Now THIS is a sturdy bag worthy of 4.5 stars. Thick material, heavy snaps and rivets, and a zipper that means business. Then there's plenty of room for my iaito, bokken, and tanjo, which I'm confident will be protected. I like the interior pocket for the bokken's tsuba and habaki. The shoulder strap seems strong. The stitching is neat and consistent, inside and out.
The deduction of half a star is due to the handle. Granted, I'm primarily going to use this bag only between the parking lot and dojo. I'll mostly use the shoulder strap to carry it. However, as a leatherworker who has made--among many things--a dojo duffle bag and back quiver, I was annoyed at the handle being set too close to the bag (barely any clearance for fingers) and about 4 in./10 cm from the balance point. And that's a shame; it's otherwise a very strong, attractive handle that seems useless to me.
However, even if I had known about the handle prior to purchasing, I still would have chosen this bag over all the others I saw. Maybe the bag is a reflection of traditional martial arts: the acknowledged and accepted futility of seeking perfection.
Finally, the delivery must have been made through a wormhole. I ordered my bag on Dec. 11 from Virginia, USA and received it Dec. 15. That's faster than getting a letter from Richmond, 90 miles away! Seido, domo arigato.