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#30,935
Regarding anchors on the brass hardware, I have a couple bags with that on the strap clips. They are both "basic bags" from NYC. Not sure if they appear elsewhere.

anchor.jpg

Whateve said in a previous post: "During a certain period of time, Coach used hardware made by a company whose logo was an anchor. My basic bag from the same time period as yours has anchors stamped into the brass. They are tiny and hard to see if the brass is tarnished. It really makes no difference if they are there or not; it is just something those of us in the vintage club get excited about."
 
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#30,936
katev said:
No anchors or brass markings on mine but I don't think that I've ever had a bag with anchors on the brass fittings and I don't really know when I should be looking for them.

My Courier doesn't have leather that is heavy and soft (like Costa Rican leather) but the leather on older bags sometimes gets a little dried out. That's often why the bags wrinkle or get a pebbled appearance and that may make them feel a little stiffer; regular moisturizer may help soften it up. But you can't always go by the feel of the leather, I have had varied experiences with the leather on different bags. I remember rehabbing 2 different vintage Patricia's Legacy bags that had different feeling leathers, one of them was a little pebbled and stiffer and the other was smoother and softer.

Rehabbing a bag can also make it feel stiffer and more structured but it may soften with time and wear.

I don't have a lot of experience with the very early vintage Cashin bags. My only other pre-creed bag is my little Cashin Small Shopper but the leather isn't real thick and soft on that bag either, but I figure that it's okay for a Lady that is almost 60 years old to be a little stiff!
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We also don’t know what products were used on the leather before the bag came into our possession so that may have an effect on the individual feel of each bag.
 
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#30,938
ConnieinSeattle said:
Regarding anchors on the brass hardware, I have a couple bags with that on the strap clips. They are both "basic bags" from NYC. Not sure if they appear elsewhere.

View attachment 5422607

Whateve said in a previous post: "During a certain period of time, Coach used hardware made by a company whose logo was an anchor. My basic bag from the same time period as yours has anchors stamped into the brass. They are tiny and hard to see if the brass is tarnished. It really makes no difference if they are there or not; it is just something those of us in the vintage club get excited about."
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That's really cool, I would love to find one someday!
 
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#30,941
rkiz said:
Found some neat info regarding the anchor stamps found on some of the older brass clips. At least, I think I'm on the right track!

Started with this link: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/349328-brass-hook-thing-anchor.html

The company North & Judd produced numerous brass items with the anchor stamp as their mark, and was known as the "Anchor Brand". In the 70's, they merged with another company called Gulf and Western.

I suspect this is probably where the anchor clips came from, and it would explain why only the earlier bags seem to have them if they merged in the 70's. Kinda neat (ok, maybe kinda dorky too haha) :biggrin:

More info:
https://nbindustrial.org/collection/north-judd/

http://www.oldspurs.com/marks/north-and-judd-anchor-brand-makers-marks/
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whateve said:
Good detective work! Someone on the forum, I can't remember who, came up with similar information. I copied it into my notes a long time ago. This is what she said:
There was a CT manufacturing company that long held a trademark on that anchor mark. In 1998, that company was absorbed into a much larger conglomerate that no longer manufactures hardware (but instead imports it.) I imagine that at one time, before that 1998 date, Coach was purchasing some of its hardware from them.

The company started out in the early 1800’s making wire products. As ownership changed and more firms were acquired, they branched out into all sorts of other production. In 1848, when incorporated as North & Judd, they were known for equestrian hardware and bits and spurs, as well as buckles and trouser clips. (Just as an aside: both the Norths and the Judds were ancestors on my father’s side of the family.)

The Civil War brought the firm great prosperity, as they began producing more military hardware and the like for the war effort. Over the years that followed, they added all sorts of other products, too, mostly metal, much of it brass, and all made in CT.

In the 1950’s, the company acquired a firm called Wilcox-Crittenden that made marine hardware (e.g. clips and swivels used on sails for boats, and things like that.)

You might note how similar the swivel clips used on Coach bags are to the halyard clips and swivel-snaplinks found on the rigging on sailboats. I don’t think this is a coincidence.

My theory is that Coach bought hardware from them at some point in the years after the Wilcox-Crittenden acquisition. The hardware made by North & Judd and their successors carried that anchor mark up until the sale in 1998. Since Coach did not manufacture its own hardware, they had to purchase it from firms that did. If Coach purchased some of its hardware from them, it only makes sense that the anchor would appear on the hardware on certain Coach bags.
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I am not sure if the links are still good. I saw there has been some anchor chat.
 
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