I bought this bag to take to France, and the front buckle fell off in the car on the way to the airport. It's a nice size to carry everything you need while traveling, but the quality is lacking.
I already had the shoulder bag, so when looking for a messenger bag, I came back to the known. I like the bag, but the British Kakhi color was actually green, not kakhi, so I feel like have matchy matchy luggage. But I am keeping it. I love the way the shoulder bag has broken in to be comfortable and lived in looking, which is my style. The velcro on the outside pockets are too tough to use, and I thought there would be dividers inside, but it works. Wish it were a bit bigger.
I ordered this bag for my boyfriend who is 6'2". The strap was too short to fit over his head to wear across his body even when fully extended. We will be returning.
I've had this bag for more than a year now and it's seen heavy use.
As several reviewers have noted, the clasp has an annoying tendancy to pop open any time the bag is decently full. It seems like the shoulder of the stamped clasp is just a little too rounded to hold fast.
The strap is longer than it should be. As a normal-sized guy (5'11", 44 reg. jacket), I've had to shorten it as much as possible just to avoid having it bumping into my thigh all day. I realize that one strap has to cover a wide number of heights and body types, but it makes bicycle commuting a huge pain as the bag hangs low and needs constant adjustment so it doesn't impede pedaling.
The bag doesn't hold it's shape well unless it's full--otherwise, the front flap hangs oddly and the whole bag just sort of droops like a deflated balloon.
Lastly, the velcro pockets on the side have been a nuisance. Unless the pockets are completely full, the amount of slack in the flap covering them can lead to the velcro being improperly aligned if you've closed them in a hurry. I've learned to make sure that the velcro is perfectly closed as I've discovered that some of my favorite blazers and sweaters have been damaged by the velcro pulling at them during my commute. All-in-all, brass snaps (like on old cotton webbing military gear) might have made more sense there.
I will say that it looks nice enough when full, it's competitively priced, and the canvas is very durable. I just wish I could throw it on and forget it was there instead of being reminded of its presence by it dangling into the way of my knees as I pedal, by the pop of its clasp coming open, or the gentle tugging I feel as its velcro chews-up a portion of my favorite tweed.
