Ronin Katana Euro #9 Arming Sword - Leather Wrapped Grip

This is my first Ronin Katana product and on the whole, I am extremely impressed -- the steel, design, balance, construction, and appearance are all very well executed. I will note several secondary weaknesses in the hopes that these might be addressed in the future. First, synthetic leather replaces the real stuff (would be nice to make this clearer in the description). This is no problem on the scabbard (looks good enough and keeps it thin), but was a poor choice for the belts. The belt was a significant disappointment (especially as the basic idea of including it as part of the product was certainly a good one). But the execution was very poor. The belts are thin, flimsy, and, the prong of the buckles don't seem to fit the grommets. On my first attempt to attach the scabbard to the belt, one of the grommet/eyelets popped out, never to be seen again. That's not a satisfying start. The placement of the buckle also seemed like an odd distance from the attachment point for the scabbard. Finally, it looks like the grip has been redesigned with the same synthetic leather wrapping. I haven't held the previous design, but this new one doesn't feel like an improvement. The seam has to run along the side of the grip and creates noticeable abrasion if you are handling the sword with an ungloved hand. Not a huge deal but seems like a dubious decision and I can certainly imagine it being an irritant in the long term. Again, I note the things that seem like they could and should be fixed, because the sword itself is a very fine product.