Background: I travel and/or commute for work each week via car, train and plane and always have a laptop with me. After wearing out three cheaper backpacks that put together cost more than this one, I decided to get something that would last.
Craftsmanship is excellent, and the bag gets compliments (often from executives, it seems). But the main thing is that after about six months, it's holding up great to being thrown around trains, cars and planes. So well that I decided to also upgrade my main carry-on/overnight duffel bag to a Frost River.
The only drawback to the bag is that the use of leather and buckles means you can't adjust straps on the fly like a cheaper backpack. But that's a tradeoff I was happy to make after having cheaper backpacks that looked terrible after a year or two despite being "brand name." If you use your backpack all day everyday, this is a great value.