#Fashion, | Gray Summers

The iconic Ninth Gate bag. Seen as an ever present in the film and carried by Dean Corso (Johnny Depp). Johnny plays a ‘Book Detective’ who searches for rare books for clients. The film is based on the This bag? A French Infantryman Military 1935 Second World War Musette Mle35 bag. Very rare. I do have the two original straps, but have substituted for a different one for everyday use as the originals are becoming fragile. They are around 90 years old after all. This substitute taken from a more recently made bag, has a Billingham bag leather and soft rubber shoulder pad on it and is really comfortable.

This blog is very detailed in information content. This is done intentionally. Why? Because when I search for information, I absolutely love the type of information that allows me to search for something I find interesting enough to want to own myself. YouTube up-loaders are very good to listen to, pause and look and then go on the hunt after seeing desired items. Here? I can only use descriptive words for details. Hence, this blog is rather full on! Sorry.

I have a blog post from a fair few years back that has a very, very high number of hits. The blog is high in the Google search list. Not because of the quality of my blog writing. It is simply popular because it is about the French Infantryman bag from the Johnny Depp film ‘The Ninth Gate’. And the bag, being of cult status, is often searched for. It is iconic and very desirable to own. And actually, very rare to find. I have owned this bag for a couple of decades now and it has been a daily man bag throughout my nurse career. Altogether I have bought four. Not through greed. But because my brother and my son in law were fascinated with the bag. I bought a second bag and gave my first one to my son in law. He carried it for a fair while, but it developed a few holes in the back and stuff could easily drop out. So I hunted, found and bought a third bag and gave him that one. I took the first bag, with holes, back. Just in case I needed it for ‘spares’. A fourth bag was bought with intentions of getting one for my brother. He had bought one for himself, but it was in an awful condition. Massively oil stained and missing various bits. Also modified really badly. So, again, I hunted one down and luckily managed to buy it. The fourth one was in great condition, so I gave him that and said to keep his mangled one for spares. The leather straps and bindings and unique strap holding metal buckles are always worth keeping. All three of us are ‘so much in awe’ of how this bag design is so Tardis like. But as with all open bags that contain no Molle container inserts, stuff can roll around a bit. So recently, I bought a leather motorcycle tool bag for the main compartment inside mine. Tidy!

The leather motorbike tool bag is ideal for the smaller Musette bag width.

The front two pocket chambers on the Musette Mle35 are amazing too. I keep treasured items deep within the main compartment. And now special items exist in the, as said, recently bought leather motorcycle tool bag (above) with its leather and buckle straps to secure it closed. Simple every day stuff like wipes, fold away ONYA carry bag for shopping, a few first aid items, a tin of mints, etc, sit in the front two compartments.

Housed item considerations within my own bag, has seen a fair number of different collectives over the decades. Depending on the needs of work, holiday, theme choices for beach wandering, photography, picnic jaunts, hunting for flotsam and jetsam for art work, charity shop visits and subsequent bought bits and bobs housing second hand finds, etc. But since retirement, nearly five years ago, the mainstay hasn’t changed much. Writing equipment being my main consideration nowadays. Alongside little essential everyday carries. In reality, this isn’t a bag full of items that are taken out to a day trip around town. But if there is an intent to take a full day trip somewhere and a bit of relaxation over hours is in the thoughts, then yes, it’s great to grab at anything that may be needed. Especially if I am on a holiday break.

Below are my current bag contents.

I love watching YouTube videos or read thread posts where the information content directs you to item source. YouTube is usually a link taking you to specific sites. They result mainly in the USA $ Amazon sites. So I have to keep seeking if available here in the UK. But generally it is really good to have links to find items that could be really useful. When others film their experiences and find practicality (or impracticality) in certain ‘quality items and collectively put togethers’, then it is always interesting and worthwhile enough to follow through with seeking enquiry in order to make my own life easier.

So, with huge intent, it has been fun to include a mass of information below in order to identify what is in the man bag.

Numbered items below on the photograph.

1). Felt material Pentax camera pouch for carrying handmade Khadi paper sheets to grab and either write on. Or use for watercolour painting. I can quickly throw in the Schmincke Akademie small watercolour compact colour box of basic paints, the small stainless double steel screw top water containers, a choice of 3 brushes into one of the front two bag pockets. Grab them and simply paint.

2). Cammenga Lensatic Compass. I need to relearn how to use this properly! I did a week of self study a few years back…..and remember diddly squat! I won’t need it for the local quick walks like the video below. This is about a mile from our house. A walk down a country lane and up a fairly steep climb. A circular walk of around four miles. But more serious walking will need a map really. Here though, on quick local walks, you still catch a decent view out towards the sea. We used the iPhone and filmed this short scene a couple of weeks ago.

Our local landscape.

The Cammenga. I can’t remember any of what I read, tried to understand, sort of lightbulb gleaned and wrote down!

3). The rather wonderful Depose folding Medical magnifying glass. When a staff nurse, I badly wanted one of these. Vintage and medical? Perfect combination. Also, Johnny Depp uses one in the film The Ninth Gate too. So, as a nod to the Musette bag and other iconic ownership from the film….had to find one didn’t I! I also have a fair few half and half red and blue accountant pencils too. Mine are the Lyra Duo 471 OR (40 84900 271322) Made in Germany… and the Kores 17 (9023800948717) ones. The first is a six sided jumbo size, the latter smaller and three sided slim. I used these in my nurse role in handover. Red circles at end of tasks for ‘must be done’. Blue for ‘can wait’. A tick in the circle for ‘done’. Johnny Depp uses one of these bi-colour pencils in the film. I do have a couple of Montblanc fountain pens. Sometimes carry them around for use within the bag. But tend to keep them safe at home. Johnny uses the Montblanc Agatha Christie Edition, with a snake shaped clip ballpoint, in the film. It can be clearly seen in the library scene. Ballpoints? Nah. Fountain pens every time. Obsessive? Me? Yup.

The little notebook can hold small watercolour paper for little quick sketches. It goes under the back of the hard plastic sheet, held securely by the two black elastic bands. The plastic sheet housing the paint box, brushes and water pots for watercolour painting. The leather pouch holds the notebook. Here too are the bi-colour pencils.

4). My Stephen’s ink aluminium travelling ink carrier. Inside is an original vintage Stephen’s glass ink pot too. Currently has Scheaffer black ink housed in it. Basic stuff. Other inks are kept in their original bottles. I do have another one of these ink carriers and have some beautiful deep scarlet red ink housed in it. Sometimes I do carry that one too. But find that red is now used in ink cartridge form. The black leather pouch carries the aluminium Stephen’s carrier. Had this for years and years. One of the doctor’s, when on ward rounds, used to ask me if he could fill up his pen. He bought me a lovely Sheaffer Taranis pen when I left as a thank you present.

5). A wonderfully dynamic and great quality wine bottle opener. Not vintage, but aesthetically lovely. I do love tactile items of beauty. I have a vintage iron Schweppes Ro70 2661 bottle cap opener too. It is a very therapeutic sensory tool to use. Especially in meditation. You can’t beat old and trusted faithful’s. They become items that when held Mindfully, bring comfort. The shape of this bottle opener helps too. My son is a very knowledgeable wine seller. Currently working with Spanish wines and Tapas foods and recipes. He has deep knowledge of Spanish vine growing sites and knows so much regards to how the wines develop. Holistic considerations re: weather, soil, barrel use, etc. This little corkscrew opener is a gentle reminder that my children possess fantastic skills.

Schweppes bottle top opener. Actually, a great worry ‘thought’ tool. Rather like a worry egg it can be held with its similar weight factor. Iron is known to have many beneficial properties when considering therapeutic needs. Negative energy can be dispelled for example.

6). An old Moleskine diary I started in 2023 and gave up after a couple of weeks. So I tore out the pages and rebuilt it into a traveller notebook carrier. Three Site Notes Kraft notebooks with themes exist inside. There are an information collector of important dates/appointments to consider, items bought or needed, day to day thoughts, odd little song lyrics as they come to mind, and birthdays/anniversaries throughout the year.

7). The canvas/leather everyday carry (EDC) pouch. EDC is a massive YouTube theme at the moment. Mainly for guys. A plethora of YouTubers talk of what they love to carry. Not in any way self absorbed or fanatical for order and chaos avoidance. Just practicality in knowing where things are. I have always had to think this way. The lack of a Mind’s Eye in bringing up visual imagery for locating or remembering items means that lists, familiarity in the faithful long term ownership of ‘things’ and organised into specific carriers is vital. This canvas pouch has my writing items of two Kaweco Brass and Bronze Sport fountain pens, Kaweco Brass Sketch Up clutch pencil, Koh i Noor mechanical pencil, brass Bolt ballpoint, brass 5 inch small ruler, stainless steel mirror (currently needed for reading some of the parts of the book House of Leaves where script has to be read in a mirror), Kum masterpiece and Mobius and Ruppert pencil sharpeners, Hardtmuth Koh i Noor Knetradie rubber, 2 highlighter pens, spare pencil leads and biro refill, etc.. It has a zipped pocket for small items at the back.

8). Handmade leather spare Khadi paper ‘holder’. I made this from an old leather man bag. A brass/copper ethnic decorated wrist bangle was straightened to double up as a ruler.

9). The Victorinox Swiss army Swisschamp knife/tool. The very useful go to magikal answer to family or friends asking ‘Gray. Have you got a……Small screwdriver to mend my glasses, tweezers to get a splinter out, a pair of scissors, small pliers to pull a tooth (joking), etc?’. ‘Yes!’ I say. ‘Here you go…..’.

10). Sewing kit container with decent heavy duty needles, thimbles, linen unbreakable thread. My Mum taught me to sew, iron and cook at a very early age. And to knit too. Can’t knit anymore though! And, actually, never iron my clothes anymore either. Wear ‘em straight off the washing line.

11). Brass Zippo lighter. Used for candles and joss sticks.

12). A collection of all my favourite vintage dip nibs. I can house these in the Kaweco Brass clutch pencil mechanism. Great for writing with italic and old school vintage scratch aesthetics. I love writing with ink and nibs for therapy, and this is the ultimate therapeutic activity.

13). Leather pen holder with a Rotring Art Pen and my old 1960s Osmiroid #65 school pen. Both are fountain pens.

14). An Onoto Junior and a Parker Slimfold in a small leather Montblanc pen case. Again, both fountain pens. The bottled ink, seen in 4, is for these and the Osmiroid.

15). Nothing in this photograph! But I have some small extra front pockets that were added in the first bag collective photograph. Ted Baker very small wallet that is like a well designed Tardis. A tiny circular port hole magnifying glass beauty that can show the smallest of things as a close up. My Grancher’s (Grandad’s) old fob watch chain to secure my wallet in the bag.

16). Five coloured ink cartridges for the Kaweco and Rotring pens housed in a vintage metal camera film tin.

17). A pair of flat folding scissors.