An alleyway in a small town, leading to a workshop full of sewing machines. “Whoa, someone has a sewing business here?” With a little prodding, I wandered in, offered my experience from behind a machine, and soon began the greatest job of my life.

For nearly two years, I worked steadily at a beloved local company, sewing nifty multicolored bags for bikepacking enthusiasts, racers, visitors on e-bikes, and parents watching their kid take their first loop around the block without training wheels.

When the business had to close its doors, I realized that I didn’t want to stop sewing. A career where I was not only competent, but confident, and genuinely enjoyed my work, was the unicorn I’d been chasing my entire adult life. With my former boss’ blessing (and a secondhand machine, and patterns to work from), I established Hermit Crafts Bag Company as a successor in spirit, if not in name.

Why “Hermit Crafts”? A one-person craft operation is a solitary kind of thing: I burrow down into my workshop, there’s some machinery noises, clattering, maybe a few grumbles, and then I emerge from my shell with, “Here’s these things I made for you!”

Why “Bag Company”? To avoid being confused with those nice folks who play Minecraft.

Where are your bags made? The Hermitage (working title for the workshop) is based in Spearfish, South Dakota, and that is where I cut, glue, sew, and seal everything that you’ve seen with my tag on it.

Do you make frame bags? I’m hoping to branch out into frame bags (hopefully some customized for specific builds of bikes!) in late 2024.

So… here I am, here’s these things I made for you. And I’m gonna keep going, scuttling along like a little crab. But not so crabby.