Allen Edmonds briefcase clip inlay and damage filler ML

The Allen Edmonds brand offers a briefcase where the metal clip part is advertised as "Solid brass hardware with gun metal finish". Obviously, the hardware is solid but in no way holds up. Worn down clips are a real risk to the owner, and clip change is not made easy as these are bolted (but not screwed) in place. This all points to cheap manufacturing. To anticipate the problem of a broken clip, lost bag, damaged clip or having to prematurely deal with lost items, one has to avoid total damage