Urban Kraft :: Paper Just Rolled into Fashion

by Mike, June 25, 2015

In the carry world, standing out from the crowd isn’t easy. Urban Kraft however are all about being different. The New York brand has created a range of carry pieces from a distinct material that looks and feels like paper but is much more durable. Eco-friendly, water-resistent and tear-resistant, their designs range from a backpack and messenger, to a duffle, wallet, tote and more. Naturally, our carry curiosity was piqued…

Hey, great idea and kinda hard to believe. How does this papery material work? Give us the geeky details.

The papery material is a soft and flexible paper textile derived from wood pulp and recycled PET fiber extracted from bark, bamboo, and the gampi tree that grows in Japan. This combination and the process of how it’s made gives it the distinctive crinkled texture of paper yet it does not tear, and is water-repellent.

What goes wrong with it?

The products work really well and they look great. Other than accumulating some more crinkles over time, and getting rubbed in with some color from your jeans, there really isn’t much that we anticipate can go wrong with it. In fact, we think those additions to the bag makes it look even better! Details are important to us and we strive to accentuate and elevate what others may consider less important details of the designs.

How far has the product testing gone? Has it been rocked in a torrential downpour?

It hasn’t been rocked in a torrential downpour, but pretty close to that. We took it out in some heavy rain storms to see how well it holds up, and we were impressed with the results. When it went through some mild rain, it did keep the inside dry, although when it went through the heavier rain, the water did start seeping through to the inside. The material on the interior is water-repellent and protects it from building up any moisture. When and if the bag does get wet, it’ll dry up pretty quickly.

“Other than accumulating some more crinkles over time, and getting rubbed in with some color from your jeans, there really isn’t much that we anticipate can go wrong with it.”

The material is designed to keep the inside of the bag dry even if it gets wet on the outside layer, however, we don’t recommend soaking it with water when you have things inside the bag. To clean the bag, simple machine-wash it, and hang dry.

When the material is wet, it has a unique leather feel to it, and once it dries up it’s back to the natural smooth paper texture.

What’s the estimated life of your gear?

The estimated life of Urban Kraft bags can be anywhere from 3-plus years, even with excessive use. We’ve been using them since the inception of Urban Kraft in 2013, and they’ve been through many rough adventures, but are still in great condition.

“The estimated life of Urban Kraft bags can be anywhere from 3-plus years, even with excessive use.”

Over time, and the more it’s used it receives unique natural crinkles that we think adds more character to the bag.

Are they good to art all over?

Definitely, we highly recommend getting creative and drawing your personal art on the bags, getting autographs, or even writing down your notes. The material is perfect to write and draw on, it’s just like writing on any paper.

Any funny stories about them being mistaken?

Our logo adds a nice touch to the bags’ design, and can cause some interesting encounters. The funniest encounter was when someone asked, “Did you use a cardboard box to make your Messenger bag?” But the most common questions people asked were, “Is that real? What is that?” Anyone who notices the bag instantly turns their head for a double take.

Urban Kraft Messenger

What’s the big difference with their Tyvek cousins?

The material was first made in Japan using a traditional process, although being slightly similar to Tyvek it does have multiple unique differences. This material has an authentic paper texture, and is tougher than any ordinary paper made from wood pulp, due to the longer fibers that it’s combined with.

“…we highly recommend getting creative and drawing your personal art on the bags, getting autographs, or even writing down your notes.”

It also involves a long and intricate process that is often undertaken in the cold weather of winter, as pure, cold running water is essential to the production of the material. Cold also makes the fibers contract, producing a crisp feel to the paper.

What’s next?

We have an amazing line of new products for 2016, such as Urban Kraft bags integrated with more features for tech, and we’ll be introducing new accessories and Urban Kraft bags in more style options.

Our background in fashion design steers us towards creating bags that provide a different experience than other brands. We also believe that our focus on fusing design aesthetics with technology as a core value of our development process yields appealing and useful results.

We hope you enjoy Urban Kraft as much as we do making them!