I have the duffle 12 in black. I have not found the leather to be particularly fussy or high maintenance to be honest... I've worn the bag for a week straight and don't see
any scratches or marks from regular use-- and for me, regular use includes carrying it on the subway. If it does get a little scratched up, I don't think I will mind. I like when leather gets character from use. (Of course, I can totally understand though why it would be frustrating to have a brand new bag get all scratched up like the other poster reported! )
if I could do it over again I might actually have chosen the 6. I am usually a big bag girl so I gravitated to the 12, but I don't love the way the shoulder strap looks on the 12 (on me anyway.) I think the shoulder strap looks best on the 6. I'm too tall to wear it cross body so I am wearing it without the shoulder strap at all-- I removed it.
In my opinion this is a nice simple bag in a sumptuous leather. I like that it is plain and understated, but that's exactly what I was looking for. i got a great deal on mine and am happy with it, but I can definitely see why this isn't something everyone is falling for.
If you are interested in it, I definitely recommend trying it on if you can. It seems like people either fall for it once they see it... or not so much.