Barbours

[Santiago]

I bought one recently off ebay for a mere £35; it's a Bedale so being short in lenght I can still wear it whilst cycling. It's in near perfect condition and smells like oily heaven. So if you like Barbours but not the new ones then look on ebay!

I bought my first Barbour back in the late eighties, a Northumberland, just before they became popular as a Yuppie accessory. It was back in the day when the shop assistants swiped one's credit card with a little gizmo over carbon paper and wrote the price paid in a little box on the paperwork. Luckily for me the shop assistant had bad handwriting; the Barbour cost £95 and that's what I thought I'd paid until I recieved my monthly statement, I had actually paid only £45. On examining the receipt I clearly saw a badly scrawled 9...ooops!

I also enjoy wearing waxed cotton rimmed hats!

[Martin H]

I have indeed sent one of my ageing jackets off to the sunny North East for some work. Had the sleeves lengthened and a full reproof! Very good service and good price. Have now handed down to my teenage son who uses it on his moped and his job as a tree surgeon!! I brought out my very old Solway Zipper from retirement and its just great!! Actually may give it a reward with some new dressing later today!!!!!

[Shaun Harrison]

I sold Barbour Jackets over a 25 year period (amongst lots of other makes). We were lucky to go through the yuppie period selling them and in the peak we were shifting well over 100 a week. There must be loads of the 'proper ones' out there that have never had the wear Barbours were made for.

I moved on from that life 8 years ago and Barbour had certainly started to import a lot of their garments by that stage. My last pair of 'proper' Barbour moleskins are almost totally worn but I never liked what they replaced them with although to be fair I have never had a look again to see if they have reverted back to decent moleskin during the past 8 years.

Wax garment wise I still have my Westmoorland Waistcoat and love it. Coat wise when I had my Solway of many, many years stolen off the banks of the River Irt in Cumbria I couldn't face spending another load of years wearing one in so opted out of the waxed cotton route for clothing that was comfortable from new.

I find it so sad that these companies are forced to go and seek their garments elsewhere but I guess this is very much a sign of the times.

[AndyB]

I recently purchased a second hand unused Beaufort off ebay. It does state 'Made in England' on the label. The chap I bought it from said it was a high street purchase from August, so it is recent stock. I believe some of the newer trendy lines are made abroad but the old faithfuls like the bedale, border, northumbria etc. are still produced in the UK. I have an older Beaufort which is a much thicker cotton and looks like it will far outlast the newer one.

[Northern_Nomad]

I have indeed sent one of my ageing jackets off to the sunny North East for some work. Had the sleeves lengthened and a full reproof! Very good service and good price. Have now handed down to my teenage son who uses it on his moped and his job as a tree surgeon!! I brought out my very old Solway Zipper from retirement and its just great!! Actually may give it a reward with some new dressing later today!!!!!

Pleased to hear that the repair service is still worthwhile.

With regards to the sleeves needing to be lengthened, how odd. Mine has had the sleeves lengthened as well, although by myself. The jacket still fits body wise after over 40 years ownership but the arms have been lengthened by 4 inches!!

Were we a group of oddly shaped bank dwellers whom Barbour had a stock of odd size short armed jackets made up especially for tackle shops to sell? Although we are often told to "stop along the way and smell the roses" my outlook was more along the lines of "stop along the way and have a pie and a pint" so I could understand it being a bit lacking around the waistline but not the arms.

[Nigel Rainton]

I've been wearing my old Solway for the last two weeks and it been a constant reminder of many fishing trips overt the last 40 years. The trip that most sticks in my mind was an overnight carp session in the late Autumn during the mid 70s. I fished on the dam until about 1.00am and then dozed off in my deck chair. It was not very comfortable. I got out of the deck chair and slept on the ground. No bivvies or bed chairs in those days. When I woke up I found it difficult to move, my Barbour had frozen to the ground ! I had rolled into the edge of a shallow puddle during the night and ice had formed. I was dry and my legs were cold but otherwise ok.

I didn't catch anything.

[Rutland Rod]

My late dad used to work for an upmarket men's outfitters and could get good discounts from his suppliers, I was lucky enough for him to get me a Solway and a Gamefair for about £17 each ! this was around the late 60's. The gamefair due to its lighter material and my using it for all sorts of tough outdoor work did fall to bits a few years ago...but the Solway is still in use even though Barbour did tell me its beyond economic repair, it did have a new zip and I love wearing it, and as previous members have reported its arms were always a tad short for the chest size. I wish they had carried on making the Solway as it was the 'workhorse' of the range. I also have a pair of their over trousers of the same vintage, my last jacket was a Northumbria nice tartan wool lining, should get it off for a re-furb as the pockets are splitting due to my stuffing flasks/tools in them ! Tight lines Dave

[Shaun Harrison]

The only other Barbour they made out of that incredible Solway Egyptian cotton was the Moorland (Heavyweight Beaufort) which never really took off. I used to handle the complaints and returns and the Solway was hardly ever returned compared to some others. As has been said it was the work horse rather than the tailored jacket. Much more room in the shoulders etc.

I preferred the looks of the Border and Northumbria but stuck with the Solway Zipper.

[Tinca Tinca]

I own both.The Solway Zipper and the Moorland,both sylkoil classic material.On reason that the Moorland not took off my be that
the heavyweight is not as resistant as the mediums. My Moorland needed a repair at the inner side of the arms after one year.It had
to be reproofed after two years because it was totally worn off.Now 15 years later I have had a completer repair of the ellbows and
the inner arms..Only REALLY thornproof what is good because I use it for hunting trips,too.

My Solway is a few weeks younger but reproofed round christmas last year (after 15 years and simmilar use...) and is in a good
state.
If I had to buy a new one it might be a classic beaufort.(Moorland and Solway arenot available in Germany since few years)

[Ian.R.McDonald]

with Belstaff becoming Itallian then Russian and wherever- and sub continent stuff flooding the market- i was still hanging onto the hope that Barbour was still uk produced.

Have a 30 year old Northumbria- and for my sins (as a biker) have also got some of the later yuppie stuff- (it frightens the life out of the barbour outlet staff by arriving on a motorcycle!)

please reassure me that some of the stuff is still made in the UK!