Hi all
A good friend of mine makes a range of items out of paracord and stainless steel fittings and I've been using some of them for years now and can attest to the quality of his work and materials. I spoke with Alex M & he suggested I should post some info here as a service for my fellow Wetpixelers who might be interested in obtaining some of his work.
To give you an idea, here are a selection of some of the items I've had made:
Now, it seems most manufacturers have a blind spot when it comes to zips as they do not take into account that the wearer's hands are encased in gloves – and often thick ones at that – and find operating the zip-pull almost impossible! Well, with a paracord zip-pull that's a thing of the past, I've added my pal's zip-pulls to all my bike jackets and bcd and can open & close the zips even with thick gloves on.
(Sorry, I can't show my bcd zip-pulls as the bcd is away being serviced, but they are a lot longer than my bike zip pulls so as to make it easier to 'feel' for them.)
But of specific interest to underwater photographers may be these housing carriers, I can vouch for the fact they make transporting your rig so much easier and much safer than the usual struggle!
And no more so if you are using strobe arms:
Another important use of these camera lanyards is you can quickly unclip one end and attach it to the D-rings on your bcd, thus securing your housing should you need both hands free. Handing down or up to boat staff is so much easier too – and far safer for them to move the housings around.
As you can see, lanyards can be made in one or more colours, so you can match your wetsuit and/or bcd! And there's a wide range too:
Some tech spec for you: the paracord is genuine US military issue 7 strand Kernmantle style 550 cord, which conforms to MIL-C-5040 Type III and has a breaking strength of 330 pounds.
The stainless steel clips are rated Type 316. AISC ( American Iron & Steel Institute) which is used for surgical tools and is also known as "marine grade" SS due to its increased ability to resist saltwater corrosion.
Now, everything my friend makes is hand made and to the buyers' requirements so there is no price list per se, but to give you some idea of the cost the zip pulls are typically £2-£3/$3-$4, the key fobs £4-£6/$6-$9 and the housing lanyards are £8 - £16/$12- $24) depending on length and thickness.
If anyone is interested in having something made I'd suggest sending me a initial PM outlining what you may be interested in. Please include a contact email & I'd then reply to that.
I would point out that my pal has a full-time professional career and he makes these in his spare time: he just loves knots and making these things and reckons it's a very therapeutic hobby!
R
