Fast forward to Nov ’22
Mr P reported that one of the capped rivets on the shoulder strap had come apart and needed replacing. It was good to have the opportunity to get hold of it to see how it had stood up to the last 4 years of use and abuse. The bag had mellowed and softened in the interim, taking on a used patina typical of veg tanned leather.
All in all it had faired quite well so I was pleased with its durability. I’ve never really been a fan of the assortment of press fit, capped rivets on the market. They serve a purpose but all seem of low to middle quality at best. I think the next time I make a similar bag I would use copper or brass rivets, which are peened over to give a much more secure fitting.
The other issue was that I’d only fitting one keeper to the shoulder strap so the free end was free to flap around. When it was returned a rubber band had been added to hold the end in place, so an additional keeper was fitted at the same time.