Easy to find the latest equipment or certain golf accessories. But what about when looking for a vintage golf accessory to decorate? Between rarity and mediocre quality, it is difficult to find the right one.
Ben & Flo, a couple of French entrepreneurs, hunt for objects for you but even better, they manufacture objects with a vintage look to order. That is to say new!
Focus on this couple who launched themselves into vintage sport out of passion and who found success and above all how to find the vintage golf accessory you need at home.
Benjamin Clerget is a sports enthusiast, having worked for the leader in the field and having himself participated in the Marathon with a time of 2h40, accompanied by a cousin who is an Olympic medalist in judo. This sporting context has created a solid basis for entering the niche market of sports decoration.
“With my partner Flo, we started by selling vintage rugby balls that we had won over at Camden Market in England” (a famous place for vintage items near London). Very quickly, this young couple understood the growing interest of consumers for these exceptional products, which encouraged them to buy many lots of sporting goods all over Europe, even all over the world, including typical American products such as baseball bats and gloves, which they sell by the dozen in France.
The success of brand new but vintage look
To meet growing demand, Ben and Flo have even launched their own range of leather products, entirely handcrafted. hand. Thanks to the help of leatherworkers and small workshops, they have designed 100% vegetable-tanned leather rugby balls, as well as vintage boxing gloves and rugby cleats. “Most leathers, even in the luxury sector, are chrome tanned, which takes away the vintage character that we are looking for.” This choice represented a risky challenge given the time required for this type of ancestral tanning.
A sports start-up in the garage
“The feasibility of this project lies in our collaboration with other craftsmen, rather than in hiring staff. The auto-entrepreneur status in France allows us to do this”, Benjamin tells us about his business model. By working from his garage, without a store or employees, Benjamin can offer prices 30 to 40% lower than those of his competitors. “Benefiting from another salary as an employee, almost all of my margin is reinvested in research and development, as well as in the people who help me, like Romain, my webmaster, or even Marine, Tania et Sara, friends who assist me in preparing orders in times of high demand.”
“Benefiting from another salary as an employee, almost all of my margin is reinvested in research and development, as well as in the people who help me, like Romain, my webmaster, or even Marine, Tania et Sara, friends who assist me in preparing orders in times of high demand.”
Benjamin, Founding owner of Ben & Flo
At present, by prioritizing the quality of their products, Ben and Flo are still unable to supply large quantities, “despite growing demand from decorators and audiovisual professionals”. They are working hard to remedy this situation, seeking to combine the remarkable and distinctive quality of their leather with new, more modern processes, such as machine stitching, in order to save time and ensure cost amortization. They have just invested in a laser engraving machine to personalize their balls at will with first names or the logo of the Catalans Dragons.
“Manufacturers of socks or underwear have succeeded in this, so why not us?” The “made in France” is making a comeback, and Ben and Flo intend to take advantage of this momentum to propel their unique vintage collection to the fore in France and especially on the golf scene.
Vintage golf clubs and bags available
2 types of vintage golf bags
On the site, among all the vintage sports objects, there is a golf section. The first bags you will see are of 2 types; either leather or canvas. The rounded rectangle format is clever, because it allows you to combine space and practicality, especially if you want to carry it on your shoulder.
Cylindrical bags are the latest additions to the range. The brown bag is entirely in leather while the lighter one is in canvas with leather elements. From 125€, one or the other will do the trick for your next retro competition.
Vintage irons and woods like new
For vintage golf clubs, these are mostly original models. Some are restored, some are not. In any case you will have the choice when ordering your putter, wood or irons.
Besides, even if Ben & Flo’s production capacities are limited because, as mentioned below, only a handful of them do this in their spare time, don’t hesitate to order items from them. With a little patience, sports accessories will arrive. They will reinvest. The company will acquire new means and the products will be more easily available. A real virtuous circle.
Do not hesitate to visit their website À la recherche du meilleur in English. Whether it’s golf or rugby, I’m sure you’ll find a gift idea… for yourself or for others.
