Yard-O-Led

The selection of a fine pen is a personal thing. It’s all about balance, feel, taste and your writing style.  But having waxed lyrical about the subject it would be shameful not to let you know my choice. So perhaps I could have entitled this article practising what I preach.

There are numerous makers around with varying degrees of pedigree, and you might find it useful to do a little research. My father, from whom I’ve acquired my love of pens, favours the Parker Duofolds –the favoured pen of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This love in part stems from my grandfather, whose Duofold dad inherited and still uses. Indeed, it’s hard to think of my father without thinking about his scribbling a hand written letter using my grandfather’s pen.

The default setting for most people I encounter seems to be the Montblanc. A nice enough pen, but to me it has become a bit of a fashion statement these days.

Of course you would be well served if you decided to go for English pen maker Conway Stewart. A company with a distinguished history - and favoured by Winston Churchill - the declining use of fountain pens in the 70’s forced the company into bankruptcy. Resurrected in the 1990’s it is the favoured gift of Her Majesty’s Government to foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Consequently it has been held by some distinguished hands and is the pen of choice for the aspirant statesman.

My own choice, and something of an outsider, is Yard-O-Led. An English company based in Birmingham, the company actually started life as two businesses. One, the Sampson Mordan Company, was founded in 1822 and invented the first propelling pencil known as the Mordan Everpoint, which were typically styled in gold and silver. The company was destroyed during WWII. In 1934 a man named Brenner took out a patent for a propelling pencil designed to hold 12 three inch leads – hence the name Yard-O-Led. His business was also destroyed during the Blitz.

But in 1941 Brenner and a long term associate and employee of Sampson Mordan teamed up to resurrect Yard-O-Lead. The partnership proved a success. Using as inspiration the designs of Sampson Mordan the writing implements were styled in the 19th and early 20th century fashion. This styling continues.

What I love about these pens is that you’re getting more than just a bit of resin with a nice nib. Each pen is hand made from sterling silver, and reflects the company’s heritage in fine jewellery. Heavy, distinctive and by virtue of being hand turned no two pens are the same. And should you think “all that glitters is not gold”, I can assure you they write beautifully.

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The Last Word In Accessorising Goes To The Pen

The strictures on what constitutes being ‘well dressed’ allow men a few items of apparel. These are:

-A watch;

-Cuff links;

-A tie clip –although that depends on who you talk to;

-Belts and braces; and

-A wallet

I would add a pen to this list.

The advent of chip and pin, e-mail and auto-signing documents have all but removed the requirement for committing pen to paper for most men. But that shouldn’t deter you from investing in a decent bit of writing apparel.

Some of you may spend your days signing off on multi-million pound business deals; a few of you may one day sign treaties of national and international importance. But whether or not your life takes such a path, the fact remains that the most important things a man ever does will still require his signature.

Whether it is penning a rare letter to a loved one or a note of condolence; signing that contract for your first job; the deeds to your first home; your child’s names on their birth certificate or putting your name to a marriage certificate, it becomes the embodiment of your own personal history and your time on this planet. As such it is something to pass on to your heirs and successors.

In my view a man who understands this truly possess style and flair, particularly in a world where cheap convenience makes it easier not to make the effort or indulge the expense. I haven’t worn a watch for years, and I can live without cuff links – although I prefer not to. But owning and writing with a beautifully crafted pen is one of the few old world pleasures left to modern men, we should embrace it.

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Grenson’s Artful Archie

I’m on something of a shoe riff at the moment. This is partly because I’m trying to get back to my fighting weight, and shoes are the only things I’m allowing myself to buy until then.

Suffice to say, every year I draw up a list of items I wish to add to my wardrobe. At the top of that list is the Grenson Archie wingtip punch brogue . Curiously, the shoe appeared last season but happily they’ve reissued it and added some more colours to the mix. Not terribly suited to last season in my view, it is, however, a perfect winter shoe.

Good Year Welted, full grain leather and cut on a wide last its heft gives it a purposeful look, as do the large punch holes. This is added to by the double leather sole, which will provide protection from the winter rain. Certainly not a shoe to be warn with suiting, it is ideal for denim, cord, thick knits and all the other accoutrements of a well set casual winter wardrobe.

My favourites are the chestnut versions above, with that distinctive cream inlay to the stitching. But various websites are carrying them and they’ve been issued in black and dark brown/chocolate.

Until very recently Grenson was eclipsed by the likes of Church’s, Crocket & Jones and Tricker’s. While being sound, Good Year Welted and bench made in Northampton, they never quite achieved the reputation of the latter three. Sound but uninspiring would probably sum it up well.

Since the firm’s take over by City financier James Purslow in 2004, Grenson has enjoyed a real renaissance, and deservedly so. Bringing in London shoe designer Tim Little – who has had some success in his own right – they started pitching a new range of shoes to a slightly younger market. Echoing the company’s traditional designs, subtle tweaks provide a more modern edge.

So complete is the revival that new, young, independent retailers have been engaging Grenson for some interesting collaborations. But the Archie is top of my list for now.

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May I Introduce Mr. Hare

You may already be familiar with Mr Hare and his wonderful shoes, but I suspect a greater number will not. So, I thought this an ideal place to highlight one of the UK’s newest and most talented shoes designers.

Of Jamaican descent, an Arsenal supporter and London based, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Hare at London Fashion Week. A chap on a mission, he describes himself as “Just a man with a passion for shoes who feels let down by a shoe industry that doesn’t really seem to care”.

As to his designs, his website carries the description “shoes you can attach some romance to”.  Shoes are named after various heroes - this season its authors - and it seems to work. The Mr. Fitzgerald, for example, leaps straight from the pages of ‘The Great Gatsby’.

He plays with texture and material in a way that manages to be both elegant and striking . For example, my favourite shoe  – the Mr Genet - combines leather, suede and velvet. While being highly original, all his shoes have a classic resonance which makes them easily recognisable. It also makes them easy to incorporate into a classic wardrobe.

Mr Hare is quite picky about who stocks his shoes, and is equally particular about their manufacture. Aside from the high quality materials all his shoes are handmade in Italy and blake constructed. They’re not cheap, but a fair price in my view.

Despite being a prolific blogger he remains a strangely elusive character. In none of his interviews will you find mention of his first name –I’m not going to spill the beans. Indeed, if all you knew of him was his shoes and his blog you might think he was a rather extravagant, even theatrical, man. The reality is that he is a softly spoken, polite and down to earth man who clearly enjoys his relative anonymity. In many ways this lack of flashy self publicity adds to the allure – let the shoes do the talking I say.

Subtlety of detail, elegant originality and high quality construction, the talented Mr Hare is someone you’d do well to become acquainted with.

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The Ranchers Glove

Sunday was bitterly cold in London, which prompted me to think about winter time accessories.

It is often the case that you fail to appreciate those things which are common place to you. Therefore, I suspect that those readers from the US of A (which is the majority of you good folk) may not fully appreciate my long running obsession with the Rancher Glove.

Curiously, despite the welcome revival of American work wear as a trend, these gloves have been largely ignored. To me they’re as iconic a piece of American apparel as Bass Weejuns, button-down oxford shirts, Redwing boots or chinos. I can’t imagine Clint Eastwood without a pair –whether or not he actually wore them in any of his movies I don’t know. And other than a medieval gauntlet you’d be hard pressed to find a tougher and manlier glove.

Normally made of Deer Skin or even harder wearing Elk skin, they’re the perfect combination of form and function, designed for roping in cattle and laying out barbed wire on cold windswept prairies. Over time to patina changes, and they will become grubbier, which only ads character –rather like beaten up suede loafer.

There is also a curious resonance with gentleman’s apparel of the 20’s and 30’s. The colour alone is very reminiscent of those gloves often featured in Apparel Arts illustrations. With that in mind I’d wear them with anything from a Peacoat to traditional Covert coat.

Not only are they unavailable in the UK , it took me a fair amount of time to find out their proper name. I have found an English glove maker that will knock up a pair, at a reasonable price and of Deer skin. Somehow that seems just plain wrong, like going to Euro-Disney. You feel sullied, deceitful even; it’s just not the full Uncle Sam.

After 2 years of longing I still haven’t managed to get hold of pair. So those of you in a more advantageous position than I, enjoy what you have.

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