Not British made anymore!

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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
This village is maybe 650 if all the work-aways come home. Possibly 1,000 in the valley district.
There's enough work for at least one person in most trades. Many do several things.
I buy meat rabbits from the same guy who does the company package delivery service.

Seems quaint to city dwellers. I'd suppose that the UK is exactly the same.
The rural locals all know who does what, who to call for a pipe leak and so on.
Who has pigs to unload windfall fruit is my next phone call.
Me? Sold off the last of my grape juice. No grape vine cuttings started this year.
I might be fit enough next spring to get back into it.
 

Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
I had a chat with him a couple of years ago, the shop is a bit Dickensian, in a good way.



There is a good cobbler in my nearest town, usually a week turnaround for a re-sole, and he's always busy which is usually a good sign.

We have two cobblers in town.

One is a fairly big shop, run by a bunch of second generation Portuguese. The place absolutely reeks of stale cigarette smoke, and garlicky stale sweat. I set foot in the place once, to pick up two or three pairs of shoes that SWMBO had left to be soled and heeled. I'll never go again... it was all I could do to not chunder all over the floor.

The other is a tiny little shop run by an old Cambodian. He can quite literally reach every single shelf on all three walls without moving his feet. Always cheerful, always helpful.

I take my riding boots to the bootmaker in town; they've just had their second set of soles, heels, and toe protectors in two years. I think I pay about €20 each time.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I love the smell of that oldfashioned glue they use ( still use?) in sho repair shops.
We have one old guy, a Jamaican, that is a wizard when it comes to repairing shoes and other leather goods.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
It takes a bit of internet time, but if you go on Wikipedia, East Midlands then scroll down to Economy, read under Manufacturing.
Gives you an idea of companies that manufacture.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
I think that old shoe glue is guttas percha latex rubber dissolved in toluene. Very distinctive smell
unlike xylene and any of the alcohols.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Canada Goose is very much Canadian, except the fur collar?
Dog? Coyote?

Plenty of food and drink made in Britain. Buy those. Heritage well worth saving!
I only buy British made Worcester sauce. The best steak sauce ever and ever!
DHL are happy to ship it.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I think that old shoe glue is guttas percha latex rubber dissolved in toluene. Very distinctive smell
unlike xylene and any of the alcohols.

Not gutta percha. I work with it, it is not as flexible as latex.

HP sauce is not British made anymore. I do not think there is a taste difference?
Sorry to be off topic, but good food is crucial in a good bushcrafting experience!
 
Last edited:

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,153
1,546
Cumbria
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GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
1,445
700
After reading this post, and having a poke around, it becomes apparent that there still is a lot of British made stuff. Possibly the reasons for not buying could be; A, lack of awareness, or B, it is rediculously over priced/expensive. Recently I've bought a few things off Etsy, made in the UK, the most recent being this simple wax cotton bag. Fits under jacket like an extra large pocket, well made and under £20, so things don't have to be expensive.
il_570xN.2047560849_momy.jpg
 
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Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,153
1,546
Cumbria
Cottage industry. Where are the big brands? I bet the company making that bag would shift overseas if it grew large enough to warrant it.

They used to describe Italy as being made up of lifestyle businesses and cottage industry. Large multinationals being supplied by a company of 10 people where even the md makes something on the shop floor at times.

Germany has a lot of family owned businesses manufacturing things of all kinds. They can be small or big too. Turnovers of a few hundred thou to tens of millions and beyond.

It's true there's a lot of small makers around but they often take some hunting and you can't try before you buy as they're not in any shop around the country. Direct selling via online marketplaces don't suit all customers though.

I bought a custom made frame bag for touring. Company consisted of one guy and one woman sewing. Good product though.
 

GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
1,445
700
It's true there's a lot of small makers around but they often take some hunting and you can't try before you buy as they're not in any shop around the country

True, but that's where forums such as this are helpful in finding, and recommending.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,153
1,546
Cumbria
True.

Check out bike-bag.co.uk if you need a fully custom frame bag for your bike. Not bushcraft but they did a good job for me. Cheaper than alpkit too.
 

Corso

Full Member
Aug 13, 2007
5,249
449
none
After reading this post, and having a poke around, it becomes apparent that there still is a lot of British made stuff. Possibly the reasons for not buying could be; A, lack of awareness, or B, it is rediculously over priced/expensive. Recently I've bought a few things off Etsy, made in the UK, the most recent being this simple wax cotton bag. Fits under jacket like an extra large pocket, well made and under £20, so things don't have to be expensive.
il_570xN.2047560849_momy.jpg

link please - I've been after a waxed canvas musette for some time
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,153
1,546
Cumbria
I think it's a person doing it on their own, and may well be content doing so. :)
I guessed it was a one man company. Boy m but if it ever grew, well toy never know. I believe alpkit started off as a small group of people. Now it's a lot bigger with a lot of overseas manufacture.
 

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