| Hello Greg,
I see that they sell some of the Hewit product. They seem a bit pricey, but that may be due to good quality/service, etc. The bonded product looks interesting, because it is available in 56" width.
I was considering calling them, since shipping to me is cheaper (but slower) from the US than the UK. From their web site, they appear to be a solid company. What did you think of the quality of their samples?
In the early 80's I knew two fellows who owned a glove manufactory in Winnipeg. The business was quite old, but they were new owners. At one time hunters would bring in a green deer hide and get a pair of fine gloves in return. By the 80's most of the tanned deer was coming from Gloversville, NY. They were also starting to import finished product from Asia. It was cheaper to import than get hides tanned locally. I had never heard of Gloversville, but it appears to still be the hub of that industry. There are some eBay sellers in that area. Winnipeg used to have a quite active shmatta trade, but that was then.
By the way, I have tanned caribou, moose, and bison hide by traditional methods. It is hard work.
Thank you for the link.
Cheers,
Clarence |