<5 total units remain. Then it's gone.
Three years ago, we built some Japanese Denim rucksacks, and they did quite well. But we ran into one problem: a small number of these were built with the wrong kind of leather on the bottom panel. Instead of the full-grain leather we intended, they were made with top-grain leather.
They’ve been sitting with us for years now. We didn’t want to throw them away, and we didn’t want to try to redo the bottoms, though both options were proposed. After going through a lot of ideas, we took one of them and performed a full, extensive quality control check on it—something we take pride in doing well. We ripped everything out to make sure the overall quality is up to par.
If you scrape this leather with your fingernail, it behaves differently than our usual GR1 Heritage leather. On a Heritage pack, you can easily buff those marks right out. With these top-grain panels, a scratch will show, and you'd need to use a product like Kiwi to buff it back out. This leather is also a bit shinier and won't develop the same type of patina over time. It is still real leather—not pleather, and it won't flake off white underneath—but it’s just not the leather we originally planned for this build, and it doesn't complement the Japanese denim quite as perfectly.
Because of this, we are calling these "Seconds." If you don't mind the difference in the leather, you can pick one up at a nice price break. It’s a heavy, beautiful rucksack, and we didn't want to see them go to waste. If you decide to grab one, enjoy it.
NOTE: Limited Supply. GovX discount does not apply.
GR1 USA Japanese Denim - (SECONDS SALE)
Overall rating: 4.5 / 5 from 40 reviews.
Review topics: [feel, bag, material, look, quality, fabric, craftsmanship, backpack, spots, zippers, ruck, collaboration, denim, artwork, patch, pack].
"It’s the perfect bag 26 and 21. Almost waterproof (don’t submerge). Definitely extended downpour proof. Insanely durable material. The 26 is an original I was lucky to get from GR and it is perfect but too big for EDC. The 21 came out as a “second” due to lesser leather. It’s more perfect due to the EDC size. No one can tell the difference. My wife has no idea that I got a new bag."
"I’ve had no issues with this pack. Very happy with my purchase."
"Very nice - unusual Ruck Pleased with purchase Little expense"
"This is the best backpack i’ve ever seen or felt and definitely the best one i’ve ever owned. Certainly not my most intelligent financial investment, but I figured if i’m going to just use one backpack for the rest of my life, then i’m gonna treat myself and get the coolest one. I also love supporting this company as I feel they make fantastic products, and have some of the best customer service around. The zippers loosen up quite a bit with use which was a concern for me. They feel smooth like any other goruck bag now. The only thing i didn’t love was the handle as it feels less durable than the regular GR1, but i just gave it a quick paracord wrap and now it’s fantastic. The pack feels just as sturdy if not sturdier than the regular 1000d Gr1. I was worried when i read “denim” that it would be like a floppy pair of jeans, or like that other collab they did with the garbage denim material that isn’t durable at all, but i’m pretty sure this thing could survive back to back grizzly bear attacks, followed by a wrestle with a gator. It’s held up very well for my emt job, and i chuck that thing around and drop it a lot. I also wanted this because i prefer the 500D backing over the 210D, which tends to slip off my shoulders if im not wearing a sternum strap.The 500D also doesn’t destroy my merino clothes either, making this the perfect sweet spot for me. While i can’t say i’d recommend this bag over the standard GR1 as i’m sure 99% of people will be perfectly happy with it, I have absolutely zero regrets with buying this and I couldn’t be happier. If you’re a Goruck fanboy like myself i’d highly recommend it."
"Best bag you can get glad I was able to buy one"
"Awesome!"
"All of this fits…minus the obvious…"
"This bag is absolutely gorgeous. Mine is perfect in every way, and it feels just as if not more durable than the standard 1000D cordura. I normally wouldn’t buy something like this ever, but I wanted to support this company and I also wanted an excuse to treat myself. I sold all my other goruck bags to purchase this (i barely used them aside from my GR1) and it was worth it. I’d be surprised if this bag didn’t last 100 years of daily use with how durable it feels. Zippers are stiff but suck it up they’ll loosen. Best bag i’ve ever seen. 11/10"
"Awesome Bag"
"As both a gear nerd and a weeb, this ruck was pretty much made for me. It takes the rock hard utility of the GR1 and adds a whole new level of creative depth. For anyone on the fence, I’d recommend checking out the full write-up on Carryology about the Samurai’s design and development. It’s astounding how much thought and effort went into its creation, and it definitely shows on the finished product. Perfect for everyday urban adventuring, weekend campouts or wandering aimlessly through the Japanese countryside with no purpose and no sense of home — but lots of swords."
As an American business with Special Forces roots, we are proud to donate 1% of our annual top line revenue to non-profit partners who support those who serve.
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