Original Vintage & Restored Leather Keyrings for Classic Cars & Motorcycles
Original Vintage & Restored Leather Keyrings for Classic Cars & Motorcycles
We are not licensed by BMW or any of their representatives to reproduce any of the registered BMW designs.
The keyring in this listing has an original BMW keyfob badge which will have been produced over 50 years ago which we have remounted onto a new leather keyfob .
This keyring has an original BMW keyfob badge which will have been produced in the 1960s which we have remounted onto a new leather keyfob in vintage ‘dark havana’ straw grain leather.
We are offering just this one keyring with this badge mounted onto this special leather – when this keyring has been sold this listing will be cancelled .
This original gilt plated vitreous enamel badge is in excellent condition with hand laid enamelling .
Whilst the enamel is in excellent condition it does have very slight horizontal lines in the enamel surface which can be seen in the final listing photo which has been taken with the badge tilted into a light source to show the effect off – they are not particularly noticeable when viewed at life size in the hand in normal lighting conditions .
These will have have been there since the enamel was fired in the kiln – in the 1960s the enamel was generally hand laid and the enamel did sometimes display effects like this .
Additionally the top right hand white enamel segment has a slight dark shadow as can be seen in the enlarged high resolution photos – this is a 50 + year old badge and not a brand new plastic enamel badge !
The gilt plating has mellowed over the years to give a most attractive ‘antique gold’ appearance which will remain bright whilst the keyring is in use .
The plating may dull slightly during periods whilst the keyring is out of use but the brightness will soon restore whilst in use again or with a quick rub over with a cloth and a dab of metal polish if needed .
This keyring has been fitted with a splitring in a similar old gold finish to match the badge .
We have remounted the badge in this listing onto one of our individually hand cut & hand stitched keyfobs in ‘ dark Havana ‘ straw grain leather as can be seen in the photos .
This straw grain leather in dark Havana finish was a mainstay of saddlers the length & breadth of The British Isles at a time when natural materials were of paramount importance for producing different products.
In those not-so-far-off times the word ‘plastic’ had never been heard of – let alone the myriad range of poly this that and the other materials which have now just about replaced all of the natural materials and fibres used previously .
Many of the older saddlery businesses will still have a shoulder or two of straw grain leather gathering dust under the workbenches – ours are back on top of the workbench and have been dusted off again.
Straw grain leather was one of the strongest, stiffest and toughest leathers ever produced and was used for those leather items which would receive the very toughest use – such as luggage ( Doctor’s Gladstone Bags are a good example ) horse tack and support gaiters for horses with sprained ankles.
Many items for the armed forces were made using this leather during WWI and again in WW2.
The leather was often riveted together with copper rivets rather than being stitched to impart even more strength.
Maybe their stitching machines struggled to cope with stitching it ?……………….it is certainly a challenge for us to hand stitch it !
The distinctive striped ( straw ) grain was applied in leather presses using extreme pressure which compacted the fibres and gave the leather a slightly ‘corrugated’ texture – imparting even more strength rather like the corrugations on a roofing sheet.
In use – the dark Havana finish would eventually wear from the top of the raised grain to reveal the lighter natural leather beneath .
We have cheated here and have accelerated this process by distressing the top grain of the leather to reveal the most attractive aged leather appearance which can be seen in the photos.
Our other small business Bolingbroke Saddlery ( now combined with Classic Leather Fobs Ltd) used to make a variety of leather keyrings which were sold at events up and down the country.
These keyrings were not all car related and were very popular and were bought by customers who appreciate genuinely handmade leather goods in a variety of interesting leathers and hides.
The keyring in the photos is the actual keyring which you will receive ………….what better talisman from yesteryear could accompany you in your journeys along the long & winding lanes of life ?