FAQ

It’s an important one. The assumption is that moving production to overseas should automatically reduce costs. The reality is very different.

U.S. Manufacturing Reality
When we first tried making our bags here in Costa Mesa, we saw firsthand why most U.S. factories struggle. Many are outdated, built for clothing production, not backpacks. The equipment is limited, the lack of operators, the operators that are here are skilled but in a completely different trade. Sewing a clothing and sewing a load bearing backpack are worlds apart. To scale here, we would have had to invest heavily in new machines and train a whole new workforce (that doesn't exist anymore) costs that would have doubled the price of each bag.

Materials Haven’t Gotten Cheaper
Most our materials were never U.S. made to begin with. Ballistic nylon is imported. Cordura’s base chemicals come from overseas. Dimension Polyant starts in Thailand before finishing in Connecticut. Even our foams, threads, and hardware are sourced globally. What’s changed is that we now use more premium materials than ever before, all the way down to the thread. Nothing about that is cheaper.

Craftsmanship Overseas
The factories we work with in overseas aren’t mass market sweatshops. They operate more like premium menswear facilities slower lines, stricter testing, extra reinforcement at stress points, and meticulous finishing. They’ve been using advanced equipment for decades, which means precision, consistency, and durability that U.S. factories simply couldn’t match without massive reinvestment.

Small Brand Reality
We don’t make hundreds of thousands of bags. Larger brands get volume discounts we don’t. Every roll of premium webbing, every sheet of foam, every zipper, we pay top price because our volumes are small. That cost shows up in the final product, but so does the quality.

Why Our Bags Cost What They Do
If we had priced our U.S. made bags at what they actually cost, they should have been nearly double. Overseas production didn’t make our bags cheaper it made them better. It allowed us to focus on building bags designed to last decades, not three to five years like most brands plan for.

So yes, our bags are expensive. But they’re not expensive because of inflated margins. They’re expensive because we refuse to compromise on materials, on craftsmanship, on durability.

Our commitment is simple, to build the best bags possible, wherever they’re made, always.

When it came to scaling our production, the reality was that most U.S. factories hadn’t modernized their equipment. Many still rely on outdated machinery and methods that make sense for small runs, but not for building a global brand. For us to stay in the U.S., we would have had to invest heavily in new technology something we didn’t have the resources to do. It would have meant starting from scratch, learning as we went, rather than building alongside partners who have been mastering these tools for decades.

By moving overseas, we aligned with manufacturing partners who’ve been using programmable sewing machines, automated cutters, and precision equipment since the beginning. These tools aren’t about cutting corners they’re about ensuring that every box-X tack, every seam, and every strap attachment is executed with the same strength and precision, bag after bag. This is how durability and consistency are born.

But let’s be clear, this isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about craftsmanship at scale. The craft doesn’t disappear when you introduce modern machinery it evolves. A programmable pattern stitcher can repeat a reinforcement seam with perfect tension every time, but it still requires the eye and hand of a skilled operator to set it up, monitor it, and refine it. Our partners overseas are craftspeople in their own right, trained to use advanced tools that preserve the integrity of each design while elevating the quality beyond what would have been possible otherwise.

For us, this decision wasn’t about chasing cheaper production. It was about honoring the craft, respecting the customer, and ensuring that every bag that leaves our workshop, whether built in Costa Mesa or overseas carries the same DNA, built to last, built with intent, and built for those who know.

Our Costa Mesa workshop has never been about mass production it’s about research, development, and education. The space is where new ideas are born, tested, and refined before they ever reach a factory line overseas.

In the workshop we:
• Prototype and experiment. Every new design starts here. We test silhouettes, materials, hardware, and sewing techniques by hand before we ever commit to production.
• Problem solve at the sewing machine. Decades of experience taught us that the best innovations often come from working directly with materials, not just behind a computer.
• Build limited runs. From time to time we still make small batches here in the U.S., especially for research, elite operators, athletes, or special collaborations. These projects help us push boundaries and gather feedback in real world use.

So while large scale production now happens in Southeast Asia with our trusted partners, the workshop remains the heart of The Brown Buffalo. It’s where ideas turn into reality, where we keep our hands on the craft, and where we continue to invest in the future of bag making.

We only work with factories that share our values around quality, transparency, and craftsmanship. Our Founder, Douglas has spent over 25 years developing bags around the world, and those experiences taught us what separates a good factory from a great one. We choose partners who are willing to invest in new tools, processes, and testing standards so we can keep pushing durability and design forward.

No. In fact, our goal is the opposite. We believe in long term partnerships. That consistency allows us to refine products over time, train operators to our standards, and build a shared culture of continuous improvement. Switching factories often leads to inconsistency, and that’s not acceptable to us.

Most mass market factories are built around speed and volume. The partners we work with are closer to premium menswear or technical outdoor factories where attention to detail, reinforced construction, and slower production lines lead to fewer imperfections. They approach each bag like a craft, not a commodity, and that difference shows in how our bags feel and how long they last.