Shopping from eBay: Hunting World

eBay is the best place to find quality Hunting World items - we're most fond of the Battue luggage series and our beloved deadstock khakis. I really enjoy browsing the random sampling of deadstock and used Hunting World artifacts on eBay.... here's what showed up in the net during the last trawl:

Archival Review: Camera Accessories

As a follow up to my post on film cameras, here are a few archival accessories to complete your kit.

Gordy's leather camera strap (custom made)

Domke Gripper cotton web camera strap (made in USA)

Custom straps and leather cases by Luigi (image courtesy Martin Sequerah).

Waxed cotton camera satchel by Strawfoot bags (image and review via Wood & Faulk)

Diminuitive Avea gadget pockets and pouches by Billingham

Economical Gnome custom bag for the GRiii (waxed canvas and truck tarping)

Synthetic exception. Durable neoprene SLR camera cover by Zing

Domke pouches in dry finish and waxed canvas. Made in USA

Calumet protective wrap. Great, less structured approach to transporting equipment

Ona waxed cotton camera bag insert. Designed for non-camera bags

My Billingham insert and camera bag. Too much leather trim for my taste but made from best quality materials. I've moved the insert over to my Archival Field Bag

Beautiful mono tubular Tiltall tripods. Still made in USA. I found mine at a thrift store. Great info page on the history of Tiltall here

Archival Field Trip: Hub and Bespoke

Last weekend we paid a visit to Hub and Bespoke in the Fremont district of Seattle, Washington. Unique among bike shops, there are no bicycles for sale at this stylish cycle boutique -- just clothing and accessories . Co-owner Juliette, who has a background in product design and home textiles, stocks the shop with brands like Outlier, Nau, Ibex, Dellar and Vittoria. Her goal is to sell pants, sweaters and - yes - dresses that transition from bicycle to boardroom - pieces for men and women that are both functional and fashionable. You won't find skorts with sewn-in chamois or high-tech "plastic" jerseys. Wool is the preferred fabric. One of her featured items is men's wool trousers and knickers designed and constructed by Seattle seamstress Katharine Andrews. Juliette and her business partner Aldan are fans of Archival Clothing and we had a great time chatting with the two of them. We left a couple of bags at the store, and as you can see (below), they look quite at home there.

Custom covers for riding helmet style cycling helmets

Locally made cycling trousers and knickers from Telaio

Rain capes & Shaun Dellar caps

Vittoria 1976 Series shoes (spd compatible)

Brooks leather accessories

Archival favorite, Ibex thin woolies

A.C. bags on display

Difficult-to-source, knitback gloves

Business partner and great gent, Aldan

House musette

Field Bag Round-Up

As I type, our sewing contractors are working on our first run of Archival Clothing Field Bags. Just like last time, we'll preface the introduction of a new product with a round-up of existing bags.

We've always loved Brady Bags, and this small trout bag has served Lesli faithfully for years. We like the heavy laminated duck, the fine quality webbing, and the convenient pocketing. The side-mounted shoulder strap also ensures a comfortable, close carry.

We really are Filson devotees, but we've found their Field Bag series to be challenging. This example has been used heavily by the Archival family for 15 years. Though it's built like a truck from top notch materials, we've found a few drawbacks. Abundant use of heavy twill, bridle leather and brass mean that the bag is heavy and bulky, even when unpacked. We prefer webbing shoulder straps to leather, as web is softer and more comfortable (and negates the need for a separate strap pad). Attaching the straps on the back panel means that the bag tends to flop downwards rather than hug the user's back. And a panel of extra fabric around the bag's opening keeps rain out, but also makes it harder to load and unload your gear.

One of our favorite bags, this Hunting World Safari Today is comfortable and convenient (there are two pockets on the inside). Of course, it's no longer available, and it doesn't fit laptops or much more than a half-day's worth of gear.


Though we love the hand-knotted fishing net on this old Chapman game bag, we had to admit that its utility is limited in daily use, as fingers get caught and small objects vanish instantly. We'll keep this one around for hunting squirrels, but we left the net off of our own Field Bag.

So surrounded by examples, both material and visual, we set off to design a workhorse shoulder bag that would equally serve an urban professional or a dedicated fisherman. Our requirements:

- Unquestionably durable construction
- A strap configuration that provides for a comfortable carry
- Useful pocketing while keeping the layout as minimal as possible
- Plenty of room for laptops
- Protection from the elements
- No features or finish that compromise function or unduly raise price (i.e. abundant leather trim)
- As with all of our products, domestic materials and manufacture to the best of our ability.

Results to be announced soon!