my luggage
A hard case is good to find
I was devoted to Delsey for decades until they discontinued The Belfort. I use my disabled, decommissioned duo for moth proof deep storage. One won’t wheel and the other’s handle only reaches half it’s height. The greatest benefit of the quintessential French luggage brand was the guarantee to repair or replace. I fondly remember celebrating the successful replacement of a handle with a round of arak served by the Greek authorized reseller steps away from the Cypriot DMZ.
Since then, the quality of both the service and the luggage itself has decreased to the extent that I had to abandon my loyalty. While Delsey was happy to replace my irreparable, irreplaceable Belforts, the replacement were inadequate. the zipper broke on one, which is why I avoid zippers altogether and the handle broke on their only available zipperless hard case model available. They are sending me replacements now, which I’ll likely raffle off to subscribers. I chose items that I simply don’t need due to my minimalist protocols, but the zippered hard case underseat model and the modern, masculine black Peugeot partnered backpack will likely suit someone else’s needs.
For me, though, it’s zipperless hard case or bust…literally. Ever zippered luggage I’ve owned has broken, stranding me with a useless bag, forcing me to make a major purchase under duress when I’d rather be sightseeing.
Samsonite came through…and she’s even the correct color! Better yet, my red has been discontinued, so it’s even less likely someone else will mistake her for their own.
The Essens is almost identical to The Delsey Belfort as far as materials, but I appreciate the unique removable compression packs. I’m unlikely to remove them to pack and unpack, but I’ll certainly appreciate the ease of removal and replacement when my Argan oil spills or my toothpaste explodes.
My major gripe has yet to be addressed by any bag in this price range. Luggage wheel are terrible. They wear out faster than the bag, inevitably, they’re terrible on carpet, which most airports and ALL airplanes have and they’re worse out in the world where terrain is textured and tough.
Floyd attracts me with their skateboard wheels, but their price point is higher than I can handle at the moment. So, I hacked the wheels off the Essens and replaced them with a set from Amazon that resembles small rollerblade wheels. They work much better, but I got an axle that’s a touch too big, so I can only wheel it in a straight line with my left hand, not the right. I’m wondering if I should get a smaller, as well, when I replace the axle, for greater maneuverability. Now that the original axle was sawed through, any changes will be easy, so I can experiment. I’m excited to fix my Delsey Belfort in storage, too.
