Arthur Beale (1) Pricey camera accessories (nil)

One slight disadvantage of a very small camera like a Ricoh GR Digital is that it is very tricky to get a neck trap to fit (the strap eyelets are, well, small). Most shops stock wrist straps, but I have never found these much use.

One can get an ‘official’ Ricoh neck strap for ca. £20, and a two-week wait.

I found this a less-than-enticing proposition, so I turned to Arthur Beale, the most central yacht chandler in London. They sorted me out on the spot with a metre of quality 2mm black cord. They even heat sealed the ends and advised me on the best knots to tie, for the princely sum of 21p!

Those who like their accessories ‘just so’ might not take this option, but I am delighted with it. 99% of the result for 1% of the cost!

Even if you are not in the market for a super-cheap camera strap, Arthur Beale is worth a visit. They are something of an Aladdin’s cave, and even add up bills by scribbling on the brown paper which is over their counter.

Nice shop

Many cyclists have a fraught relationship with their local bikeshop. It feels like the place you should go for gear, but sometimes prices can be high and staff unhelpful.

I’m lucky enough to have Bikefix of Lamb’s Conduit Street on my daily commute. They stock a great range of stuff (including the mighty Farrhad).

Bikefix are also helpful with fiddly repairs- today helping me fix something, so that I didn’t have to order a complete replacement 🙂

Top biking tip

My usually faithful bike has been spitting off its chain recently. Time for a clean and adjustment, I think. Had a brainwave on the way in this morning- rather than get oily fingers, I used one of my tyre levers to flick the chain back on.

[Apologies if this seems a very obvious fix; I think it useful enough to share!]

My ten favourite pieces of product design #5: bicycle

I think this is perhaps my favourite ever piece of product design. The bicycle as we know it emerged at the end of the 19th / beginning of the 20th century, looking something like this:

And it hasn’t changed very much since then…

I love the bike’s simplicity, efficiency and elegance. It gets me where I need to be in a reasonable time with no more faff or hassle than needed. I currently ride a Farrhad Manufaktur, like this one:

Obviously, my isn’t nearly as clean as this 😉

It’s a little on the heavy side, but is very low maintenance and the mudguards mean I don’t get splattered en route to work, even if it’s raining.

The only downside of owning a bike in London is that they can get stolen every once in a while, which is very annoying indeed.

Share

Sitting in the British Library, writing on Philosophy of Mind. Opened up iTunes to help propel my thoughts, and discovered nearly a dozen others have set their music libraries to ‘share’. One wag has called their music collection ‘Library Police’.

Currently listening to ‘La réalité’ by Amadou & Mariam, courtesy of Robin. Thanks!

Inclusive Christmas

A great post from Aidan on how buying Christmas presents with a bit of consideration can make the whole thing more inclusive.

I think Aidan has it just right. Although Fair Trade didn’t feature quite as much for us this year, we did make quite a few presents. It’s a great feeling to know you’re giving something personal and unique (it’s often cheaper too!)

The other thing that Aidan’s post reminded me of is how much power we have as customers. Trying to track down Fair Trade gifts might feel discouraging at first, but before long, it will create pressure on mainstream retailers to change their ways. For example, many mainstream retailers now stock organic cotton, a change they would never have come up with were it not for small pioneering shops taking the lead.

Tide & time

This is a very handy Mac Widget for a narrowboater- it gives the latest tide heights for your local area. Image is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, by Katsushika Hokusai, (葛飾北斎), (1760—1849)

MY TEN FAVOURITE PIECES OF PRODUCT DESIGN #2: Coffee filter

Germany, 1908
Melitta Bentz

Surprising that one of the most minimalist ways of brewing coffee is also one of the best! Note that Bentz was repsonsible for the idea of the paper filter, not necessarily the plastic cone.
(Via About.com inventors)

Good because

Best taste, and very easy to clean!

Dishwashing your keyboard

Read about it here

My favourite tip:

I popped ALL the keys off to allow the keyboard to completely dry (either draw, write down where the keys go, or take a picture so you can put ‘em all back in the right place)     

There speaks the voice of experience!

 

New design work

A recent leaflet to promote legacies.