Kattee Military Messenger Bag Canvas Leather Shoulder Bag

My high school age son carried his backpacks with just one strap habitually -- which means the backpacks were being carried and pulled in a way they weren't designed to take weight and they seemed to wear out frequently. He felt that backpacks weren't working for him so he wanted to try a messenger bag this school year. We looked at all the local stores and couldn't find anything that fit his needs/wants. He has a significant number of text books so he needed a large study bag and he has an array of calculators and computer gadgets so he needed lots of pockets which could be securely closed to keep things from falling out - and this bag checked every box. Masculine enough for him and large enough with enough secure pockets to make it practical. So far - he is extremely pleased. The best part -- there is a small handle on the back that makes it easy to grab it - a nice surprise. I was a tad hesitant to order a bag that had to travel so far (it is shipped from China when you order it) and took so long to get here - but it seemed to be what he wanted and I couldn't find anything comparable locally so I tried it. The bag arrived about 1 1/2 weeks before the estimated arrival date which was good because even with ordering it several weeks ago -- I wanted it before school started and it arrived just before classes started. It was well packed and protected to ship. Seems sturdy enough and well made and I'm comfortable that the pockets are secure enough to keep his expensive calculator and gadgets from falling out. Before I ordered, I read a few reviews that suggested the strap wears out - and though it is to early to tell, I'm hopeful that won't be a problem. If the strap does come unstitched, as long as the rest of the bag is still holding up, I think a quick trip to the local shoe repair shop to re-stitch/reinforce that strap would be relatively inexpensive so it is worth the risk to me. So far, I'm very pleased about the price and quality. My picky teenaged son is pleased about the appearance and function. Happy that we ordered this. Update 3/6/15 -- The stitching did start to unravel on one side - something that I'm not surprised to find since my son carries A LOT of heavy books and this poor bag is being used and abused daily. We took it into the shoe repair store who re-stitched both sides for around $5. I'm still very pleased with the bag. None of the backpacks he has used held up this long - so the $5 to reinforce the straps is a bargain in my book and the bag has held up very well. Read more

So far I'm really loving this bag! It came looking exactly as the picture. I ordered the grey & it's identical to the picture in the ad! The fabric seems to be just as described...a heavy canvas with a lighter weight duck/canvas lining. It's nice and big. I don't think it will hold a large type laptop but then that's not what I wanted it for! I use it as a purse & travel bag/purse! I prefer large purses & the size is what attracted me to this particular bag. I don't think it would work to well for clothing, unless you pack extremely light! It would do well packing light accessories like, toothbrush/paste, light cosmetics, maybe a change of undergarments, but to me, not much else! A hair dryer would be to much! That being said, I really love this bag! I did put Purse Feet on the bottom to keep the lining in place & a narrow shoe box inside to keep it from sagging & for me, that was a great idea. As some have said, the magnets have fallen off or don't work...I don't know what they meant but my bag has no magnets on it any where at all! The zipper is longer than the the bag is wide but that helps you get wide items in easier & the flaps on either end help you hold on to the bag while opening the zipper! Makes it so much easier to handle!! So far, no problems w/color rubbing off, zipper works great. The pockets on the sides really won't hold a water bottle but I carry an insulated cup inside my bag! The shoe box I put in the bottom to keep it from sagging also keeps the cup up-right when I put the cup right between the end of the box & up against the inside of the bag! No problems! This bag is just great for everything I needed it to be! Great price! I searched for the best for the price & this bag was it! There is an old time shoe repair shop near me, so if anything goes wrong like a seam comes apart of zipper breaks I know where to take it! If it ever wears out, I hope this place still sells this exact same bag because I will buy another one! I just might buy another one any way...just to keep or a different color so I can switch! Granted..it's not the best or most expensive messenger type bag, but it's just what I wanted & needed! You can't go wrong for the price & I do realize that some may not be as good as others, but this one suits me just fine! Read more

This bag IS NOT a laptop bag. That being said... I LOVE THIS BAG!! It is the coolest bag I've had in years and I'm really glad that I bought it. It's really spacious and can hold tons of books. The two front pockets are great to store a lot of small things that I carry (note pads, small toiletries, cell phone). And the zippered inside pocket is good for my wallet, keys, and a few other smaller items. I am surprised by the sheer amount of stuff that I can cram into this bag. I haven't had it for long, so in a few months I'll give an update as to how well it holds up under the weight of everything I put into it. I love the casual, yet stylish look to it. I wasn't sure I'd like the color of the straps, but the color works. I've received a lot of compliments on this bag. Note: IF you DID try to use this as a laptop bag -- there is no padding so if you ever dropped it your laptop would probably break.. Plus, the inside is REALLY large. Your laptop would get jostled around. It's a messenger bag and pretty good one. I have a separate laptop bag that I use if I ever want to take my laptop on the go. Read more