The humble British waxed canvas

Waxed canvas is like everything else, some people love it, some don't. People adore and admire waxed canvas because of its strength and durability, its waterproof nature as well as its ability of aging beautifully.

The waxed canvas that I am using to make my bags is from a British manufacturer with over 100 years history. The fabrics are produced from densely woven two-fold cotton yarns, impregnated with a paraffin based wax, which reinvents the cotton fabric. This process creates the waterproof nature, and gives the cotton a unique but soft hand feel. The hand feel is just different from cotton, linen or wool. As it feels so different, it is not everybody's cup of tea.

I love working with waxed canvas. The character of the fabric develops from the point I start cutting out the bag, as unique scuffs and marks develop during the handcraft process. And when the bag reaches the buyer, it gains character through its use. Unlike most natural materials, wax canvas looks even better when as it ages.

Besides it has a strong British tradition, I feel waxed canvas fits into the Minus philosophy perfectly: humble, durable yet stylish!

A day to remember...

It is a year to the day since the passing of one of the last true gentlemen. The year has gone by in a flash, but it is always nice and it makes me smile whenever I think of Norman. I never met him, but saw a lot of his films, tv appearances and interviews over the years, and always felt he was such a sincere, honest individual.

Truly, one of the last greats to have gone, but he will always be remembered fondly.

If you've never heard of him or seen anything he has ever done, then I would recommend watching any of his films and your heart will feel so much lighter and joyful. A good starting point may be to check out his official Norman Wisdom website  

Rest in peace Norman... 

The Saddle Messenger is released

The new Saddle messenger bag

Well, here's the all new and all singing Saddle messenger. It's made from Italian moleskin and lined with Italian cotton twill. There are two exterior pockets beneath the flap to keep things close to hand and inside there are an another two pockets for your cellphone, ipod, and a trigger clip for your keys.

Currently available in charcoal only, but can be made in cranberry, fern or dove grey.

 

The Windeymoor Interview

The friendly Jonnie Estes approached me recently for an interview on her windeymoor site. To learn a bit more about where I came from and where I'm going to, then you can take a look at the windeymoor interview. Thanks Jonnie.

Chestnut for the messenger

The chestnut messenger

Another colour has been added to the messenger range... Chestnut. It's a beautiful brushed cotton twill with a slightly vintage feel. It's fully lined with beige cotton sateen, and features two interior pockets, trigger clip, and an adjustable strap.

Fully interlined with British heavyweight canvas (stitched inside) it makes a solid, yet not bulky or cumbersome modern messenger.

The messenger is also available in dark brown waxed canvas, stone, fern, black, plum, pewter (limited stock) and sand beige (very limited stock).

Feel free to take a closer look at the chestnut messenger.

A sneak preview - The Saddle messenger

The Saddle messenger - detail shot

Here's a sneak preview of my newest design that will soon be available in my shop. It follows on from my saddle pouch design, but takes the form of a unisex messenger. The first to be released is the Saddle messenger in charcoal Italian moleskin, but there will certainly be more to follow.


I won't go into great detail about it yet, but I'm so excited by it that I had to mention it as I have finally gotten around to get the design finished.

The Saddle messenger with flap opened and the front pockets visible beneath

A close-up shot of the detail of strap attachment and reinforcement

The soon to be released - Saddle messenger

I will bring more news about it once it is available in my shop.

British Waxed Canvas now in store

Minus messenger bag in British waxed canvas

I'm so excited and proud to be able to introduce a beautiful waxed canvas fabric to my store. Why I'm so proud of it, is that it is Made in Great Britain. As you may or may not know, the British manufacturing industry has been in freefall with a steady decline since the early 80s. It feels like everything is now made overseas and usually to a cheaper and inferior quality.

I feel saddened that so much has gone, never to return, but at least British waxed canvas still has a world leader. The waxed canvas that I use and hope to expand, is made in Great Britain by a family owned and run business. They've been in the waxed canvas industry for many family generations and truly are experts in their field.

Waxed canvas is so perfect and very versatile. It is naturally water resistant and fully breathable, and most important extremely eco friendly and made from 100% cotton. Easy to clean and sooooo durable, the more you use it the better it seems to get.

You can see the waxed canvas messenger in my shop for a closer look.