Bisambar is a new Austrian-based leather camera strap company that has a focus on sustainability as well as traditional craftsmanship. The company says its products are made to last for a lifetime.
A Focus on Sustainability
Lukas, the founder of Bisambar, is a former professional photographer who now handles the development and manufacturing of the company’s straps. He says that because of his experience, he knows what is important for photographers in a strap. On the other side, his partner Nadine is a chemical engineer who focuses on keeping the company environmentally conscious and sustainable.
“We are a young label that specializes in the production of unique leather camera straps. We take great care in environmentally friendly materials and production, as well as sustainability,” Lukas tells PetaPixel. “That’s why we craft our camera straps in small batches by hand, using traditional manufacturing techniques, in our workshop in Austria.”
The duo initially researched alternative materials to leather to try and stay away from animal products, but found that moving towards leather alternatives was actually tended to do more harm than good.
“The environmental consciousness of our products is our main focus,” Lukas says. “We did extensive research and tested many materials, but vegetable tanned leather is actually one of the most environmentally friendly materials out there.”
Real leather is also biodegradable, which Lukas says is not the case with vegan alternatives.
“Most vegan leather alternatives contain plastic or some sort of rubbery substance which makes it non-biodegradable,” he says. “Also, the longevity of our leather can’t be beaten by any of the alternatives, which is extremely important in terms of sustainability. We use only vegetable-tanned full-grain leather. You just have to grease it from time to time and your camera strap will last for decades.”
Lukas says that Bisambar’s sourcing of raw materials is also important, and his company only uses leather from one small tannery in Germany which only uses hides that are by-products of the meat industry, therefore reducing waste and the unnecessary slaughtering of animals.
Bisambar also says it will repair any damage to its goods even after years of use, further reducing waste.
A Range of Customizable Options
Bisambar offers multiple strap options for different needs. Through the company’s store, three versions of three different single-length straps are available in three colors, along with the same colors available in a hand strap and two different adjustable straps. The company also sells a few matching accessories including a leather care kit. Because the straps are handmade, Bisambar is able to personalize them with names that are embossed into the leather.
“We only use the highest quality materials in order to achieve the longest possible service life. In this way, we are setting an example against fast fashion and towards products that can be seen as heirlooms,” Lukas says.
Bisambar’s full product catalog can be perused on its website.
Author: Jaron Schneider
Source: Petapixel
