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Are there any decent UK brands out there? I've currently got some Karrimor jackets that do the job, but don't really come close to my old Lowe Alpine gear. In all fairness, they were cheap though..
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
What do you mean by "UK brand"? Lots of companies design in the UK and seem to aim primarily at a UK market; rather fewer manufacture in the UK.
UK based, design in the UK, manufacture overseas:
Montane
Rab
Berghaus
Mountain Equipment
Manufacture in the UK:
Paramo (?)
PHDesigns
Cioch
What do you mean by "UK brand"? Lots of companies design in the UK and seem to aim primarily at a UK market; rather fewer manufacture in the UK.
UK based, design in the UK, manufacture overseas:
Montane
Rab
Berghaus
Mountain Equipment
Manufacture in the UK:
Paramo (?)
PHDesigns
Cioch
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
http://www.stillmadeinbritain.co.uk/clothing.html
Hunters Tweed is a personal favourite of mine.
http://www.stillmadeinbritain.co.uk/clothing.html
Hunters Tweed is a personal favourite of mine.
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In reply to AlanLittle:
The Rab Vest/Gilet that I'm currently selling on UKC is marked Made in Sheffield on the label which I think is rather nice!
Clearly they've been driven abroad now, along with many others.
> UK based, design in the UK, manufacture overseas:
> Rab
The Rab Vest/Gilet that I'm currently selling on UKC is marked Made in Sheffield on the label which I think is rather nice!
Clearly they've been driven abroad now, along with many others.
In reply to grump gnome:
It used to be said of Keela that lots of people wore it without knowing it as they made for the big names. Pretty good quality and functional. I still have one of their 2 layer ventile jackets.
It used to be said of Keela that lots of people wore it without knowing it as they made for the big names. Pretty good quality and functional. I still have one of their 2 layer ventile jackets.
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
Thanks for all the replies! I didn't realise half of these brands were British!?!
I used to have a buffalo mountain jacket, which I'm pretty sure saved me from hypothermia once (after an autumn dip in a lake). Great jacket, but I've always been put off of buying another one, because they don't pack down very well. I'd actually forgotten they were a UK company though.
Thanks for all the replies! I didn't realise half of these brands were British!?!
> bouldery bits
I used to have a buffalo mountain jacket, which I'm pretty sure saved me from hypothermia once (after an autumn dip in a lake). Great jacket, but I've always been put off of buying another one, because they don't pack down very well. I'd actually forgotten they were a UK company though.
In reply to ScottTalbot:
The Buffalo stuff is truly brill. My buffalo shirt is well over a decade old, has taken some serious hammer, and is still in great nick (barring 1 zip replacement).
Brilliant products.
The Buffalo stuff is truly brill. My buffalo shirt is well over a decade old, has taken some serious hammer, and is still in great nick (barring 1 zip replacement).
Brilliant products.
Post edited at 21:45
In reply to bouldery bits:
Mine lasted about a year, I caught it on something a ripped it. Gutted at the time!
Mine lasted about a year, I caught it on something a ripped it. Gutted at the time!
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
No big brand mountaineering clothing is made in UK anymore except the Rab high end exped custom stuff, everything else is designed here & British brand, but made in China, Thailand, Chile, Morocco, Turkey, Malaysia, & in the best/cheapest factory they want for that product.
Made in UK tailoring:_
Cioch do custom one off tailored fit waterproof & fleece stuff:-
http://www.cioch-direct.co.uk/perfect_fit/perfect_fit.html
PHDesigns do custom down clothing & sleeping bags:-
http://design-your-own-down-jacket.phdesigns.co.uk/
British main stream brands which do clothing but made not in UK:-
Alpkit
Berghaus
Buffalo
Karrimor (owned by Lonsdale, which is owned by Sports Direct & very diluted brand quality)
Keela
Montane
Mountain Equipment
Outdoor Designs (part of Equip Outdoor technologies which own Rab)
Paramo
Rab
Snugpak (formally Brett Harris)
Target Dry (Northern Ireland)
Wynnster (name bought by Unipart Automotive & just tents now, but made very good wind/water proof fleeces & tough WP full zip over trousers)
No big brand mountaineering clothing is made in UK anymore except the Rab high end exped custom stuff, everything else is designed here & British brand, but made in China, Thailand, Chile, Morocco, Turkey, Malaysia, & in the best/cheapest factory they want for that product.
Made in UK tailoring:_
Cioch do custom one off tailored fit waterproof & fleece stuff:-
http://www.cioch-direct.co.uk/perfect_fit/perfect_fit.html
PHDesigns do custom down clothing & sleeping bags:-
http://design-your-own-down-jacket.phdesigns.co.uk/
British main stream brands which do clothing but made not in UK:-
Alpkit
Berghaus
Buffalo
Karrimor (owned by Lonsdale, which is owned by Sports Direct & very diluted brand quality)
Keela
Montane
Mountain Equipment
Outdoor Designs (part of Equip Outdoor technologies which own Rab)
Paramo
Rab
Snugpak (formally Brett Harris)
Target Dry (Northern Ireland)
Wynnster (name bought by Unipart Automotive & just tents now, but made very good wind/water proof fleeces & tough WP full zip over trousers)
Post edited at 18:02
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In reply to Snowdave:
Are you sure?
http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/about/
> No big brand mountaineering clothing is made in UK anymore except the Rab high end exped custom stuff, everything else is designed here & British brand, but made in China, Thailand, Chile, Morocco, Turkey, Malay
> Made in UK tailoring:_
> British main stream brands which do clothing but made not in UK:-
> Buffalo
Are you sure?
http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/about/
In reply to bouldery bits:
Don't say that every product is made in UK, a bit ambiguous, thought they had moved it abroad.
I remember talking to rep ages ago who let slip for a product to state it was made in UK only 20% actually had to be done here, so fabric was cut & part stitched abroad & then final 20% assembly/finishing was done in UK!! what a joke!!
> Are you sure?
Don't say that every product is made in UK, a bit ambiguous, thought they had moved it abroad.
I remember talking to rep ages ago who let slip for a product to state it was made in UK only 20% actually had to be done here, so fabric was cut & part stitched abroad & then final 20% assembly/finishing was done in UK!! what a joke!!
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In reply to Snowdave:
I think you'll find Buffalo IS still made in Sheffield
http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/about/
> Don't say that every product is made in UK, a bit ambiguous, thought they had moved it abroad.
> I remember talking to rep ages ago who let slip for a product to state it was made in UK only 20% actually had to be done here, so fabric was cut & part stitched abroad & then final 20% assembly/finishing was done in UK!! what a joke!!
I think you'll find Buffalo IS still made in Sheffield
http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/about/
In reply to ScottTalbot:
There's still a lot of stigma attached to the words 'made in China'. I've spoken to a number of reps from different manufacturers over the past couple of years and the overwhelming reason that many brands originally from the UK are now outsourcing production to the Far East is because the factories and workers here simply don't have the equipment/functionality/skills to work to the standards needed with top spec materials like Gore Pro or Neoshell etc. It's not simply a function of labour costs being lower.
If you buy that or not is another story - there will of course be an inherent bias from a sales rep! I can definitely imagine it being the case though.
There's still a lot of stigma attached to the words 'made in China'. I've spoken to a number of reps from different manufacturers over the past couple of years and the overwhelming reason that many brands originally from the UK are now outsourcing production to the Far East is because the factories and workers here simply don't have the equipment/functionality/skills to work to the standards needed with top spec materials like Gore Pro or Neoshell etc. It's not simply a function of labour costs being lower.
If you buy that or not is another story - there will of course be an inherent bias from a sales rep! I can definitely imagine it being the case though.
In reply to alexm198:
It could well be true, since there's no factories making clothing in the UK we have lost those skills.
It could well be true, since there's no factories making clothing in the UK we have lost those skills.
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In reply to alexm198:
Just read a piece in the Huddersfield Examiner about a company called McNair, which makes high-end mountaineering shirts (as in £350 per shirt) for the great and good. Unfortunately, they can't find machinists skillful enough to do the work - despite having a Textile Centre of Excellence down the road, a history of textile manufacturing, and a University with a renowned Textile department. Hardly surprising then that work gets sent overseas.
JW
Just read a piece in the Huddersfield Examiner about a company called McNair, which makes high-end mountaineering shirts (as in £350 per shirt) for the great and good. Unfortunately, they can't find machinists skillful enough to do the work - despite having a Textile Centre of Excellence down the road, a history of textile manufacturing, and a University with a renowned Textile department. Hardly surprising then that work gets sent overseas.
JW
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In reply to Snowdave:
In reply to Snowdave:
Hi Snowdave
Being the Sales and Marketing Manager of Buffalo, I can inform you that every piece of Buffalo Systems clothing is made in our workshop in Sheffield. Our Sheffield workshop is the only place in the world where Buffalo clothing and Sleeping Bags are produced.
In reply to Snowdave:
Hi Snowdave
Being the Sales and Marketing Manager of Buffalo, I can inform you that every piece of Buffalo Systems clothing is made in our workshop in Sheffield. Our Sheffield workshop is the only place in the world where Buffalo clothing and Sleeping Bags are produced.
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
I don't really have an issue with clothing being made abroad, I just want it to be designed with our climate in mind, so I know it can cope with our weather conditions.
I don't really have an issue with clothing being made abroad, I just want it to be designed with our climate in mind, so I know it can cope with our weather conditions.
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In reply to Mord:
Brilliant thank's for that as the website was a bit vague, I though it would have shouted "Proudly made in Sheffield UK". You need caps lock on I think LOL
I used to work in a place that did your stuff back in the mid/late 90's, used to sell quite a few of the special 6 versions, (pertex 6 fabrics)
I can't seem to amend my previous post with the list????
> In reply to Snowdave:
> Hi Snowdave
> Being the Sales and Marketing Manager of Buffalo, I can inform you that every piece of Buffalo Systems clothing is made in our workshop in Sheffield. Our Sheffield workshop is the only place in the world where Buffalo clothing and Sleeping Bags are produced.
Brilliant thank's for that as the website was a bit vague, I though it would have shouted "Proudly made in Sheffield UK". You need caps lock on I think LOL
I used to work in a place that did your stuff back in the mid/late 90's, used to sell quite a few of the special 6 versions, (pertex 6 fabrics)
I can't seem to amend my previous post with the list????
Post edited at 16:06
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In reply to Snowdave:
Glad you used to sell our stuff. The Special 6 is still one of the most popular items we make. STILL MADE IN SHEFFIELD.
Glad you used to sell our stuff. The Special 6 is still one of the most popular items we make. STILL MADE IN SHEFFIELD.
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In reply to Mord:
hi Mord,
i'm a great fan of Buffalo, i love the stuff - however, could you please sort out the product descriptions of your kit so i can understand what product would fit what activity in what weather?
i can work out that the S6/Mountain Shirt/Big Face are at the 'vile day in the Cairngorms in February' end, and the windshirt and Techlite are at the 'mid june on Blencathra' end - but all the rest of the stuff (Active, Alpine, Fell, Active lite etc..) just occupy an amorphous blob in the middle, the descriptions of which leave me no clearer as to what they are for...
something as simple as marking them as 'Cairngorms in February', or 'Peaks in April', or 'thicker Pertex and a longer back and neck for greater weather protection than the X, but with the same pile thickness', or 'if you sweat like a pig, choose this one'.
please....!
hi Mord,
i'm a great fan of Buffalo, i love the stuff - however, could you please sort out the product descriptions of your kit so i can understand what product would fit what activity in what weather?
i can work out that the S6/Mountain Shirt/Big Face are at the 'vile day in the Cairngorms in February' end, and the windshirt and Techlite are at the 'mid june on Blencathra' end - but all the rest of the stuff (Active, Alpine, Fell, Active lite etc..) just occupy an amorphous blob in the middle, the descriptions of which leave me no clearer as to what they are for...
something as simple as marking them as 'Cairngorms in February', or 'Peaks in April', or 'thicker Pertex and a longer back and neck for greater weather protection than the X, but with the same pile thickness', or 'if you sweat like a pig, choose this one'.
please....!
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In reply to ballsac:
It might be time to update the colour pallette too...
> hi Mord,
> i'm a great fan of Buffalo, i love the stuff - however, could you please sort out the product descriptions of your kit so i can understand what product would fit what activity in what weather?
> i can work out that the S6/Mountain Shirt/Big Face are at the 'vile day in the Cairngorms in February' end, and the windshirt and Techlite are at the 'mid june on Blencathra' end - but all the rest of the stuff (Active, Alpine, Fell, Active lite etc..) just occupy an amorphous blob in the middle, the descriptions of which leave me no clearer as to what they are for...
> something as simple as marking them as 'Cairngorms in February', or 'Peaks in April', or 'thicker Pertex and a longer back and neck for greater weather protection than the X, but with the same pile thickness', or 'if you sweat like a pig, choose this one'.
> please....!
It might be time to update the colour pallette too...
In reply to ScottTalbot:
Some Berghaus kit is still good. I've done well out of Mera Peaks and similar, I still have a Trango Extrem I bought when I was 15 (21 years ago[1]), it's still just about usable as a second waterproof for knocking about on Scout camp though I had to have the zip replaced as I broke it. Got a Mera Peak bought about 7-8 years ago and that's fine too.
[1] Not my oldest bit of gear, I still have a "Snuggledown" brand synthetic sleeping bag bought for me aged 6! Don't use it often but it is a useful spare.
Some Berghaus kit is still good. I've done well out of Mera Peaks and similar, I still have a Trango Extrem I bought when I was 15 (21 years ago[1]), it's still just about usable as a second waterproof for knocking about on Scout camp though I had to have the zip replaced as I broke it. Got a Mera Peak bought about 7-8 years ago and that's fine too.
[1] Not my oldest bit of gear, I still have a "Snuggledown" brand synthetic sleeping bag bought for me aged 6! Don't use it often but it is a useful spare.
Post edited at 00:04
In reply to AlanLittle:
apparently manufactured by "fallen" women in Colombia!
> Manufacture in the UK:
> Paramo (?)
apparently manufactured by "fallen" women in Colombia!
In reply to ScottTalbot:
Shout out for http://www.finisterreuk.com/ , they might be more associated with surfing but there gear is top notch, ethically/eco produced and a lot of it is very suitable to mountain activities as well.
Shout out for http://www.finisterreuk.com/ , they might be more associated with surfing but there gear is top notch, ethically/eco produced and a lot of it is very suitable to mountain activities as well.
In reply to ballsac:
Hi Ballsac
Thank you for that. We will get to work on it. It's not something we can get done overnight, as we are quite a small team here, but over the coming few weeks we will add some detail to all the products about when and where they can be used.
Keep an eye on the site, www.buffalosystems.co.uk over the coming weeks.
Mord.
Hi Ballsac
Thank you for that. We will get to work on it. It's not something we can get done overnight, as we are quite a small team here, but over the coming few weeks we will add some detail to all the products about when and where they can be used.
Keep an eye on the site, www.buffalosystems.co.uk over the coming weeks.
Mord.
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In reply to ScottTalbot:
"Abroad" is a very big place, so you probably want to look more closely at where and how it is produced. As mentioned above, Paramo's stuff is made in Columbia, and their standards of ethics make Patagonia look like street muggers.
"Abroad" is a very big place, so you probably want to look more closely at where and how it is produced. As mentioned above, Paramo's stuff is made in Columbia, and their standards of ethics make Patagonia look like street muggers.
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