Preppy Key Rings
Dear Muffy, Where do you get preppy key rings?
All photos by Muffy Aldrich.
I have always been so very fond of key rings. And not just any key rings, preppy key rings. One of the first things I did when got my license and my first car was to drive over to the Eliza B./Leather Man Ltd. factory in nearby Essex, Connecticut. (Of course it wasn’t Eliza B. then, just Leather Man. She probably wasn’t born yet.) Back then it was a small, out of the way factory where I could go in, have a good chin wag with Cecil, the then new owner (and who is still the owner today), take a look at the most recent motif ribbon arrivals, and then he would make me up all kinds of motif belts and key rings.
All these years later I still have some of those originals. I have added more, of course, of his and others, but always from a narrow range of companies, and all made somewhere along the New England coast.
I am a knobs and buttons kind of person. And I still like a key. And a key ring is tactile. Adding a bit of bulk and color makes it easier to keep track of them. And it’s a daily touchpoint of color and quality.
While Leather Man has dramatically reduced their offerings, you can still eek out one or two, depending on what is currently on their site, and they are still made in Essex.
Custom Surcingle Key Ring <https://www.elizab.com/custom-surcingle-key-ring.html>
Mystic Knotwork offers some fun brightly colored monkey fist options, along with the classic Navy or Natural. They are made of their custom cotton cord with a solid brass ring and they are all made on the Connecticut shore.
Monkey Fist Key Chain <https://mysticknotwork.com/products/monkey-fist-key-chains-traditional-choose-from-18-colors>
Monkey Fist Key Chain, Modern <https://mysticknotwork.com/products/monkey-fist-key-chains-modern-choose-from-18-colors>
Monkey Fist Key Chain, Floating <https://mysticknotwork.com/products/monkey-fist-key-chains-floating>
And my newest finds are from Maine Rope Mats. Made of yacht braid and solid brass hardware, they have that wonderful late 1970s/early 1980s vibe that I would get from my old Leather Man key rings.
Great colors and sturdy materials and construction. And best of all, they are made on the Maine Coast.
I swap them out depending on my mood (no comment) and the season. Deep in January, locked in by snow and cold, Hot Pink and whales might be my go-to. (Although, truth be told, I love Hot Pink and whales any time of the year.)
