Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Impressive, within limits, and price. This [same(?) or vastly-similar] bag is sold by several vendors— at least it *appears so— so I went with the lower price, sized within carry-on regs. Kamal *may simply be rebranding (for which I commend their sourcing), but they could leave off with the fabric bag, and the leather nameplate sewn inside could just be burned into the surface. It looks somewhat lux, appears well-made, hardware seems durable (tho I’d prefer solid brass), straps go around the bottom and wear points are riveted, but I’ll expect to replace the zipper pull tabs. Yes, it came well-wrapped, all hardware came covered. It appears to be goatskin, which is *tough (natural drum-heads are ALL goat), tho the dye layer is very thin. To reiterate another reviewer, you have to realize THIS IS A CANVAS BAG SEWN WITH THIN GOATSKIN. The inner canvas is coarse, true but acceptable, and the leather thickness is adequate BECAUSE it’s goatskin. The thick shoulder strap appears to be full grain on one side (mine shows a few “features”, no worries), tho positioning of the pad is curiously best *under the buckle. The inner pocket is tiny; the outer pocket expands, but should not contain valuables in Naples or in urban crowds. Jussayin. [IMHO, straps on airport luggage should contain a metal cable.] THE AROMA IS STRONG IN THIS ONE— *NOT the “good smell of a leather shop”); it was almost overwhelming on delivery! I left it outdoors for a day and it subsided, but was still *pungent, so I tested Fabreeze Extra Strength on the bottom. This, after drying, had NO visible effect on the (non-waterproof) leather, so I pretty much saturated the entirety with Fabreeze and put dryer sheets in the pockets. After *completely drying, the malodor was lessened — and might resolve in time. The REAL CURE was when I next day applied Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner (which is first choice for many saddlers here in CO), which softens the leather —without being greasy or sticky (beware others). The primary reason for this is that I’ll use it at the gym (always potentially incurring wetness), and this stuff inhibits mold and mildew! I’ll thus probably waterproof the bottom, [I SHOULD have (first) rubbed the bottom with silicone grout sealant from Home Depot, which will be very resistant to water]. Make certain to get the leather inner seams and inside the front pocket. The Leather Therapy somewhat darkens the leather to almost a “tobacco” patina, feels great. For the price, overall —and with 45 mins work— this can’t be beat!