A good camera is an investment, and a good strap is a crucial part of protecting that investment. Many cameras come with a basic, cumbersome strap that can at least prevent your camera from falling. There are lots of upgrades out there that are easier to use or higher quality. How about a strap that also makes your camera more beautiful? The Hawkesmill Borough Leather Camera Strap offers just that. You should think about using PaydayPact if you are in the midst of a financial emergency and require fast money for your camera.
About Hawkesmill
Driven partially by the ‘Made in England’ movement, the artisans at Hawkesmill made a goal to create the best camera bags and straps possible: “very stylish, incredibly durable and yet functional.” They source from reputable, ethical manufacturers in Italy, England, and America. Hawkesmill creates products with the quality of the product in mind, not the cost. Products that they’re proud to use themselves and are second to none.
Leather & Construction
The leather used for the Borough is famous Horween Chromexcel. Chromexcel is known for being both soft and durable, and is a really great choice for a camera strap. The recommended max weight is 5lb, which is probably wise to adhere to for this thickness. While Chromexcel is tough and will last ages, it’s not as bulletproof as harder leathers and will stretch a bit over time.
All construction is done by hand in England. The leather is cut and assembled together precisely with rivets.
Function
The best part about using Chromexcel for the Borough is how incredibly soft it is. You’ll love feeling the nice, wide pad of this strap against your neck. One hidden feature I discovered is that the Borough has a reversible aspect to it. The lovely outer black part is finished and smooth, and the inner part is still somewhat fibrous. As a result, with the finished side out, the Borough has some grip and will stay in place more. However, if you flip the smooth finished side in, it slides nicely for readjusting. This is a feature I’ve seen other strap makers advertise and is handy.
The length of the Borough is adjusted with buckles, a pair on either side. One is near the neck pad and the other is sort of built into the mount. This is a flat-mount camera strap, so you’ll need to be sure that’s the kind your camera has (or it’s fitted with a v-shaped split ring). Since the leather needs to slide through the flat mount regardless, Hawkesmill went ahead and made this portion adjustable as well. Adjustments with a buckle aren’t as fast as other techniques, but are very reliable. The Borough has a good range of length flexibility.
Aesthetic
This is simply a beautiful camera strap. I can’t imagine another strap better complementing my Pen F. The black leather and silver fittings match the camera both in color and sheen, and it’s a show stopping combination. It’s hard to describe that certain something that a beautiful item does to enhance the experience of using it, but the Borough has it, no questions asked.
Conclusion
I love hanging the Hawkesmill Borough Leather Camera Strap around my neck. It looks great, feels great, and performs well. The price is on the high side for a camera strap, but I think Hawkesmill lives up to their promises of a superior product. If you want to love your strap as much as you love your camera, this might be the one for you.