Lanyards are something I never gave much thought to — at least until I came across Bob Bertram’s Heirloom Quality Braided Lanyards.
Bob’s a painter and a bird hunter, and he’s always looking for ways to express himself and his talent. I wrote this piece about him and his lanyards for the November/December 2019 edition of Shooting Sportsman magazine: A Hand-Braided Legacy.
What’s that?” my friend Frank said, pointing toward my neck.
“It’s my fancy new lanyard,” I replied, taking it off and handing it over for inspection.
Frank felt the leather strap and admired the braided, crisscross pattern. “Isn’t that something.” he said. He was right. It was something. Sporting artist Bob Bertram had made it for me. Bertram calls his creations Legacy Lanyards, and they are just as beautiful as his paintings. But because they hang around the neck instead of on the wall, sportsmen can admire these works of art anytime they’re in the field.
Legacy Lanyards are custom made and hand-braided with premium kangaroo leather. They come in two types of braids, a variety of color combinations and various styles (one clip, two clips, a magnetic model designed for keys, and a waterfowler model that will hold duck calls). All metal components are stainless steel. Bertram also sells Acme whistles for the lanyards and will embellish them at extra cost.
The braiding on the lanyard Bertram made for me was so tight and consistent that neither Frank nor I could tell where things started and ended. As for its looks, “elegant” and “tasteful” were the words that first came to mind when I saw it. Regarding the lanyard’s design, Bertram said, “It’s kind of a form follows function thing with me. I want them to work, but I don’t want them to be ostentatious. And so mine are kind of simple and clean.”
Starting at $175, Legacy Lanyards aren’t inexpensive. But as the name implies, they are built to last—and to be handed down. According to Bertram: “My lanyards are something you wear when you’re having this great experience. And then you pass them on. My kids will get my lanyards. And, to me, that’s kind of a cool thing.”
For more information, visit legacylanyards.com.
