I recently bought the Navali Boatswain Waxed Messenger Bag. I got it on super sale and it appears that it’s still around the same price on Amazon. So, I am going to use it as my daily driver for a few weeks to a month and then I’ll report back on how it goes.
I still need to wrap up my long term review of the Everlane Twill Snap backpack. But that will happen soon and I’ll get to work on the Boatswain.
Initial Impressions
My initial impression of the Navali Boatswain is that it’s very sharp looking and a little spartan. I was initially drawn to it because it has a classic style, it’s made of traditional materials, and it lacks any obnoxious branding. The inside has a Navali logo and the outside has a little batch of their (chevron/ribbon?) logo. The 14oz canvas feels sturdy as do all the seams I have inspected. The shoulder strap and closure straps seem to be attached well.
I’ve never had a bag with magnetic snaps so this will be a first. I suspect that I will prefer my Filson Medium Field Bag but who knows. This bag may fit just right.
Initial Concerns
For a waxed messenger bag the Navali Boatswain doesn’t appear to be heavily waxed so I have concerns on how weather-proof it is. Also of concern, it lacks a laptop slot. As I usually carry a laptop and don’t have a laptop sleeve this may become an issue. Everything else about it seems to be standard issue canvas messenger bag.
Conclusion
Let me know in the comments if you have this bag and love it or hate it!