Camera Bags, Straps, and Other Photographic Accessories Worthy of Sartorial Consideration - Page 5

Anybody heard of a company called W Durable Goods in Texas? The guy who runs it specializes in military-style canvas bags. He takes custom orders. I'm going to call him today and see what it would cost to make something like this, but with a leather strap:



FYI, this is a camera bag made by some Japanese company. Dimensions aren't right, and it's overpriced, but I like the look of it. Here's a camera bag in a completely different style and scale that W Durable made for someone else: http://www.gearjournal.com/2012/07/the-camera-bag/.

Says the man who uses a professional, industrial-strength camera strap on his assault rifle of a camera. Vox, you vex me. You care very much about looking good and stylish (as do I), yet don't seem to get why an ugly camera strap is uglifying.

Like I said, the bag is from an unrelated maker. I have no idea what "WT" stands for.

Alright, after talking to W Durable, I'm going to go with them. They can do the bag in time for the trip I'm taking next month, and their prices are extremely reasonable. Moments ago I got a price quote from Watanabe in Japan, and they want three to four times more. Of course, the Watanabe bag would be much fancier and more lavishly crafted, but I'm happy going with the more utilitarian approach.

I need to pick a color for the canvas:



Thinking about Cobalt Blue, Smoke, or Vat OD (bottom of the image, military-spec). The bag will be trimmed in medium or dark brown leather. The strap will be leather, too.

So, I guess the key question is: how far do I want to carry the military-inspired style of the bag?

I've seen Luigi's work. It is well-regarded amongst Leica users, but I don't think it is as nice as JnK's--at least as far as half cases go. JnK's are entirely hand-sewn with fully polished edges, and more neatly finished overall. The prices are similar. If JnK were Italian and not South Korean, I think they'd be the forum darlings.

Your gladstone bag is on the way? From our conversation way back, it sounded like you were looking for something a bit more complex and uniquely designed than me.

Yeah, I think it's the right move, too. I don't understand the criticism that it isn't stylish. Not as refined and not as luxurious, certainly. But there can be a lot of style in more elemental, basic designs.