#HTE

Brass Key Hook Madness

There are a rash of companies selling these handsome brass key hooks. A sort of low-tech carabiner alternative, they have a nice, classic look that signals their nautical provenance.

Those photos above are from Snake Bite Co., which sells them for 22 bucks, or $24 with the ring. They’re made in the USA.

They appear to be made by Indiana-based foundry Standard Pattern, judging by these Instagram shots on Standard Pattern’s Tumblr.

Curiously, Standard Pattern also sells the hooks themselves on Etsy, for a bit less ($20 including the ring):

Interestingly enough, in the same batch of Etsy photos–i.e., being sold as the same item–is a shot of what appears to be a slightly different design. You can see here it features an evergreen tree and the words “Norcross Co.”:

On their own website, clothing and accessories company Norcross Co. sells their Brass Key Hook for $32.

So, I’m not sure what’s going on there. I assume there’s some kind of licensing agreement between the foundry and the two retailers.

An Alaska-based accessories company called Loyal Stricklin also sells such a hook, also made in the U.S.A and also for $32. I couldn’t find any connection to Standard Pattern.

A Massachusetts-based company called Buckle Guy sells similar hooks, in a variety of finishes: Natural Brass, Antique Brass, Gunmetal, Nickel Plate and Nickel Matte. Compared to the others they are shockingly inexpensive, at prices ranging from $5.45 for the Natural Brass up to $7.97 for the Gunmetal.

Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. sells a Brass Keyhook for $40. The form appears slightly different from the ones seen above. They say theirs is made in the USA as well.

Etsy seller Gadreel Studio also makes a brass hook, though more heavily polished and with a slightly different eyelet detail, in two different sizes. I couldn’t confirm the price because at press time they were closed for the Songkran Festival, a holiday in Thailand, where they’re based.

Online retailer Rakuten sells this brass hook, reportedly made in Japan, for USD $31.55. I’m not sure why the photo says “High Quality Leather” without there being any leather in the photo, but that wouldn’t be the strangest Japanese ad copy I’ve seen.

Another for sale on Rakuten, and also apparently made in Japan, is this rather sexy variant that sells for USD $18.73:

It may or may not be the same, but several years ago Sweden-based Nezumi Studios was selling this brass hook. They’d only say that these were “handmade in Japan by a craftsman [we] became friends with a while back.” Sadly, it’s since become discontinued:

In any case, brass hooks like these seem to be a “thing.” There’s an absolute rash of them on eBay (at prices so low as to make you suspicious of the manufacturing quality).