dog collar

[fatt-dad]

Serendipity. . .

I always travel with a mandolin. Often it's my Flatiron or Gibson A3, which both have case covers. When I travel with my Cohen or Muth, they are just in TKLs. Case covers are nice, because there is a shoulder strap and the lugging doesn't require constant grip.

On my recent trip to Salt Lake, I carried my Muth in a TKL. Somehow before the trip, it dawned on me that I'd tire of gripping the case for the whole journey, so I put my dog's collar (RIP) on the case handle. Wow! What relief. With the collar on the handle I could then use it like a wrist strap to take the load off of my grip and onto my wrist.

this a newfound convenience that I will forever use for carrying my mandolin. I mean really give it a go!

f-d

p.s., I don't mind showing a photo, just haven't yet. Maybe tonight?

[BrianWilliam]

Sounds like you're marketing the latest must have mandolin accessory: Serendipity strap. Let's say $70.

Sorry about puppy

[Steve Ostrander]

Are you sure it's not a Dawg Collar?

[Bertram Henze]

The concept sounds familiar to me...

[fatt-dad]

The concept sounds familiar to me...

o.k. that's the idea, just less slack.

f-d

- - - Updated - - -

Are you sure it's not a Dawg Collar?

hahahahhaaha, yes, it would be. My bad!

f-d

[BrianWilliam]

Are you sure it's not a Dawg Collar?

Winner!

[fatt-dad]

here it is! (to those following this important topic, that is. . . )



f-d

forgot to mention it's pink.

[Jim Garber]

Hmmm... I assume that your case covers are not switchable between your cases. I have accumulated over the years two Small Dog covers that work on TKL cases and and one that is meant for vintage Gibson and, it turns out, Lyon & Healy cases. So depending on which mandolin I travel with, the case cover goes with it. I am not sure that the dog collar would work very well for me, but YMMV.

[fatt-dad]

I use a Superior gig bag as the case cover for my Flatiron 1N. The case is not as long as an A5, 'cause the mandolin is shorter. I have the vintage Small dog for my A3, so that's too short for the TKL too.

The wrist strap is quite nice for me though. I'm very pleased with this lucky thought!

f-d

[Pete Braccio]

Wilson 3 tennis racket soft case is what I use for my F TKL case bag. I went into the local sports shop with my mandolin and tried fitting it into racket cases until I found one that fit. I think it was around $25 including shoulder strap.

[Ivan Kelsall]

For me,that's one of the beauties of the Travelite cases. You can use one or two shoulder straps. My Gator "F" style case also has 'D' rings for a shoulder strap as well. I've used a strap with my TKL rectangular case as well,i simply fasten the hooks to the handle 'D' rings,
Ivan

[Mike Snyder]

Prince 3 racket tennis bag for me has lasted 5 years, although the zipper shot craps fairly quickly. I consider it urban camouflage. Two cheap carabiners and a scavenged web strap for shoulder carry. The F5 with a TKL rides in the bag, the tenor banjo gig bag and Gator for the A4 have backpack straps. I can haul all three hands free.

[BrianWilliam]

Tennis racket bags are something I hadn't thought of. I love it! What does TSA think?

[mikeyes]

Back in the days when they made you check your instrument no matter what, I used to use to use a tennis bag with my mandolins on planes. My thought was that they assumed anyone with several tennis racquets probably had enough money to hire a lawyer when their $800 X 3 racquets were destroyed by the airline. That or the person who made the rules was a tennis player.
I did the same thing with my fishing rods except put them in a ski bag which, at that time, was handled separately from the rest of the baggage.

Mike Keyes

[fatt-dad]

In general, I'm a fan of Small Dog cases. I'm actually thinking of getting one for my TKL. Then again with this dog collar working so well, I may just carry on. Sure, Travelite cases are "light," but they are also bulky. I'm not a fan in that regard. I'm also familiar with the tennis racket bag approach. That's been on the scene as long as I've been on the Café. Never read about the dog collar though!

That's all I was conveying. I'm obviously the only one interested in this simple concept.

f-d

[mandroid]

Yea Downside of wooden & most cases is the handle is all you got ..

My FG cases I can sling a strap over my shoulder, (Eastman has Back Pack straps )


no dog, no collar ..

[mandroid]

The concept sounds familiar to me...

Made me think of Dan Aykroyd in Blues Brothers , handcuffing himself to the briefcase
with his harmonicas in it..

[Ivan Kelsall]

From mandroid - " Yea, downside of wooden & most cases is the handle is all you got ". That's easy to sort out. If the case is light enough,clip a strap to the handle 'D' rings or 'whatever'. It'll go over your sholder which will bear the weight & you keep it under control with your hand. I've done that several times inthe past with my TKL rectangular case & it works fine. These days,i swap 'whichever' mandolin over to my Travelite case,
Ivan

[Bertram Henze]

Yesterday I was reminded of this thread when I wandered around the nominee projects on display in a Cologne museum for a local design award and found this concept (I was there because my daughter's was another nominee project).

It is more sophisticated, but basically does what F-D had in mind, I think.

[fatt-dad]

Yesterday I was reminded of this thread when I wandered around the nominee projects on display in a Cologne museum for a local design award and found this concept (I was there because my daughter's was another nominee project).

It is more sophisticated, but basically does what F-D had in mind, I think.

Eureka! That's the same idea exactly! It just reduces the grip strength required to carry something and transfers the load to your shoulder. Thanks for the link Bertram!

f-d

[mandroid]

Can You open a door with that same hand and not have to set the case down?

[soliver]

My brain is wheeling with all kinds of ways to invent a shoulder strap that somehow attaches to a Mandolin case.... there must be a way.

[fatt-dad]

Can You open a door with that same hand and not have to set the case down?

yes, that too!

f-d

[pops1]

Here's what I have been doing for a decade or two, have one on a few cases and never use the handle, it always goes over my shoulder so both hands are free. The screws from the case are replaced with longer deck screws, and if there are not screws in the case already then I drill them into the divider for the storage compartment.

[Mandoplumb]

My brain is wheeling with all kinds of ways to invent a shoulder strap that somehow attaches to a Mandolin case.... there must be a way.

Never have tried because I don't mind caring my shaped case but why couldn't loops to attach a strap be installed on each end of a wooden case. Pull back the lining, use flush mount nuts,( as used in a speaker case) install loops,glue back lining,make strap with hooks on each end like some dog leashes ( there I worked the dog in) and you have a wooded case you can carry over your shoulder.