A Tale of Two Taupes – Vintage AWL Dooney & Bourke

One of the most popular All Weather Leather colors in the vintage Dooney & Bourke (Made in USA) line of handbags and wallets was Taupe.

Look how these two bags in taupe look so different with their respective trims.

If your eyes are like mine, the taupe in the bag with the Burnt Cedar trim looks very brown !

While the taupe with the British Tan trim almost looks a little brighter and rosier!

They are both the same taupe – Its a trim trick !

Vintage Belt Bag
Style B700 Taupe with Burnt Cedar trim

Vintage Belt Bag
Style R700 Taupe with British Tan trim

Paula

Save

Accessory Week at Horsekeeping’s Dooney & Bourke Store

This week I gathered all those precious accessories that we used INSIDE our favorite Dooney & Bourke handbags.

Vintage All Weather Leather Dooney & Bourke accessories have a embossed label on the inside that says “Dooney & Bourke Made in USA”

If the Made in USA portion is missing, well that tells you it was not Made in the USA ! Whether it is an authentic Dooney & Bourke item, will depend case by case.

Here are a few examples of some authentic vintage Dooney & Bourke All Weather Leather, Made in USA accessories with the item number and official name indicated.

W09 Organizer

W21 Checkbook Cover

G03 – Secretary

WB 77 – Eyeglasses Case

Paula

Save

Save

Maxi Week at Horsekeeping’s Dooney & Bourke Store

This week we rounded up all the big boys or girls as it were – everything from totes to briefcases to shoppers – the big daddies that hold tons of stuff. So here they are:

R 41 Shopping Tote

R12 Legal Brief British Tan

P 12 Legal Brief Black

P 307 Small Bucket Bag from the Metro Collection

Paula

Save

Fir Week at Horsekeeping’s Vintage Dooney & Bourke Store

This week I have rounded up all the fir bags we had waiting to be listed.

What says Dooney and Bourke better than a Vintage All Weather Leather Made in USA Fir and British Tan handbag??

R28 Small Satchel

R74 Cavalry Body Bag

R19 Classic Zip Top

R751 Vintage Flap Bag

R26 Small Essex

R25 Medium Essex

That’s all the wonderful Dooney green I could find.

Paula

Bone Week Continues at Horsekeeping’s Dooney & Bourke

More newly listed Bone Week bags for spring and summer in our Dooney & Bourke store.

Here they are with their official names and numbers:

Small Carpet Bag
Model R47

Vintage Organizer W74

 

R720 Zipper Clutch

 

R26 – Small Essex

 

R29 – Classic Satchel

 

R04 – Small Norfolk Case

 

R191 Small Flap Bag

And one white one snuck in !!!

R147 Carpet Shoulder Bag

Paula

Dooney & Bourke Leather Colors from a vintage catalog

This is the oldest Dooney & Bourke catalog that I have. There is no date on it but it does say Volume IV on the front.

From the models inside and the pricing note on the order form, it seems like it was printed in July 1987.

These are the colors and their names from 1987 – as you read the color names, note that the second photo should be next to the first one………..so………….

In the first photo the top two are Ivy and Rouge

then in the second photo, the top two are Wheat and Olive Brown.

And so on………..

I hope this is of interest and is helpful.

Paula

We have no connection with eBay – please help

I would like to thank very warmly the various readers of this blog and customers who visit our Horsekeeping website who have written us when they see sellers on eBay pretending to be us or mentioning an association with us.

I am asking for your help – if you see our Dooney store used or mentioned on eBay, please let us know.

We do no selling whatsoever on eBay nor do we have any connection with eBay.

Here is the type of things that has been reported to us.

Someone will copy and paste entire pages from our website to list their bags. In some cases they even use our photos !!!!  All of the material and photos on our website are copyrighted so it is illegal to do this and fraudulent of a seller to use our description and/or photos to list a bag.  Here is what it looks like on an eBay listing when someone steals from our website.

©  2014 Horsekeeping LLC    © Copyright Information SIZE:
Length (left to right)	7 1/2 inches
Height	8 inches
Width (depth at base)	2 1/2 inches
COLOR:
Base	Black
Trim	British tan
TAG: Red, white and blue “Made in USA” sewn inside?	Yes
SERIAL NUMBER	B2 885577
ALL-WEATHER SEAL: DUCK ?	Not applicable to this style.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK STRIP?	Yes
BRASS FOB; TYPE	Yes, Duck
©  2014 Horsekeeping LLC    © Copyright Information STRAP:
Drop length Read about drop length	22 inches at longest 20 inches at shortest
Adjustable?	Yes
Removable?	Yes
©  2014 Horsekeeping LLC    © Copyright Information POCKETS
Inside	– 1 slip pocket – 1 zipper pocket – 1snap pocket
Outside	1 back slip pocket with post and tab closure
FASTENER, Front, type	Brass keyhole latch; stamped on leather: “Dooney & Bourke USA”
BRASS FEET	4
CONDITION Score (see chart below)	9
©  2014 Horsekeeping LLC    © Copyright Information ATTRIBUTES:
Pebbled All-Weather Leather® 100% Brass Hardware Hand fitted base Original paper sticker inside behind pockets Exceptionally clean inside and out Red, white and blue “Dooney & Bourke Made in USA” sewn-in cloth tag with serial number on the back No smoke or pet odors No tears, damage, stains, missing or broken parts except as noted below.
SIGNS OF USE
Normal wear may include lightening or darkening of leather, light scuffing on corners, light scratches and tarnish on brass fittings.	– Less than normal wear
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE	$185 in 1994

So if you see our characteristic table, especially with the unique light turquoise and our copyright line ©  2014 Horsekeeping LLC    © Copyright Information
  ((how bad is that – like stealing in broad daylight ??)) on an eBay listing, please contact me !! I would be very grateful. Here is how to contact me – click Paula

Another thing people do is say something like this which was on a recent listing that was called to our attention:

“Please check out the Horsekeeping site which has become a recognized expert in Dooney and Bourke bags. This exact satchel is featured for $250.”

Thanks but the bag they were listing was so fake it reeked.

So if you see any mention of our website in association with Dooneys on eBay, please know we do not sell or have any association with eBay  – PLEASE  send me a note. I’d really appreciate it !!

This blog is a labor of love of vintage All Weather Leather Dooneys.

Much information is on our website or this blog, so enjoy your browsing !

If you are selling your Dooneys, the process is outlined here

http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-buying.htm

You can always buy authentic Dooney & Bourke bags on our website.
http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke.htm

The Porthole Clutch from the Dooney & Bourke Horseshoe Collection

If you are an avid Dooney & Bourke Collector, you have come across bags like this and, like me, might have called them Small Horseshoe bags.

Authentic Porthole Clutch from the Dooney & Bourke Horseshoe Collection

Authentic Porthole Clutch from the Dooney & Bourke Horseshoe Collection

However that is wrong. The Small Horseshoe is a different bag which I will cover in a future post.

While these bags are indeed in the Horseshoe Collection, their official name is The Porthole Clutch. Here is the page from the 1980s catalog, the only catalog I have that shows this particular bag.

Porthole Clutch in Horseshoe Collection from 1980s Dooney & Bourke catalog. Note the original DB fob. This is pre-tag era.

It is kind of odd that they are named a clutch:

“A clutch handbag is a narrow, handheld bag with no strap”

Click on any of the photos below to take you to a page that shows more photos and specs.

This blog is a labor of love of vintage All Weather Leather Dooneys.
Much information is on our website or this blog, so enjoy your browsing !

If you are selling your Dooneys, the process is outlined here https://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-buying.htm
You can always buy authentic Dooney & Bourke bags on our website.
http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke.htm

Vintage All Weather Leather Dooney & Bourke Equestrian Collection – Small Equestrian

From the 1994 catalog

Equestrian Collection from 1994 Dooney & Bourke catalog

To see more specs and photos about the Small Equestrian, click on this photo

Rare color Kelly Green Small Equestrian from the Dooney & Bourke Equestrian Collection.

Did the Dooney & Bourke Calvary [sic] Bag come with a flat strap?

Paula – did the Calvary [sic] Body Bag ever come with a flat strap – not rolled? I have seen several bags that look authentic but the strap is a flat strap not the rolled strap?

Kind Regards

Debra

HI Debra,

You ask about a Calvary Bag so I’ll take this opportunity to clarify Calvary vs Cavalry, a common word mix up.

According to the bible, Calvary refers to a hill outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.

Calvary

Cavalry refers to soldiers on horseback. They usually carried a cartridge pouch on their belt. It is this item that the Dooney & Bourke Cavalry Body bag was modeled after. Here are some old US Cavalry cartridge pouches and a miniature model of a soldier with one on his belt.

Cavalry Soldier

Vintage Cavalry Pouch

Cavalry Pouch reproduction

 

As far as your question, although you don’t provide measurements, the photos do appear to have the features and be of the scale of a Cavalry Body Bag.

R74

4 3/4″ x 6 1/4″ x 2″

With one inside pocket and a back loop for belt attachment.

From the 1996 catalog:

“The Cavalry Collection was originally drawn from a diagram of an ammunition pouch discovered in the archives of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Its classic lines, brass closure, and embossed USA still carry an air of authority. Cavalry Bags have detachable, adjustable shoulder straps and outside back pockets (except the Pochette and Body Bag, which have non-adjustable straps and no outer pocket.)”

In all the photos in this and all other Dooney & Bourke catalogs, the Cavalry Body Bag is shown with a non-adjustable rolled leather shoulder strop with trigger snaps.

The strap on your bag is the one that is usually seen on some other Dooney & Bourke models.

Because your bag has a snipped tag, that could indicate the wrong strap was put on the factory, thus the bag was sold as a “second” or as “imperfect” at an outlet store.

Or the previous owner could have just swapped straps from another bag.

Nevertheless, the strap shown with your bag is not the appropriate one.

Authentic Cavalry Body Bag

Paula

This blog is a labor of love of vintage All Weather Leather Dooneys and I am always glad to help with identifying and authenticating bags free of charge. It is my way of contributing to the knowledge base out there in hopes it helps prevent fraudulent sales from occurring.
Many of the answers are already on our website or this blog, so enjoy your browsing !
You can always buy authentic Dooney & Bourke bags on our website.
http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke.htm

Authentic Cavalry Spectator