I just got the herbag 31 and used it for two days, so thought this could be some helpful feedback as you make your choice. I love that it is a casual (less expensive version of the kelly). Few notes so far:
1) It's a cute size. It's smaller than I thought (I bought it from a reseller online, so I didn't get to see it in person). It's mostly fine for work for me though since I don't carry a lot (no laptop or tablet).
2) The closure of the bag can be a hassle if you're not ready for it. It's kind of hard to explain, but it can be hard to line up the hole with the hardware when you're wearing the bag and if you have stuff in it. So you won't really be able to "close" it with one hand. Also, the hardware has a little nub at the bottom, that sort of latches to the ring so it sort of stays "closed" that way. I included picture (1) to illustrate.
3) Not sure if it's because the bag is new (though I bought it from a reseller, the bag didn't look used at all), but the leather flap part is stiff, so related to #2, I don't close my bag with the leather part. (see picture attached)
4) The outer pocket of the herbag is really handy. This may seem counter productive, but I put the important things inside the herbag and the things that I may need quick access to (card for the train) in the outer back pocket, so I have easy and quick access without fumbling with the closure.
I don't have the other bags that you're considering but one of the things I'm hesitant with the pochette metis is the closure. I've heard that if your bag is not filled, it's hard to push the lock to close because essentially the bag just sinks in. Others who have the bag can tell you if that's really the case, of course.
1) It's a cute size. It's smaller than I thought (I bought it from a reseller online, so I didn't get to see it in person). It's mostly fine for work for me though since I don't carry a lot (no laptop or tablet).
2) The closure of the bag can be a hassle if you're not ready for it. It's kind of hard to explain, but it can be hard to line up the hole with the hardware when you're wearing the bag and if you have stuff in it. So you won't really be able to "close" it with one hand. Also, the hardware has a little nub at the bottom, that sort of latches to the ring so it sort of stays "closed" that way. I included picture (1) to illustrate.
3) Not sure if it's because the bag is new (though I bought it from a reseller, the bag didn't look used at all), but the leather flap part is stiff, so related to #2, I don't close my bag with the leather part. (see picture attached)
4) The outer pocket of the herbag is really handy. This may seem counter productive, but I put the important things inside the herbag and the things that I may need quick access to (card for the train) in the outer back pocket, so I have easy and quick access without fumbling with the closure.
I don't have the other bags that you're considering but one of the things I'm hesitant with the pochette metis is the closure. I've heard that if your bag is not filled, it's hard to push the lock to close because essentially the bag just sinks in. Others who have the bag can tell you if that's really the case, of course.
