I haven't really gotten the hang of getting that nice even dye job yet,
Since you mentioned "not having that nice even dye job" I got to thinking perhaps that's the very reason your bags have such an appeal to my old eyes...it looks "real" hand-made.
Does that make sense?
My personal thinking along these lines says I don't want it perfect in every way. I have one bag, in fact it may be my very first bag, and that thing is so old and ugly that rain won't even fall on it....but it still works, still very functional, and does everything a $200 bag will do.
Another bag, that our own Bigsmoke tried his best to wear out was passed on to me several years ago, and I treasure that thing. It has character....know what I mean?
That could well be the word I'm looking for to describe your work.....
Character!Your work has a stand-alone character that is not seen every day.
A character that is pleasing to the eye, yet hard to describe.
I think you do a great job on everything I've seen you do......you just keep on doing whatever it is you do, and the unwashed will eventually get the hang of what a real bag should look like.
Uncle Russ...