The Barbershop Quartet

I love products that allow me to practise cheap and corny headlines. The Barber Shop company have my entire approval...and not just for their charming name.

They are, briefly, makers of exceptionally fine camera bags, backpack, Gladstone bags, and straps. The level of design and craftsmanship that they show is wonderful.

Here's 4 products that just came into the shop. I don't know how much they cost, because I pinched them off the receiving dock and ran for the studio before they could stop me, but I am guessing ...a lot. No getting around it when you look at the detail of the leather work. Think the top level of Italian workmanship.

The little straps are intended for connection to the right-hand side suspension lug of a digital camera.

The dark one you see in the illustration is called the Razor Cut. It's leather, with metal ring and clip mechanism that is shielded from the camera body with a broad leather pad. You rig it into a loop and slip your wrist through. Unlike some of the other ones made from nylon cord, it does not cut the blood circulation to the hand as you use it. It is sturdy enough to act as a war flail - If your photography involves mayhem this would be a good buy.

The lighter coloured strap - the Tight Contour - is a pad that also attaches under the camera body and snugs it to your hand. Very comfortable - if you had to do a long job this would be a blessing.

The big long strap is one of the dragoon-style designs that encircle the body and allow the camera to be tracked up and down the front of the shooter on a carabiner clip. You'll know the names of the opposition makers' products from other weblog posts, but remember this one as one of most elegant and effective. It's called the Full Beard.

The pad is leather, curved in 3 dimensions, and a perfect fit to the shoulder. There is a rubber inner liner to prevent it falling off.

The strap is smooth webbing. The rider is tough and has a leather shield to the clip. The clip itself has a roller lock that prevents the jaws from opening when you don't want them to.

The final item is the bag. Black leather, fully lined with cloth, and with a customisable internal padded insert. It is rounded, finished and sleek. The latch is one of the smartest ones on any bag - it opens from the top rather than the bottom and is a simple snap. No massive fumbling buckles or crude leather cutouts. No complex plastic alligator buckles that take your cuticles off.

Elegant. If you've a top-quality mirror-less system to carry, carry it in this.

Barber Shop Quartet? Sweet, Adeline...Check out the range on our online store.