I stumbled across this duffel bag by accident while researching luxury luggage during the pandemic. After finding signs of fatigue on my all-leather Floto Milano Duffle, I set out with a mission to get my hands on a tough-yet-tasteful duffel capable of surviving trips around the world. Enter Blue Claw Co.’s Worton Weekender bag.
While scouring the market for practical carry-on alternatives, this American-made duffel jumped out as an intriguing option. The Worton Weekender’s understated design, featuring “military-grade” black nylon framed by leather trim, promises durability & style. Today, we review Blue Claw’s original made-in-USA Ballistic Worton Weekender to see what kicked off the Blue Claw craze (and investigate why they seem to have fallen out of favor).
| Hits | Misses |
| + High-quality materials | – Main zipper isn’t waterproof |
| + Waterproof lining | – Minimal internal storage |
| + Made in USA | – No external pocket (newer version has a slip pocket) |
Who is Blue Claw Co.?
Maybe I have been living under a rock, but I never heard of Blue Claw until coming across this bag. The more I researched the company, the more I was intrigued by their story. The brand benefited from high-profile features in Esquire & GQ nearly 10 years ago, yet it seems to have lost steam in recent years.
After Adam Blitzer’s personal duffel bag ripped during a trip to Argentina, he and a childhood friend Alex Realmuto launched the boutique men’s luggage brand known as Blue Claw Co. The first bag they took to market, the over-engineered Worton Weekender duffel bag, sold out in three months. The two instantly knew they had started something special, and Blue Claw began rolling out upscale men’s luggage & accessories made right here at home.
Blue Claw’s formula is simple yet effective: produce timeless designs with high-quality materials in the USA. Their lineup features classic bags constructed with waxed canvas, full-grain leather, and modern materials so you can trust that their good looks will last a long time.
Sadly, Blue Claw does not garner the same level of attention as it did years ago. With a premium price point in an increasingly competitive marketplace, staying relevant can be a never-ending battle. I won’t speculate why their social media presence has dwindled in recent years, but the lack of press coverage certainly hasn’t helped them remain a constant presence in the travel world.
Blue Claw Co. Ballistic Worton Weekender Specifications
- Dimensions: 21.5” x 11” x 11” (width x height x depth)
- Laptop Sleeve: No
- External Material: 1050D ballistic nylon with full-grain leather trim
- Internal Material: Rubber lining
- Zippers: YKK #10
- Hardware: Metal
- Made in the USA (Minneapolis, MN)
- Price: $325 MSRP (check the current price on Blue Claw Co.’s website)
How does the Ballistic Worton Weekender look?
Contrasting a dark nylon duffel with timeless leather accents? Count me in!
This is one good-looking bag. The light brown leather stands out against the black nylon body. The 9-inch drop handles give this bag a sense of presence, and the metal hardware adds a touch of ruggedness without seeming embellished.
Pictures don’t justify how good the 1050D ballistic nylon looks in person. I shy away from black fabric on my bags for two reasons: black fabric is prone to fading (look no further than my eBags Mother Lode) & I prefer that my bag stands out from the sea of generic-looking black bags at the airport. I think the Worton Weekender’s eye-catching looks solve the latter issue, and the jet black nylon on this aging Worton Weekender is showing no signs of fading yet. Only time will tell if the color remains, but I have a very good feeling about the quality of fabric on this bag.
The leather paneling along the top of the bag feels a bit heavy-handed when compared with the thin striping that runs down the side of the bag, but it gives the original Worton Weekender a very distinct look. If you prefer a more balanced design, Blue Claw has updated the Worton Weekender with thicker side straps that line up perfectly with the carrying handles. I prefer the original look simply because the side panels are so unique, but the newer design is pretty sharp too.
How does the Ballistic Worton Weekender feel?
I seriously can’t get enough of the nylon used on this bag. It feels incredibly sturdy in your hand without being obnoxiously heavy. The thick weave is evident in the texture of the nylon, and the beefy YKK zipper pulls without any surprises.
The full-grain leather is smooth and adds a pleasant texture to the bag when handling it. I noticed that the bag does keep its structure fairly well even when empty, which is partly due to the leather strips & paneling providing extra stiffness to the duffel. The leather is single-stitched to the bag, and the drop handles are attached using a classic box X stitch secured with a metal fastener. The white stitching provides a subtle contrast on the light brown leather of my bag, and it pops even more on the dark brown leather version of this duffel bag.
The handles themselves are simple leather hoops with a fairly dramatic drop. Blue Claw states that this is a 9” drop which meant this bag sat lower than any of my other duffel bags. The extra inch or two is hardly noticeable once you are carrying it around, but this bag’s handles were visibly larger than what I was previously carrying.
One gripe I had with my other leather duffel bag was its less-than-ideal shoulder strap. It wasn’t a bad strap by any means, but the shoulder pad felt like an afterthought and it made heavy loads uncomfortable. The shoulder strap on the Worton Weekender is noticeably beefier than my Floto Milano Duffle, and the pad distributes the weight of a full load much better.
Notable Features of the Ballistic Worton Weekender
Duffel bags are generally light on extra features. Their sole purpose is to cut out the fluff to maximize internal storage. The Worton Weekender’s external materials & outer appearance are the star of the show, but Blue Claw included a couple noteworthy features on the inside of the bag.
Rubber-lined Main Compartment
The first thing you notice once you have opened the Worton Weekender is the waterproof rubber lining that blankets the internal compartment. The compartment lining feels nearly identical to the material used for bicycle inner tubes. It is smooth & soft while being very flexible.
Beyond looking cool & providing an interesting tactile experience, Blue Claw claims that this compartment lining helps make the bag waterproof. The stitching looks good and the material feels durable, so I partially believe their claim.
My only gripe is that Blue Claw left a non-waterproof zipped on this bag. They went through all the trouble of lining the bag with this rubber material, yet the main zipper is missing a storm flap to keep out Mother Nature.
This is one of my favorite features of the Worton Weekender, but Blue Claw’s latest redesign has replaced the rubber lining with a ripstop canvas. I haven’t gotten a chance to put the newer material to the test, but the rubber lining will be missed.
Internal Pocket
This is a pretty standard duffel bag feature, so there’s not much to talk about. Duffels are simple bags, so it’s always good to have some sort of internal organization. The Worton’s pocket isn’t huge, but it is large enough to fit my wallet, passport, and keys with room to spare. For me, that’s plenty good (though I could see a case for someone wanting the pocket to be even larger.
What surprised me about this pocket is that it is lined with Blue Claw’s waterproof material just like the main pocket. The zipper pocket also features leather trim and a branded leather patch, so you end up with a lot of material concentrated in this one area of the bag. For a bag built with heavy-duty materials, this gives me a lot of confidence that Blue Claw didn’t cheap out on the less visible aspects of the Worton Weekender.
It is worth noting that Blue Claw’s newer design actually has two internal slip pockets.
How I pack my Ballistic Worton Weekender
The Worton may be billed as a weekender bag, but Blue Claw’s marquee duffel is incredibly roomy. I can throw my camera cube & travel steamer in this bag along with a couple days worth of clothes and still have room to spare. On a recent trip to Miami, I managed to pack my soft-sided cooler inside along with the rest of my gear. Needless to say, your options are limitless.
Packing cubes are a great solution for duffel bags (and other bags with large compartments), but I have to admit that I’m often too lazy to pack them. Instead, my Worton Weekender loadout typically looks like this:
- 1-2 pairs of shorts or pants on the bottom of the bag
- 2-3 pairs of socks & boxers
- 2-3 rolled up shirts
- 1 pair of swim trunks
- 1 dopp kit
- Camera case (see what camera gear I travel with here)
- Corded travel steamer
This packing list is everything I need for a 2-3 day weekend trip that could involve anything from beach hangouts to boozy brunches. Thanks to the Worton Weekender’s spacious compartment, I can easily fit all of this and more.
Verdict
Let’s be honest: a $325 price tag is hard to justify, and that means that this duffel bag isn’t for everyone. There is no shortage of cheaper bags on the market that can hold just as much as the Worton Weekender.
I cannot recommend this (or any other $150+ bag for that matter) to a casual traveler. If you only fly a few times per year, you simply don’t need a bag like this. The money you save by choosing a more frugal option is a decent chunk of change.
However, if you are a regular traveler who wants to elevate their travel experience with a high-end bag: this Blue Claw duffel is a serious contender. Blue Claw’s Worton Weekender is a massive improvement over “luxury” labels that slap on a fancy logo on an average bag just to charge a premium. The Worton Weekender looks & feels like a high-quality accessory, and the price tag isn’t all too crazy when you start to look at the luxury bag market.
By combining an incredibly tough 1050D nylon with beautiful full-grain leather accents, this duffel bag appeals to anyone who wants the elegance of a leather bag without compromising on durability. Blue Claw takes it a step further by adding a waterproof rubber liner to the main compartment to make cleaning easy. If the ballistic nylon isn’t your style, Blue Claw also produces a waxed canvas version that retails for $350.
The Worton Weekender is an incredible bag that I will be bringing along with me around the world for years to come. If only it had a waterproof zipper!
Recommended For: the dapper jet-setter looking for a tough American-made duffel bag that will attract attention from Miami to Monaco.
