went back and asked about the bag--it had been thrown out! Luckily the barrel had not been emptied and the bag was literally pulled from the trash and handed over to me. Talk about timing, right? You simply don't see a lovely old randonneuring bag in rural Vermont. With this bag in hand I had a template--spirits were conspiring.
All bags are made by me, Dave Cain (in blue shirt on left above). The desire --perhaps need -- to make functional beauty is a significant part of who I am and it's been that way for most of my life. With a background is in design, woodworking, art and architecture, I've been making things, in one form or another for as long as I can remember; I've built boats and houses, studied painting and architecture, and created furniture, yet bags are where I've landed, and happily so. They provide a perfect opportunity to connect that desire to make with the world of bikes and adventure. I love the notion that my work helps facilitate the requirements of others as they travel, commute, adventure or simply just ride around.
A number of years ago I wanted a Rivendell Hobo bag. Since they were no longer available I decided to make my own. The process was so engaging and fun that I knew I had to do more of this. With no real experience, I just started making bags. It really was one of those lightbulb moments where I knew with a surprising amount of clarity that this is what I wanted to do.
Not long after making that Hobo bag, I noticed a ragged old French handlebar bag crudely strapped to the rear rack of an ancient three-speed at a nearby bike shop (see photo). Unable to get the poor lump of canvas out of my mind, I went back and asked about the bag--it had been thrown out! Luckily the barrel had not been emptied and the bag was literally pulled from the trash and handed over to me. Talk about timing, right? You simply don't see a lovely old randonneuring bag in rural Vermont. With this bag in hand I had a template--spirits were conspiring.
Besides making cycling gear I love to goof around with my wife Nancy, savoring long cycling journeys close to home and far away, making maple syrup, gardening, skiing, taking naps, and going on adventures with our nieces and nephews.
I'm pleased everyday that I get to do this work. Among the many tragedies of Covid, one upside is that after years of building towards this point, Waxwing became a full time endeavor in 2020!
I'm pleased everyday that I get to do this work. Among the many tragedies of Covid, one upside is that after years of building towards this point, Waxwing became a full time endeavor in 2020!