What Brand is "VB"?

You have spotted a small VB pressed into the leather of a bag or briefcase, with no other logo to go on, and you want to know the brand.

Here is the short answer, how to be sure it is the real thing and why bags like this turn up on screen so often.

What does the VB logo stand for?

The VB logo stands for Von Baer, a leather goods brand based in Tallinn, Estonia.

That small VB, pressed into the leather without ink, is the brand's maker's mark.

You will find it on Von Baer briefcases, holdalls, weekend bags, laptop bags, backpacks and wallets, set quietly into the grain rather than printed across the front.

The bags carry no logo plate and no large metal nameplate. The VB deboss and the engraving on the lock or zipper are the only marks Von Baer adds, and even those are easy to miss across a room. That restraint is deliberate, and it is the first clue you are looking at a Von Baer.

Learn more about the brand here or explore their bags here.

How can you tell it's a Von Baer?

If you have found a bag with a small VB and want to know whether it is one of ours, here is how to tell. We press a small VB into the leather of every piece, with no external logo plate or nameplate, usually alongside a VON BAER engraving on the lock or zipper pulls. The giveaways:

• The mark is pressed, not printed. We blind emboss it into the grain, with no ink or color.
• It sits in the same discreet spot on every piece, never splashed across the outside.
• The hardware reads VON BAER, not a branded buckle or charm.
• You will see it on our structured leather pieces: briefcases, holdalls, weekend bags, laptop bags and wallets.

One thing is worth separating, because the two can look alike. The VB could be our maker's mark, or it could be a personal monogram, the owner's own initials. We do both: we press our own VB into every piece, and we also add free personalization. On a bag or briefcase those personal initials go on the leather luggage tag rather than the bag itself, so the brand mark is the small VB in the leather and a personal monogram is the initials on the tag.

It is also worth clearing up the other VBs. Victoria Beckham's label uses VB branding, mostly on women's ready-to-wear and handbags. Valentino uses a V logo. Neither has the discreet, no-logo look of one of ours.

What kind of brand is Von Baer?

We make full-grain leather bags, briefcases and accessories designed to last for years and to look better as the leather ages. A few things set our pieces apart.

• Never on sale, never overpriced. We hold one price all year, so the bag you buy today will not turn up cheaper next month.
• Free personalization. We blind emboss your initials by hand at no charge, on the luggage tag that comes with our bags or directly onto smaller pieces.
• Quiet branding. No logo plate, no nameplate, just the discreet VB deboss. It tells anyone who knows leather that the piece is well made, without advertising a brand to everyone who does not.
• A 5-year warranty. We back every piece for five years against faults in materials or workmanship.

We are not a small or obscure brand, either. Our bags ship to dozens of countries. Our customers leave us a strong rating on Trustpilot, and our work has been featured in titles including GQ and Forbes.

If you would like to see the craft behind the mark, this short film shows how we make the range.

Why do understated leather bags like this show up on screen?

It is no accident that understated leather turns up on screen. A discreet, logo-free bag looks expensive and well-judged without dating the scene or looking like a paid placement, which is exactly what a costume designer wants.

A loud logo does two unhelpful things on camera. It draws attention to the brand instead of the character, and it ties the scene to a particular year, because logos go in and out of fashion. A plain full-grain briefcase or holdall does neither. It suggests the character is established and has taste, and it will look much the same in ten years as it does today. The same quiet design we build into our pieces, no logo plate, classic shapes and leather that improves with age, is what makes them feel at home on screen.

Common questions about Von Baer and the VB logo

Where are Von Baer bags made?

Von Baer is based in Tallinn, Estonia. The brand works with skilled leather artisans, including family-run studios in Italy.

Is Von Baer real, good-quality leather?

Yes. Von Baer uses full-grain leather, the top grade that keeps the hide's natural surface and develops a patina with age, rather than the bonded or corrected lower grades. If you want the difference explained properly, we cover what full-grain leather actually is and how a patina develops in separate guides.

Can you put your own initials on a Von Baer bag?

Yes, free of charge. On our bags and briefcases we blind emboss up to four initials onto the leather luggage tag that comes with the bag, rather than onto the bag itself. On smaller pieces like wallets and card holders we emboss the initials directly onto the leather. Either way the initials are yours, separate from our own VB mark. You choose the option on the product page, and there is more on the personalization page.

Is Von Baer a luxury brand?

In the quiet-luxury sense, yes. You get full-grain leather and the craftsmanship that goes with it, with branding kept to the discreet VB mark rather than a loud logo.

So if you have spotted a VB on a leather bag, that is us. It is the mark we press into every piece we make, and it means full-grain leather and quiet branding, not a loud logo.