• Handmade from Mayan Típico Textiles and Rustic Full Grain Leather
• Durable Design; Double-Stitched, Double-Layered
• Rustic Metal Hardware
• Appearance Improves with Age and Usage
• Perfect for the Budding or Professional Photographer

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions

Length: 48 Inches
Height: 0.2 Inches
Width: 2.2 Inches

Materials 

Full Grain Leather, Genuine Mayan Textile, Metal hardware

USE & CARE

Over time and with use, the leather will assume a unique patina. If desired, condition with mineral oil or beeswax leather conditioner.

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

This leather piece with típico Mayan accents is meant to be passed on to future generations.

Take a piece of Guatemalan history and tradition wherever you go with this beautiful, elaborate Mayan Típico Camera Shoulder Strap. Carry your camera and snap your photos with style, and be ready to tell everyone who compliments your Shoulder Strap about the story of Mayan textiles, a material that became the lifestream of Guatemala. Durable in design and with beautiful colors, this makes a fantastic, lifelong gift to yourself or for others.

The Mayan textiles represent the artistic and religious expressions through clothing and other textile arts of the Maya people in Mexico and Central America. This ancient art derives from the practice of spinning loose cotton fibers using spindles, dyed using natural colors extracted from colorful plants and flowers. When dry, the cotton is then woven into intricate, beautiful designs. Many designs used in clothing represent the indigenous populations' communities, giving them a sense of identity and a feeling of home. The Mayan textiles that we use originate in Pastores, Guatemala, lovingly handcrafted by the local men and women of the town.

The leather we use, originating from our well-established supplier Compiel, is nothing but Full Grain Leather, and if you don't know what that is, then make sure you're sitting comfortably. There are 4 types of leather, and they differ in quality. You have Full Grain Leather, Top Grain Leather, Genuine Leather and Bonded Leather.

We'll start with Bonded Leather. It's more of an insult to call Bonded Leather a leather. It's basically lots of different parts of leather glued and pressed together to make one piece. It's cheap, not at all durable and it will fall apart within weeks. In short, it's no good and we are completely against it.

Genuine Leather is in third place in the running, and is the layer of the hide that remains after the top is taken off for the better quality leathers. This surface can often be given a makeover with a finish, sometimes a spray paint that can give it the look of a better quality. Not something that happens in our house. Don't settle for this, you can do better.

Top Grain Leather is the second highest grade that you'll find. A leather taken from the top layer of the hide that is treated, sanded and refined. It's a good quality leather, but not good enough for Hide and Drink. You can still do better, though, go one more step higher.

Full Grain Leather is the best you can get when it comes to leather, there's no competition here, and Hide and Drink is its biggest fan. Full Grain Leather comes from the top layer of the hide, and has all of the grain, hence its name. It's the best leather than you can buy, and the only leather that we use. You can stop looking now, you've found the cream of the crop.

The tanning process is something that we take pride in. Our rustic leather is created through removing the hair, extracting the moisture, taking out the oils and, of course, the natural preservatives. The leather is placed in a large container filled with new oils, coloring and preservatives, and there it takes on its new color and thus its new personality. The finishing process consists of pressing the leather with heated plates, hung up to dry and sprayed and finished with a sealer. Finally it is pressed once more and then ready for its transformation, in which it is carefully handcrafted by the diligent locals of Pastores, Guatemala, where our workshop is located.