We recently heard of a new line of bags under the name Sons of Trade that sounded a little bit different from what we've seen before. The SOT line has some tech-friendly features, comes in large sizes to accomodate those with active, multi-faceted lifestyles, and in short, they're the kind of rugged bags built for guys who get out there and do stuff, not just post on street corners. We caught up with Sons founder Braden Jones by email to find out more.
Sons of Trade is a very new brand, where did it come from?
We started by creating something for ourselves—for the way we live here in California. We might sometimes have unruly beards, and we aren’t the type to wear suits to the office, but we still appreciate looking sharp. That means carrying gear with a good design aesthetic. So we tried to build a line of products that would be flexible enough for our own lifestyle, which is sometimes living out of a van for a week, surfing up the coast and sometimes boarding a flight for a meeting on the other side of the globe. We are not the only guys who need gear to accommodate everyday life, no matter what that may consist of.
Braden Jones
Who is Braden Jones?
I’m a 5th generation Californian; that’s something I’m pretty proud of. What else? A traveler, a businessman, a father, a husband. A fan of good Scotch. I like making art and being in the water or out on the open road. I still don’t really think of myself as defined, but I know that someday I will be—as we all will be—so I try to be aware of what kind of legacy I’m going to leave behind. But right now I guess I’m living this life I’ve been given, trying to keep it real in the digital age.
Where does the name Sons of Trade come from?
We’re paying tribute to those who came before us: the workers, writers, thinkers, innovators, and tradesmen. And to the time when a man was a man—when creating and innovating was an art form instead of a formula. We are the sons of those men, and we’re exploring what it means to live a life of adventure and hard work. A life that’s anything but dull.
You're making bags, what makes SOT bags different from the rest?
The best bags that I have used, bought, or seen in passing have all come from past generations. The Military, the U.S. Postal Service, old backpacking, and sportsman gear. They’re durable, purposeful, and built to last. We can’t go back, but we can build bags and accessories for today’s man that will stand the same test of time, built with old world character and materials yet featuring modern tech features. My goal is that in decades to come, a Sons of Trade rucksack, tote, or knapsack will be that bag your son will find in your closet, steal, and take with him to college.
You've got some tech friendly accessories. Where did the inspiration for those come from?
We designed the line to work easily with gadgets because they’re so much a part of life. So it just made sense to build tech gear into the collection so that if you’re on your bike wearing a Satellite Sling, or if you throw an Index Sleeve into your bag, you’re not thinking about your headphone wires getting tangled or your iPad getting scratched. You’re just living.
The Tactical Tote is a big bag—who do you see using that and for what?
It’s actually my daily bag. I’m looking at it right now and it’s holding a couple big notebooks, a camera, my iPad and some smaller stuff like pens, wallet, shades, phone, and keys. And there’s still room for a random roadside find when I wander out. I also use it all the time as my carry on for quick trips to Seattle and New York.
Since it’s pretty roomy and made from coated canvas that you don’t care about getting wet, a lot of guys around here are also using it as a surf bag.
Was it a challenge designing for surfers, travelers, and urbanites alike?
We tend to think that could be three different guys or three parts of one guy. I’m not alone in being a bit of each: I travel a lot, I surf and I find myself in cities all over the world—each time needing a way to carry my stuff. So we designed the collection for guys who want a versatile bag that works to fit their lifestyle. It’s a bag that’s made to be used; it’s the real deal.