A reproduction club fender with buttoned leather seats
A reproduction club fender with surface rust across its base. Together with the client, we chose a patinated polish: a clean, polished look, with the subtle markings of the metal left visible rather than buffed away.
Piece
Club fender, reproduction
Seats
Buttoned green leather
Finish
Patinated polish
Completed
February 2026
01
As it arrived
Surface rust had spread across the base of the fender, around the uprights and along the rails.
Rust at a corner of the baseThe base from aboveAlong the length of the base
A base railBetween two uprights
02
Choosing the finish
Rather than taking the metal back to a uniform, mirror-like finish, we agreed a patinated polish with the client. The result is clean and polished, but the subtle markings of the metal remain visible, so the fender keeps its character instead of looking brand new.
The base on dust sheets, rust still showingThe surface rust up close
03
Finished
Back around the fireplace: clean and polished, with the character of the metal still showing.
Back in placeThe polished base and uprights
04
The club fender
Club fenders take their name from the gentlemen's clubs of the late Victorian and Edwardian era, where a padded seat around the hearth let members sit close to the fire. They remain a classic piece for a period fireplace, and reproductions like this one carry on the same design: an open rail fender with buttoned leather seats on top.
