Hudson Bay Blanket

[MagiKelly]

Here is a direct link

http://www.sutlers.co.uk/acatalog/Backpacks__Haversacks__Ponchos___Blankets.html

Be interested to hear how warm these are.

 

[pierre girard]

Here is a direct link

http://www.sutlers.co.uk/acatalog/Backpacks__Haversacks__Ponchos___Blankets.html

Be interested to hear how warm these are.

In winter (Minnesota or Canada winter) , if you have two guys, each packing two four point blankets - who are not so worried about their masculinity that they can't double up - you can stay quite warm. One blanket in spring, summer, and fall - will usually do ya.

Sizes:

A 3 1/2 point is the perfect camping blanket - but is a bit hard to find. Three point is just a bit small, but would be the size you see in all those old indian photos where they have the blanket draped around them - anything larger and you're standing on it. The three point is much easier to pack for camping. Four point is a good double bed size, and is very nice for colder camping weather - especially if there are two of you - but is bulky to carry. Six point will do a Queen size bed. Eight point will do a king size bed. I'm really not sure what you'd do with a two point. They are very small.

PG

 

[Eric_Methven]

Do you guys have as hard a time understanding our speech - as we do yours?
PG

Not really, we get so much TV and films from over the big pond that we're pretty much used to hearing it. Sometimes a real southern drawl makes us sit up and listen that bit closer, but on the whole we can understand you folks.

It's often not so much the accent that causes problems for American visitors to our shores, but the specific dialect uses words foreign to you. If I were to say "Ye dinnae ken whit ah'm talkin' aboot, dae ye?" (You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?) It would be just as foreign to a Cockney as to an American.

Eric

 

[pierre girard]

Not really, we get so much TV and films from over the big pond that we're pretty much used to hearing it. Sometimes a real southern drawl makes us sit up and listen that bit closer, but on the whole we can understand you folks.

It's often not so much the accent that causes problems for American visitors to our shores, but the specific dialect uses words foreign to you. If I were to say "Ye dinnae ken whit ah'm talkin' aboot, dae ye?" (You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?) It would be just as foreign to a Cockney as to an American.

Eric

"Ye dinnae ken whit ah'm talkin' aboot, dae ye?"

When I was young we didn't have television, and we read a lot of Sir Walter Scott. Reading it, at least, I understood it perfectly. Whether the same would be true hearing it???

The problem I had with the gentleman from Sussex was - he'd bite off about a third of every word and leave off about a third of every sentence. Very maddening!

It is funny you have problems with southern speech ways. I've heard it said it is the closest of any American speech to English speech, deriving from the caviliers in the south of England.

PG

 

[ozzy1977]

When I was in Finland a few years ago we realy had to crank up the Suffolk dialect, just so we could talk in private among the Finish girls, as there English was better than ours.

 

[pierre girard]

When I was in Finland a few years ago we realy had to crank up the Suffolk dialect, just so we could talk in private among the Finish girls, as there English was better than ours.

I've noticed when we've had Norwegian visitors, their english is very good - and most often spoken with a British accent. They've told me one reason their englsih is so good is - there are no subtitles on their english language movies. A decision made by their government to promote understanding of the english language (or so they said).

The Norwegians we've had over from Norway have much different accents than local Norwegian speakers of two or three generations residence.

Pg

 

[Martyn]

??? Well, of all the crazy things!

PG

I dunno mate. You chaps have a middle ages Saxon and Viking re-enactment scene bigger than ours.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I dunno mate. You chaps have a middle ages Saxon and Viking re-enactment scene bigger than ours.

Oh yes! Just look up S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronism) and see what goes on at Pensic every year. I do 15th century 'wars of the roses' stuff and the SCA websites have proved a mine of useful information. Some of the research is just fantastic. Then they go and spoil it all by using synthetic fibres to make their period clothing. "Can't get felted wool? It's OK, just use fibrepile or a heavy polyprop fleece. It looks the same (from a distance)" Yea, right!

Eric

 

[BorderReiver]

Well, that is something. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I had a fella show up from GB who was really into Shawnee Indians. Had the nose for it, shaved head, etc. Had all the clothing, etc and did a really good impression - until he opened his mouth and out came that Sussex accent.

I don't think he ever said anything that I didn't have to ask him to repeat. He said his accent was nothing compared to a Cockney accent, and my folks, who spent a summer in Scotland, said Scots are impossible to understand - though capable of making themselves understood - if they want to.

Do you guys have as hard a time understanding our speech - as we do yours?

PG

Pierre,I am a Scot,living in England.

Although I am only 300 miles from where I was born,if I spoke "normally" I would not be understood.
Over the last 30ish years I have developed the technique of automatically translating my native lowland scots into english while I'm speaking.
I think that you would have less bother than I do

 

[pierre girard]

Oh yes! Just look up S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronism) and see what goes on at Pensic every year. I do 15th century 'wars of the roses' stuff and the SCA websites have proved a mine of useful information. Some of the research is just fantastic. Then they go and spoil it all by using synthetic fibres to make their period clothing. "Can't get felted wool? It's OK, just use fibrepile or a heavy polyprop fleece. It looks the same (from a distance)" Yea, right!

Eric

Oh, yes - I've heard of this group. Not really reenactors, eh? "Creative" would be the operative word. They are involved in a Renaissance Fair in southern Minnesota every year. Very artsy craftsy. Lot of actors - and bad actors.

PG

 

[steve a]

I think you may be disappointed with these blankets, a friend of mine who ordered one found it to be far under expectations, I'm trying to be polite here.
He sent it back by return delivery after comparing it to his HBC blankets.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I think you may be disappointed with these blankets, a friend of mine who ordered one found it to be far under expectations, I'm trying to be polite here.
He sent it back by return delivery after comparing it to his HBC blankets.

Well, I'll take my chances. I've never seen or felt a HBC blanket so I'll have nothing to make a comparison with. Anyway, I'm making mine into a coat (capote). If I'm ever fortunate enough to get hold of a genuine article then I'll probably just keep it as a blanket. It'd be a shame to chop one of them up. I'm sure the one I ordered will be sufficient for a warm wool coat for sitting round the campfire - and if it lacks sufficient warmth, then the bottle of single malt I'll be cradling in my arms will surely make up for it.

Eric

 

[Joan Murray]

Hi, everyone. I'm new to the forum. As Corporate Histoian for Hudson's Bay Company our blankets are of particular interest to me and to many people who contact our Company. There certainly seem to be a lot of Bushcraft members with questions about Hbc blankets, etc., that I can address.

First of all please visit Hbc's history website www.hbcheritage.ca and, in particular our information and FAQs about the blankets. Most of your questions will be answered there (points, colours, etc.). And for those that are not, I welcome any others you may have: however, please get in touch via the Contact Us section of our site or at history.contact@hbc.com.

To address a few key issues:

Manufacture: Our blankets are made in Yorkshire by John Atkinson & Sons, a division of A. W. Hainsworth & Sons Ltd. Atkinson's has been the sole supplier of HBc blankets for at least the last half century. The very first Hbc blankets were made in Witney: the first order on record dates to 1780, from a maker named Thomas Empson. By the mid 19th century the demand for blankets was so high that additional production began in Yorkshire. In both areas multiple mills were involved.

Price: Hbc blankets are a premium product, exclusive and priced accordingly. Blankets are made to order. The process begins with the selection of fleeces and the spnining and dyeing of the resulting yarn. Production runs are relatively small and quality standards are very high. The resulting product is remarkably consistent in both quality and performance. Sizes range from 3.5 pts. (Twin) to 8.0 pts (King) priced form CAD $250 - $450.

Availability: Hbc sells its point blankets in Canada only. Woolrich is our American licensee, and sells both wholesale and retail to the American market. L.L. Bean retails the blankets which it buys wholesale from Woolrich. Interested UK buyers should check both Woolrich and Bean for the terms of their iternatinal sales.

Seconds:/B] Until 2003 Seconds were made avaiable to Woolrich a practice that Hbc has since terminated. Seconds are used by Hbc in the development of other products anbd for certain educational programs.

Knockoffs: The quality and popularity of Hb blankets has made them subject to "imitiaiton" for well over a hundred years. Both English and American manufacturuers have attempted to capitalize on the Hbc reputation primarily by means of adopting our traditional 4-colour multistripe pattern. This "tradition" also continues to this day.

Canadian icon: Hbc balnkets are known the world over as icons of Canada - an interesting claim for a 100% British product. But the reasons have to do with Canadian history and the role Hbc played in the development of Canada. Hbc has the current clothing contract for the Canadian Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games teams through 2012. It's no accident that the beds of all Canadian Olympic team members at last month's Torino Winter Games sported Hbc multstripe blankets.

Hope this clairifies some of your questions.

Cheers,

Joan

 

[jason01]

Hi Joan

Weclome to BCUK and many thanks for your input in clearing up some of the questions that have cropped up on this thread.

Is there no possibility that HBCmight licence the blankets for sale in the UK? It seems that re-importing them might be an expensive way for us to obtain them over here, once shipping costs and customs duties are taken into account.

It looks like some of us may indeed be dissapointed with the cheap HBC style blankets that weve ordered though

All the best

 

[pierre girard]

Hi, everyone. I'm new to the forum. As Corporate Histoian for Hudson's Bay Company our blankets are of particular interest to me and to many people who contact our Company. There certainly seem to be a lot of Bushcraft members with questions about Hbc blankets, etc., that I can address.....

Hope this clairifies some of your questions.

Cheers,

Joan

Joan:

Very interesting post. I had wondered why Woolrich, who make their own woolen blankets, was selling HBC blankets.

Sorry to hear the sales of seconds were terminated. For folks like me - who use your blankets for camping and are more concerned about cost and warmth than looks - it is sad to hear.

Perhaps you could clear up a question I have. When were the candy striped blankets first introduced?

Bushcraft UK sometimes does group buys. I don't suppose there is any kind of group rate for blanket sales?

PG

 

[bothyman]

This is an interesting article on "Trade Blankets".



>> http://washingtonhistory.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0202-a1.htm

MickT

 

[jason01]

Mine has just arrived from Sutlers. I ordered a 4 point, it has 3 and a half bars on the edge, its 215cm x 147cm, its approx 6mm thick (slightly compressed) and weighs 5lb, theres no label. In hindsight I think a bigger one mightve been more useful to me. Its a nice wooly blanket, certainly nicer than some of the old synthetic ones we have around the house (which I've now realised are probably all super kingsize), I tend to run hot and dont have the heating on a lot so SWMBO often has a blanket handy if shes sitting around, I'm sure this one will be well appreciated

My first impressions are fairly under-awed to be honest but I dont know what I expected, its a blanket and Ive no idea what the real ones are like, the colours are brighter than I anticipated, they look synthetic and not traditional to my eye but what do I know! I could get my mate in Canada to bring me a real one over at witsun but at £150 for the real ones compared to £33 shipped I think I'll just keep this one, at that price I think its fine. I will probably bind the edges to stop them fraying and I think I could become fond of it over time. I wont be using it instead of my down bag in a hurry but I guess it would be nice to sit in by the fire.

Ive just gone to the Sutlers website and I cant find these blankets anymore, is it just me or have they gone?

EDIT: Ive ordered a 6 pointer to go with it, and they only have one left!

 

[innocent bystander]

Mine just arrived about 2 minutes ago...

Doesn't seem to be so bad, and is quite thick....

And for £29 quid, i really can not complain about it.........

We must have bought the shop out Jason...

 

[jamesraykenney]

"Ye dinnae ken whit ah'm talkin' aboot, dae ye?"

When I was young we didn't have television, and we read a lot of Sir Walter Scott. Reading it, at least, I understood it perfectly. Whether the same would be true hearing it???

The problem I had with the gentleman from Sussex was - he'd bite off about a third of every word and leave off about a third of every sentence. Very maddening!

It is funny you have problems with southern speech ways. I've heard it said it is the closest of any American speech to English speech, deriving from the caviliers in the south of England.

PG

It is the closest to the was English was spoken at THAT time...
English sound NOTHING like what is sounded back then...
The British nobility sent all their kids to French and German schools and came back with an accent...This was partly copied by the subjects and over the years this became the English accent we all know and love today...
The Southern accent comes from BEFORE that time, and because we never sent most of our kids to schools over the big pond, it never changed as much...

 

[jason01]

It is the closest to the was English was spoken at THAT time...
English sound NOTHING like what is sounded back then...
The British nobility sent all their kids to French and German schools and came back with an accent...This was partly copied by the subjects and over the years this became the English accent we all know and love today...
The Southern accent comes from BEFORE that time, and because we never sent most of our kids to schools over the big pond, it never changed as much...

Interesting idea, so Southron drawl is more English than English lol.

Though I wouldnt have thought the accents of the nobility would really have much affect on the accents of the proletariat masses, as the two scarcely mixed When you say back then exactly when do you mean?

It is often said in my region (The black country) that our local dialect and accent is closest to the old English spaked by Shakespeare. I would have thought that if all of England were influenced by the accents of the continental educated brats of the nobility, as you suggest, then surely there wouldnt be such an extremely diverse and varied mix of regional dialects and accents still in place today?

You didnt think we all speak like BBC news readers did you