Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt
Product news: these handbags by American designer James Piatt are carried by clamping fingers in woven tubes similar to Chinese finger trap puzzles.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_3.jpg)
The weight of the leather bags creates the pull needed to tighten the weave and secure fingers in the tubes.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_2.jpg)
Finger traps are often used as practical jokes, involving the wearer struggling to remove their digits from either end of the tube, which is usually woven from bamboo.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_4.jpg)
Both ends of the trap have to be pushed inward to relax the mesh and release the fingers. "The finger trap is often used as a metaphor for a problem that can be overcome by relaxing," says Piatt.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_1.jpg)
Piatt's small purse comes with one fastening, whereas the larger bag has three finger traps but can also be carried over the shoulder using a removable strap.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_7.jpg)
Laser-cut tabs interlock along the seams instead of stitching to create joints that look similar to the tubes.
![Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt Finger Trap handbags by James Piatt](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/01/dezeen_Finger-Trap-handbags-by-James-Piatt_5.jpg)
Other handbags on Dezeen include a set made from old binocular cases and some made from folded recycled paper. See all our stories about bag design »