Custom Leathercraft1539 Multi-Compartment 50 Pocket Tool Bag

So I bought this bag as a replacement for the older version of this Stanley 518150M FatMax 18-inch Tool Bag Stanley Fatmax bag that had been a mess and overflowing for a while now. I use this bag to house tools and enough hardware and parts for small-medium sound and lighting installation/troubleshooting. The Stanley, while able to hold a lot and held up well, was impossible to keep organized as there were, for me, nowhere near enough ways to contain individual items. Tools would also tend to fall out easily as most of the pockets were external and not very tight. So the zippered pocket design of this bag seemed awesome. After doing my research this bag seemed like the best thing for the money and based on all the great reviews I bought it. Like others, I am impressed with the size and capacity of the bag, its fantastic build quality (excluding the shoulder strap) and the overall professional ascetic of the bag. If you have a lot of tools you need to organize and take out from time to time this bag is a steal for $60. For my use, I would consider it a good value even if the price were doubled. I will agree that the shoulder strap clip design is pretty poor. With a lighter load it seems fine to me but if you load it full, more than around 55 pounds, it will start to pop the clip open and the strap will probably fall off when you set the bag down. It sucks, but to me it's no reason to not purchase the bag. The way I see it, if you're carrying around a full bag with 50-60 pounds of tools and equipment in it to do paying work, the contents of the bag probably cost at very least around $500. The cost of a high quality $22 strap probably isn't really a problem. I just ordered the Veto Pro Pac Contractor Strap from Tech Tool Supply today, it seems like it has more durable metal clips and looks well padded. Below is a list and pictures of the crazy amount of stuff I've managed to pack into this bag so far. ------Main Compartment------ Fishtape Cordless Hammer Drill Cordless Impact Driver Battery Charger 2 Drill Bit Boxes 2 Driver Bit Boxes Extra Phillips Drill Bits Box of Assorted Heat Shrink Bag of Various Drywall Screws Bag of Various Toggle Bolts Box of Wood Screws Box of Lag Screws Washer Organizer Eyebolt/Screw Organizer Gaff Tape 225’ Spool of String Cable Tester Multimeter 2 Disposable Respirator Masks (not pictured) Jar of Nails Box of Small Concrete Anchors Box of Large Concrete Anchors Socket Set Hole Saw Set ------Side Pocket 1------ --Inside Half-- Course Metal File Fine Metal File Round Metal File Paint Spatula Short Steel Prybar Extendable Mirror Right Angle Ratcheting Screwdriver and Bits Universal Socket Bit Flexible Drill Extension 3 Right Angle Screwdrivers 2 Short Stubby Screwdrivers 3 Extra Small Screwdrivers 2 Small Screwdrivers 2 Medium Screwdrivers Small Screwdriver Set Wire Cutters Crescent Wrench Channel Locks Wire Strippers Small Wire Cutters Pencil Sharpie Punch Tin Snips Scissors Vice Grips Needle Nose Pliers Small Needle Nose Pliers --Outside Half-- Multimeter Probes Earplugs Outlet Tester 2 Electrical Outlets 2 Ethernet Couplers 2 XLR Female Connectors 2 XLR Male Connectors 2 NL4 Connectors 4 1/4 TS Connectors 2 1/4 TRS Connectors 2 RCA Connectors ------Side Pocket 2------ --Inside Half-- Short Hammer Stud Finder Soldering Iron and Solder 4 Nylon and Metal Spudgers White Electrical Tape Extra Black Electrical Tape Plumbers Tape Large and Small Socket Extensions Drywall Saw Folding Razor Blade and Extra Blades 12” Long 1/2” Drill Bit Assorted Bits of Wire 5 Alligator Clips 5’ of XLR Cable Plastic Bag of Assorted O Rings Zip Ties Assorted Sandpaper 2 Extra Small Plastic Bags Small Steel Brush 100’ Tape Measure Laser Measure --Outside Half-- Headlight Bag of Batteries Bag of Superglue 8 Various Single Gang Wall Plates ------Exterior of Bag------ Light Weight Work Globes Bag of Assorted Wire Nuts 9x12’ Plastic Drop Cloth Bag of Disposable Gloves Tape Measure Red and Black Electrical Tape 5 Flat Metal Brackets Roll of Metal Strapping 2 Small Flashlights Lighter 16” Combination Square 2 Large Long Screwdrivers 12” Level 3 Carabiners For best results - put some thought into how you'll use the bag and what items will be used together often. A fair amount of creativity and Tetris skills are helpful when trying to pack this full but if you can fit it - so far it seems like this bag will hold it. My bag currently weights 65 pounds but is manageable for me considering I only need to take it out usually at most a couple times a week but it's mighty convenient having just about anything I could happen to need on hand between this bag and an organizer I keep in my car. I highly recommend this bag! Update 3/26/18 - A few months later the bag is holding up very well. The only bad experience I've had is I was carrying it down a few steps and the buckle in the strap gave way and the whole, jam packed, 60+ pound bag fell and literally bounced and rolled a few feet in some grass. The bag is unscathed and is truly a tank. However, I purchased a Husky replacement strap for $20, (Husky 44 in. to 60 in. 1680 Denier Padded Shoulder Strap) which is very padded and heavy duty. I would still highly recommend the bag. Just be aware, as many other reviewers have said, there is a good chance the strap will break if you're carrying more than 50 lbs or so.

Trying out a new tool box or bag system is always a very personal endeavor. I've tried a lot of different brands -Veto, Occidental Leather, Dewalt, Rigid, CLC, Husky - (I haven't quite gotten around to the Milwaukee Packout System yet) and a lot of different models and styles. What's been working for me lately are open top toolbags. I've been using a few CLC #1530's - one for plumbing tools, one for carpentry and one for electrical tools. I work by myself, so I don't have to worry much about my tools walking off from the open top type of toolbag, but over the years the collection of tools have grown pretty heavy so the bags usually remain in the utility truck. At the start of the day, I will typically fill my pouches or a Rigid "Milk Crate" with the tools that I will need for the day's project. As the project scope expands, I can end up making several trips back to the truck for more hand tools. At the end of the day, I usually have a crate full of hand tools that I may or may not be using the next day and should really be put back into the CLC #1530's. The problem that I've been having with the older CLC bags is that they are so packed with tools (some of which I don't use very frequently) that it's hard to tell where the tools are supposed to be returned to or if something is missing. Lately, I've been doing some repetitive apartment renovation and find myself using certain variety of tools on a regular basis. I'm still using a lot of tools - some plumbing tools, some carpentry tools, some electrical tools. I can't really part with the large collection of tools, but I can try to cut down on my having to look for a needle in a haystack (staring into the 3 bags) by keeping my more frequently used tools together. I expect the CLC 1539 to be my new "Go To" bag. This bag is huge. The organization reminds me of a large Veto Pro Pack, but I actually like the layout better. It also reminds me of the Milwaukee and Rigid Tech bags where it has plenty of pockets behind zippered flaps on either side of the "narrow" center compartment. The 1539 is on the heavy side, but it has a nice "build quality" - heavy duty fabric, great zippers, nice handles. There is padding on the bottom of the middle compartment, but if loaded with tools (power or hand) I feel like the bottom will be bowed downward and the fabric will be touching the ground before the feet make contact - I plan to install a thin rectangle of plywood in that center compartment to help remedy this. The shoulder strap seems a little light weight, but the clips are heavy duty. The strap will probably last, but I doubt that it would be comfortable if you were to load up this tool bag with everything that you could fit in the 1539. With its 50 pockets, I am hoping to be able to load the pockets with some electrical, plumbing and carpentry tools and put a few 12v power tools (cordless drill, impact and oscillating tool), chargers, bits and blades and some safety gear into the center section. At the end of the day, I can put the whole bag into my cab and probably have room to store my empty tool pouches. This bag is as big as several bags on the market that have wheels. Ideally, if you had a ways to go from your pickup to your jobsite, you would want to put this on top of a rolling toolbox like the Milwaukee Packout, Dewalt or Rigid. Those toolboxes are like basic plastic boxes on wheels. I've looked closely at some of the soft sided toolbags (Husky, Milwaukee, Klein) with wheels an have been dissapointed with the layout and number of pockets. Even though you might be rocking different colors, the number of pockets and the well thought out organization will be worth getting one of these CLC 1539's. And if you just don't have the problem of too many tools, do yourself a favor and order the smaller CLC 1537 instead.

This bag was delivered last night, so I won't be able to give you a long term use review, but that's been done already a couple times for this product so I think we're good there. The quality feels excellent for a bag in this price range. Thick, sturdy material, stitching appears to be well done, zippers are heavy duty. There are two large pockets on either side of a cavernous main pocket. When unzipped, these pockets don't just flop open flat, but are held wide open yet not quite touching the table by a set of fabric "hinges" (for lack of a better term - maybe there is one but I don't know it!). Inside these pockets are a TON of smaller pockets to aide organization. They vary in size, but most hold quite a bit. One is holding my handful of larger 1/2" drive metric sockets, for example. Another, my entire set of ordinary metric box wrenches, sizes 10-19mm. The outside of the rear pocket (I guess it's the rear one because the other one has the CLC logo on it) has some rather large elastic loops sewn on. I'm sure you can think of a thousand uses for this - or not, and they won't get it your way. The strap is comfortable and with the pad on my shoulder it doesn't dig too much even when heavily loaded. I'm a back yard mechanic and bought this bag to keep my collection of tools better organized than the big orange box from home depot that's been holding things for me thus far. Breaking out that box and hunting for that tool that I know is in there somewhere was always a chore in itself, then I still had to get to the real work. I have no doubt this bag will make maintaining my motorcycles or doing some work around the house a little quicker and a little less frustrating.

Several months ago, I purchased the CLC 1539, CLC 1537, and Husky model #80897N09 18" large mouth bag with tool wall to compare and decide which was the best for my needs. I ended up going with the 1539 because of its size and fantastic organizational capabilities, far superior to the Husky. I only messed with the Husky very briefly before deciding against it. It seemed to be fairly well-constructed, but the elastic bands over the tool wall pouches made it difficult to put tools into them, and it was very limiting as to how you could place tools, especially since anything over probably ~6-8 inches high made it so you couldn't close the bag. It was also a much harder/stiffer bag, which is less comfortable to carry. The 1537 was a nice bag, but besides capacity it lacked features of the 1539 that I really liked, such as the dual (front and back) large organizational compartment and the loops on the back for hammers/levels/etc. In fact, if it had these two features (and ideally an inch or two taller), I would probably go with two of them vs the 1539, which as others have mentioned, becomes incredibly heavy when you make full use of its organizational features. It's in many ways too well designed. Aside from the obvious (size, organization, quality), there are some features of the 1539 that really stand out. Of course, there's those mentioned above. Also, there's the straps that keep the large zippered compartment flaps from falling all the way down, keeping them in check and preventing their contents from falling out. Then there's the fact that the pockets maintain their full holding capacity even when the ones behind or in front of them are filled. I absolutely love this bag. That said, I can't give it a perfect score, because there are quite a few things that can be improved, many of which should have been obvious when it was designed. Here are my issues with this bag, and hence why I only give it 4 stars (though again, it really is an amazing bag): - There's no tape loop (though it's easy to add one). - The shoulder strap constantly gets in the way, especially when accessing the main compartment. I'm not sure though how this could be rectified. - The elastic loops at the top of the inside front compartment flap are next to useless. Between their small size and their location right next to the zipper, the only thing they're good for is bits. That's great for people that find them useful for that, but it's just too limiting. It would have been better if they were a little deeper and located further down. - An addition to the previous note: the inside of the front and rear compartment flaps could use more pockets and elastic loops in the area above the net pockets. - The front compartment could use a clip (or two) like the one in the back compartment - The net pockets are ok (could be more elastic to actually hold stuff better, but they're not bad), but it would be nice if they would zip closed. - The fabric loops on the bottom pockets inside the front compartment get progressively shorter and less useful (see 4th picture). They would also be more functional and easier to use if they were elastic. My mini ratcheting screwdriver wrenches barely fit in them, and if they were elastic that wouldn't be an issue. - Every now and then a zipper sticks. I've included several pictures comparing the three bags in the hopes it helps others make a decision without having to get their hands on each bag as I did. Also, there's a good amount of inconsistency regarding the measurements of these bags, so I actually stuffed them as much as possible with boxes then measured the boxes to determine the real internal dimensions. I also stuffed the two CLC bags with the same amount of tools to show the difference, and also show all the tools separately so you can see how much these bags hold. I took these pictures when I first got the bag. Since then, I've added a DeWalt 20V worklight, a DeWalt 20V compact recip saw, a Milwaukee 12V recip saw, a recip blade kit, some hand tools, a bunch of screwdriver bits, a flashlight, some gloves, and a multi-tool. Granted, it won't close with all that in it, and it's a bear to carry, but it holds it all. At some point, I'll probably pick up either another 1539 or a 1537 to split the tools between. The first picture (assuming it keeps the order) shows the internal dimensions of the CLC bags. With the bags wide open, the height from the floor of the bag to the zipper is 15" (1539) and 13.5" (1537). They won't close with something this tall in them (the 9.25" high boxes were pretty much the limit; of course, tools could go higher than that in the center), but I just wanted to provide that measurement in case anybody found it useful. In the second picture, you can clearly see how much deeper the 1539 is than the other two. What you can't tell from the picture is that the Husky, unlike the CLC bags (which would close even with the 9.25" high and 7.25" wide box inside), would not close with the caliper standing up like that. This is further demonstrated in the third picture, in which the Husky bag is clearly shorter. This picture really demonstrates the size difference between the two CLC bags, with the 1539 being slightly taller and substantially longer than the 1537. The next two pictures show how much more comfortably everything fits into the 1539 with that extra space, with room to spare. The fifth picture also shows what the bottom of the bags looks like, the significant difference in design of the backs (second large compartment with hammer/level loops with the 1539 vs a few pockets with the 1537), and how the bags come folded. This is worth mentioning because it does cause them to lean and potentially tip if not loaded out enough to overcome this. The last picture shows the sides, which are largely the same. My use for this bag is essentially to have most of my most frequently needed tools all in one place, so I can just grab the bag and either carry it to a room where I'm doing work or throw it in the car and take it with me somewhere. It's not intended to be carried around very much, which is a good thing because it probably weighs over 50 pounds. As I mentioned before, and as others have mentioned, it's too easy to stuff this bag to the point it becomes too heavy, which is a testament to how great it is at organizing your tools. I would really like to see CLC put out a bag identical to the 1539 but with the above issues fixed/improved and closer in size to the 1537. I would then get two of them to split my most commonly used tools which would be easier to move around. In any event, depending on how many tools you have and what your intended use is, you can't go wrong with either of these bags. Others have commented on how the Husky bags are really good, a close second to this bag for a lot less. In my opinion, this just isn't true. Even if the Husky bag was half the price of this bag, I would still rather pay the difference (not really a lot) and get one of the CLCs. They're just so much better in every way. When I bought this, I struggled with the idea of spending this much on a tool bag, as I've always used cheap ones in the past. After using it, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, and I now see it in a completely different light, where it doesn't seem to be that much, considering how great the quality is and how much it's helped me to organize my tools. Not only would I not hesitate to spend the money again if I had the need, but I wouldn't even bother with a Husky, trying to get one that's almost as good for less, because that ~$20 saved just isn't worth it.

51Ywt3Y+TLL.jpg In the main compartment I can easily hold Drill, driver, mallet, large sanding block, earmuff style protection, extension cord and phone charger, tool battery charger and battery, 3 glue bottles and a couple other items. As you can see in the pic, the side pockets fold out, and the pockets hold a bunch of smaller stuff. The fold out flaps are reinforced by straps so they open flat to the ground and actually provide a stable surface to put stuff on. The bigger pockets int he fold out section easily hold the BORG style driver and drill bit boxes, easily taken out and replaced. They are big enough to hold a block or shoulder plane. The exterior tape clip is actually very well designed, easy to slap your tape measure on, but has solid positive grip to it that even bumping it with your leg repeatedly while walking won't knock it off. The out flaps also contain a variety of other pockets for items, and one of them is designed for papers, but with a well stuffed bag, getting papers in and out without wrinkles might be an issue. I have yet to fashion chisel tip guards for my chisels, but so far the pockets have held up well to them, and they don't dull the chisels (much) at all. The biggest bonus I have discovered with this is that since it opens flat to form a usable area, one could easily fashion a mobile base cabinet for it to sit on. This will allow me to have a cabinet with a drawer or two and a large storage area to keep in the shop, and a similar one at home, negating some of the need to double up on tools for now. The shoulder strap is overly long, which is a good thing as it's adjustable. I'm a bigger guy and almost all my bags with a strap get set to their longest setting, I actually had to shorten this one up a bit so it rode more comfortably on my hip. The downside with this being so big is that it can get heavy with all the extra stuff you can cram into it. But even fully loaded, and opened up completely, I can pick it up and move it with little fear of stuff falling out. If you are working out of one area for a length of time, this bag is great. If you need to be constantly moving, the extra weight it can carry may be become a hindrance, but it handles it like a champ. So if you're looking for a tool bag to keep a lot of tools in, and have it hold up (I see little wear or stress points yet), then this would be my recommendation. It may be a little pricey, but it will surely outlast the smaller bags. My only complaint so far is that it seems to grip the mechanical pencils I'm using far too much in the pockets, so I rip the top off the pencil trying to get to it, but they're cheap pencils. Getting better pencils would probably alleviate the problem. I also wish there was a opening in the main compartment so I could snake the extension cord out of it, and a place to coil up the cord easily on the outside. But that seems to be a problem unique to me, as I keep my battery charger in the bag all the time. So not my only complaint, but the clips for the strap have opened up a bit, causing the gate to open the wrong way. It doesn't pop off when you are carrying it thankfully, but when I put it down, the strap can come off. The gate pops back into place easily. That is probably a function of how much weight I have in it.

I normally write reviews of products that most would consider delinquint or late! Submitting a review on the first day of ownership is not a fair review, as I see it! Now to make myself a liar! Not really, I qualify this exception! I ordered this bag so I could centralize and have ONE bag that will do it all! I received the tool carrier today(01Mar2013) and I am so impressed in its, design, quality and construction that I am breaking my own rule and giving this early review! The following test is NOT RECOMMENDED by me or Custom LeatherCraft(At least I don't think they would recommend it): Today I tried to pull the handles off the 1539 carrier, on several occasions! Be advised, I tried and for my own benefit, not the bags, I will try no more! I also loaded it with weight, olympic weights and lead, suspending the carrier by the handles for more than 20 minutes! Size - It is a big carrier! It is the size claimed and that is what I expected! Material - Tough, dense, should last a lifetime for the home owner and decades for the Pro! Zippers - High quality, well stitched, tightly interlocking teeth, smooth! Handles- Built as part of the whole package not an after thought. Lift capacity seems to be greater than 200lbs weight! Straps - As above! Layout - Extremely versatile, accessible and useable! Function- Provides a vast amount of storage and organization for virtually any kind of technician - Home Handyman to Pro Overall -Outstanding product that is untypically worth more than its cost! I will be using this carrier extensively over the next few months and will update this initial review with any pertinent data or findings, positive, negative or subjectively observational!

Bought this as the case for my husbands firearms cleaning kits. Pre-made kits are too small. If you have several guns, you end up with a lot of different sized cleaning components. I wanted something durable that he could store them all in. He had various kits and items stored in a cardboard box before. It was unsightly, large, and cumbersome. I was able to get rid of the excess plastic holders for the various kits and organize all of the materials in this one big bag. All of the pockets, slips, and straps made it easy to organize the items. The large center of the case allowed for storage of longer/taller items like rods and spray cans. He loves it! All of his stuff is in one easily accessible tool bag that he can even easily transport carry with him. I want one of these cases for my tools now! I currantly have two tool bags, one for wood working and one for non-wood working. That isn't always practical. It would be nice to combine the two into one well organized bag. A CLC bag would work well. The CLC bag I bought my husband it very well designed and very hardy! I am extremely impressed with the quality and durability of the product!! If I were a contractor, this is the bag I believe I would want. I think it would stand up to the job better than any tool bag I have ever seen and better than lots of plastic tool boxes. Furthermore, it is way more functional. If you organize it well, you won't have to dig thru it for tools; you will be able to go right to the tool you want.

This is a bigo huge bag, then when you unfold the center section, it gets bigger. I picked it up at holm dipo for fortenin bux. It's really overkill for my needs, but will do. I moved my commonly used tools from a cardboard box into the bag, like dropping a peanut in a pumpkin. I used maybe a quarter of the pockets, and the center section is nearly empty. Even my big long screwdrivers fit without sticking out of the center section. It's very well built, strong stitching, five rubber feet on the bottom, heavy duty zippers, strong nylon material, good handles. My only complaint is that the shoulder strap had one of the latches flipped outside the catch, and was nearly impossible to remove, and now won't close cause it's bent. I couldn't tell it was like this because it was ziptied preventing me from seeing it, and it was the last one. Also, it doesn't come with one of those cool electrical tape holders. They did have some Husky brand ones that were also very well built, maybe better, and less expensive. Search their website for 1539, and nothing comes up. Update 4/10/13: My first one got stolen along with every tool I own so I bought another. The new one seems to be getting more pliable, perhaps made with thinner materials. The best feature is the fact that the side pockets are covered instead of having tools sticking out. So if you slide something against or next to it your not knocking tools out of the pockets. Once again, the size, being so large, can cause you to overfill it, then its too heavy to comfortably carry. This can be a blessing, or curse. Nice to be able to put in everything needed for a project, including the parts. But when you add an impact wrench, sledge hammer, pry bar, and heavy parts, now its a curse. When floppy gets too floppy, I'll be looking at alternative ideas. Update 12/7/14 Floppy is the word. If it's not leaning against something, it falls on its side most of the time. My first one I had for about 5 years. This one for 3. It's now very obvious the first one was built better. The screwdriver holders have worn through so my long screwdrivers stick out the bottom. I'll work on posting some pics of the 3 year old bag. I knew I would be looking for something else. I'll probably end up with either a home depot husky, veto, or klein tradesman pro. update 10/7/15: Screwdrivers sticking out the bottom and floppyness finally got to me and I replaced with a Klein tradesman pro. The new one has a hard plastic bottom so now I can set it down when it's raining without the bag getting soaking wet. I've only had it for about a week, and already getting used to the differences.

Very good quality love the 50 pockets i do recommend cheers

Muy buena calidad y acabados, la maleta es bastante amplia y muy fácil de limlpiar. Sus acabados son de muy buen nylon y al parecer resiste bastante peso.

Had this bag imported to the UK from the US and not at all disappointed at the delivery time or the bag itself on arrival. I work as a maintenance engineer in a factory and therefore need electrical and mechanical tools. You can put all your tools in both sides so elec in one side and mech on the other including multimeters etc and still have acres of space in the middle compartment. Temptation was to fill it up which did make it really heavy. However once working out what REALLY need to carry all the time you can remove a lot of the weight. Overall a very sturdy bag that seems very well made with robust zips etc. Also only a fraction of the cost of the equivalent Milwaukee's etc. Hopefully will stand the test of time.

The bag is made with good quality and its looks solid.

As someone who has tried more than six different tool bags, I can confidently say that the Custom Leathercraft 1539 Multi-Compartment Tool Carrier is one of the best tool bags you can buy, period. I am writing this review after 3 years of use and I take loving care of my tools and bag. What sets this bag apart is its exceptional organization. With approximately sixty compartments, it can fit a huge number of tools. Unlike other bags that force you to dump everything into big compartments, this one ensures every tool has its own dedicated space. It’s as if someone who is really organized has designed this bag. I also do not like open type tool bags as I do not want to expose my top-notch tools to prying eyes. This tool bag fits everything, but everything remains secure inside. The build quality is top-notch. The bag feels sturdy and durable, offering optimal protection for my tools. The zippers are sturdy and smooth, making it easy to access my tools without any hassle. The strap is wide and good quality. My only wish is that they make a wheeled version of this tool bag as my tool bag has gotten heavier with lots of tools. In conclusion, the Custom Leathercraft 1539 18 Multi-Compartment Tool Carrier is more than just a tool bag. It’s a comprehensive solution for tool organization, offering a level of convenience and efficiency that is hard to find in other products. I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a reliable and well-organized tool carrier.