Alongside our classic range of leather camera straps we offer this alternative take - and a fascinating piece of history.
Popular for decades, the so-called 'Hippie Strap' was found around the necks of festival-goers and pretty much everyone else who wanted something alternative - and a bit more characterful than a plain leather strap... The beguiling image of these straps endures because they are so strongly reminiscent of the 60s and 70s music scene on the West Coast of the USA... And of the intrepid adventures of so many of the world travellers who hit the 'Hippie Trail'
...But the problem with the classic 'Hippie' strap - for any serious camera work - has always been the cumbersome, oversized width (many started out life as guitar straps) and the jangling, sharp edged hardware that frequently scars and often damages cameras.
Our new 'Worn Out West' straps offer the same rugged nature as our leather straps whilst recapturing that classic music-scene style. And we have carefully crafted these straps to not damage your camera!
This strap will carry traditional 35mm cameras and their digital equivalents with ease - and it will also carry those heavier 35mm and digital cameras - alongside medium formats like the Rolleiflex and Hasselblad. Just choose the end clip fitting you need for Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Leica SL Loop ends or just the standard 35mm split rings.
Whether you are just simply someone who loves the 'vibe' of the period and maybe gearing up for this year's calendar of music festivals, our 'Worn Out West' straps offer both a nice evocative twist on the past and a cool take on the present.
A note on our nickel plated split rings - to the credit of quality manufacturers like Nikon and Leica, who knew that their products were going to get a real workout in the hands of professionals, both manufacturers (and plenty of others - Pentax for example) made sure that they got things right with controlling the wear on their camera lugs.
The engineering logic behind the Nikon and Leica lugs relies on relative material hardness. The lugs are hard chromium plated and because chromium sits much higher on the Mohs hardness scale than the nickel plating and the underlying tempered spring steel used on the original Nikon and Leica split rings (and on our own at The Strapateer) the intention is that the rings act as the sacrificial wear component, slowly wearing away their nickel plating against the much more resilient hard chrome of the camera lug... Which should last for many years.
...Leica did not always get things right however; black paint Leica M2 and M3 cameras came with black painted lugs - with no hard chrome to protect the brass lugs... Consequently, these painted lugs wore out faster than the standard hard chrome versions. It is interesting to note that by the time Leica started making the black paint M4, the company went back to supplying the camera with hard chrome lugs.
PLEASE NOTE - for extra comfort when carrying for long periods, you can also add the shoulder pad which is sold separately here on our website.
Please ensure that you have read our terms of service at checkout before you confirm your order.
• Import duties and taxes are not included in the item price and are the buyer's responsibility. We do not undervalue or mark items as gifts.
• Customs rules, de minimis thresholds, and additional tariffs can change. Please check with your local customs office before purchasing.
• If a shipment is returned due to unpaid duties or refusal, shipping and handling costs may also be deducted. We offer a store credit on returns.
EU buyers please note that our straps are individually handmade custom-ordered products produced to your requested requirements. This means that we are not in a position to offer as a matter of course, the so-called EU 14 day 'cooling off' period. However we do respect the customer's right to return a faulty or damaged product - but we do urge all buyers to be sure of their need before placing an order with us. Rest assured that we are a company that is very proud of the quality of our products and devoted to providing the finest service to all you photographers that we are so proud to serve.
If you have any doubts or questions, please get in touch before placing an order.
