Something you should look out for when buying leather goods is the difference between solid brass (as seen on our travel pieces above) and Zamac, which is a cheap imitation.

You can often tell Zamac by its “mock” aged look, a sort of fake antiquing to make it look ye-olde-brassy. It looks moderately better this way, as in it’s polished state it looks pretty awful.

Still not sure? Tap it, it sounds ‘thin’ and tinny. Weigh it in your hand, it feels unnaturally lightweight…well, it is.

Zamac doesn’t have the strength, tenacity or the depth of colour and character of brass. And because it’s brittle, it can actually snap under stress or after prolonged use.

You used to only see it at the low end of the high street. Not any more! Some so-called luxury brands think their customers can’t tell the difference and happily promote it as solid brass. Some people may prefer it, of course, but why not be honest about it, call it what it is, and let the customer decide if they think it’s worth it?

Traditionally used for equestrian purposes, to secure reins, saddles and stirrups, and for military and engineering precision where strength with some “give” is imperative, solid brass continues to be relied on for it’s unique qualities to this day.

Just as important for me is its depth of colour and a certain nostalgic warmth.

I found a family firm in Florence to make our metal pieces, because they can do small, hand-made runs specifically to my designs. And because you can tell that they have a passion for what they do and a certain pride in making only the best.

We decided to have each piece individually lacquered to protect it from tarnishing and to preserve its warm brilliance. (Yes, we all want the qualities of solid brass, but we don’t expect you to get the Brasso out).

We use solid brass on all our pieces, with 2 exceptions: The split ring on keyrings is brass-plated steel, which has a ‘memory’ to spring back, and the metal mirror/luggage label which is a highly-polished palladium (a quality metal in it’s own right) to get a superb, scratch-resistant reflection.