WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer recommends Couch straps, which are made from dead stock—that’s material that is unused and in new condition but was made long ago by another company. Couch finds it gathering dust in a warehouse, buys it, and turns it into guitar straps, camera straps, belts, wallets, handbags, sunglasses cases, and more.
The product line is always changing and has included Army truck seat belts, upholstery intended for 1970s VW Beetles, and trippy patterned cloth once destined for 1960s furniture. Everything is vegan and handmade by eight people in a California workshop. You’ve seen Couch stuff on Queen’s Brian May, Beyoncé, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Carrie Brownstein, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, the Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Sammy Hagar, and … well, a lot of other performers.