Keyrings

[Patstone]

Someone has asked me to make a sterling keyring for her daughters 18th birthday present. I thought about doing it in 2mm with a hole for the keyring bit, and buying a stainless steel keyring as I dont think silver would be springy enough for the bit the keys go on. She wanted a word engraved on it too, which I would have to send it away for as I wouldnt know where to start. Ideas on a postcard please.

[Goldsmith]

Pat, I made a batch of sterling and 18ct. keyrings a few years back, they were for a Mercedes Benz Motor dealer who gave them as presents to his best customers. I used these types of key ring fittings; http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Sterling-Silver-Key-Ring-Screw-----Fitting-Heavy-prcode-NVG-949 with the addition of a short length of heavy chain holding the Mercedes monogram.


James

[Patstone]

Didnt think you could buy those, I will order a couple tomorrow, thank you.

[Goldsmith]

My Mercedes Benz customer gave me this German made key ring as an idea of what he wanted.

8009

James

[caroleallen]

Depending on the design of the key ring, if you want it engraved, I'll do it for just the price of postage Pat. I'm in a generous mood this morning.

[Patstone]

Thank you very much. I think she only wants one word on it. I am hopefully seeing her next Sunday.

[CJ57]

You can get quite a few variations for the ring part Pat, I thought about doing a few this year and made them into pendants instead http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?query=Key+ring+split+ring

[Patstone]

Didn't think to look for a ready made ring, the only thing I normally buy in is thin chains ( ones I can't make), silver sheet and wire. Everything else is made by hand.

[caroleallen]

Those keyring are quite pricy but worth it I think.

[CJ57]

Well if bought from cookies is good enough for James it's good enough for me:)

[enigma]

I use these ones:
http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Sterling-Silver-Key-Ring-Screw-----Fitting-Heavy-prcode-NVG-949
But Im not convinced that silver is the best material for the job really?
One I made about 18 months ago started coming undone after a while so I do wonder whether it would be better to use steel?
I finally switched to stainless steel brooch pins following Dennis' advice some months ago and all I can say is I should have done it sooner...

[Patstone]

Thats the ones that James recommended. Not sure that silver is a good idea either for the actual ring, just imagine it on a car keyring, how much swaying around it would do, maybe ok on house keyrings that you probably only use a couple of times a day.

[Goldsmith]

Pat, I don't know the exact sizes of the ones that Cookson sell, but the ones I used, the key rings were made from 3mm. thick silver wire and were quite strong. They were car key rings and my customer, who had ordered 10 liked them so much he ordered a further 200 silver key rings along with 25 in 9ct. gold.

James

[enigma]

The Cooksone ones are thick too, the issue I had was that the screw on mechanism started working loose over time and then wouldn't stay done up?

[Patstone]

Yes that's what I wondered.

[Dennis]

No, to be safe make a pretty silver tag with a bold design to resist wear and use a steel ring.

Below is one I made for a man who goes gliding, scanned in from an old print. The glider was cut out from silver sheet, carved with burrs and then soldered on to a textured background. Dennis