Brand Spotlight: The Style and Utility of the KeyBar
Posted by Clayton on Nov 1st 2016
Have you ever read about a new product that is an overnight success and thought, “I wish I had thought of that?” That was our first reaction to the hottest new trend in functional accessories—the KeyBar. With their intriguing and catchy tagline, “Stop the Noise!” KeyBar is revolutionizing the way people organize their pockets. It’s a true story of the American dream coming true, and it will become the product at the top of your wish list!
The Creation
The KeyBar was a product of the old cliché—necessity is the mother of invention. Michael Taylor was working as chief engineer for a group of hotels, which meant he had to carry hundreds of keys with him at all times. He began to notice something odd—people always knew when he was coming.
One day, one of his employees even asked him a question without even seeing him first, and it hit him. They could hear the keys jingling! He knew he needed to stop the noise, and he set out to create a solution.
Michael was inspired by another item he constantly carried: his multitool. After a few failed attempts to translate the idea of a multitool for keys, Michael finally got it right—and the KeyBar was born. All his keys were contained between the aluminum sides and could flip out and be used whenever they were needed. The noise stopped, and the demand for KeyBars began to grow.
Soon Michael was selling them to friends and friends of friends and had begun to experiment with different materials—titanium and even carbon fiber! After just a couple of years, he and his wife quit their jobs to focus on the KeyBar exclusively.
The Manufacturing
KeyBar is made in the creator’s hometown of Savannah, Georgia. While they still produce the original, aluminum KeyBar that launched the business, many of the more high-tech materials have become the popular choice. In addition to heavy-duty materials like titanium and carbon fiber, KeyBar also offers interesting choices such as copper, brass, and other alloys. It can also be ordered in an array of decorative finishes, including anodized aluminum, custom CNC milling, and interesting and colorful laser finishes.
In addition to the KeyBar itself, Taylor diversified his product by offering some genius accessories that can be added to a standard KeyBar to increase the functionality. There are standard accessories you would expect from a product modeled from a multitool—bottle opener, scissors, screwdriver, and so on.
There are also great functional accessories, like a flash drive and a flashlight. Then there are the fun things, like a titanium comb or fork for those unexpected camping trips. For the true KeyBar enthusiast, there are also tangential products like customizable aluminum coasters, a revolver-style pen cup, and functional cord and coin catchers.
The Customization
Every aspect of the KeyBar is fully customizable—from the finish to the capacity, all the way down to the clip. You can order a KeyBar customized in any material with any color and any image you would like! Even if you are not feeling creative, there are dozens of custom examples to browse on their website to find your inspiration.
You can also choose the capacity of your KeyBar—up to 28 keys! Even if you already have a KeyBar you have grown out of, you can simply order a new, longer screw to accommodate those new additions. There are even different styles of clip you can add to your KeyBar—standard, milled, deep pocket, and so on. Creating the perfect KeyBar for your needs is easy.
In addition to these custom creations, they have also collaborated with some well-known names in the knife world. Custom knife makers such as Ramon Chaves, Finn Custom Knives, and Grant and Gavin Hawk have teamed up with the KeyBar team to produce some beautifully designed, limited edition KeyBars.
They even worked with phone case manufacturer Eos Cases to produce a smartphone case that could hold KeyBar accessories. KeyBar is becoming well-known in the functional accessories market, and we look forward to more great products!
Final Thoughts
While you may be skeptical about the necessity of swapping out your trusty keyring for a high-end KeyBar, we can say without reservation that we no longer know how we lived without it. A KeyBar not only lives up to its motto, “Stop the Noise!”—it also brings organization to one more part of our lives. The sleek, decorative finish takes a practical accessory and makes it a piece you’ll be proud to carry in your pocket. Stop the jangling in your pocket and find your perfect KeyBar today!