barbour jackets

[Fisherman Mike]

The original and best... A decent Barbour thornproof is worth its weight in gold imo. You can keep all that poncey Scandinavian survival gear made in Asia for a tenner and sold for 3 or 4 hundred....we will still be wearing them in 200 years time when all of these "superior" manufacturers have disappeared.

[novice cushie shooter]

Love my beadale and if i had cash would defo have another. I would second country attire and out of the city are very good.

 

Failing that go to a game fair next year, bound to get a deal or 2.

[wildfowler.250]

heavy on fashion rather than practical durability nowadays.

Shocking

 

In all seriousness. They look good,(and I have 2) but not a jacket I would use for shooting. Fine for if you're heading "out" though.

 

ps probably better jackets for the money I think

Edited October 21, 2013 by wildfowler.250

[Dirty Harry]

If you look at the Barbour website it tells you what shops sell what ranges. I got my last one from the Covent Garden shop. They stock most ranges and had all sizes of the classic range.

[Sprackles]

I have my Drizabone and Kakadoo coats...had them sent from OZ although you can get them in the UK at a lot higher price....I ran the gauntlet of UK Customs import duty, won one, lost one but still worked out cheaper that way.

My full length coat may look outdated but believe me..when its a wet day in the hide, its a godsend....keeps me dry and warm.

 

Edited October 23, 2013 by Sprackles

[masmiffy]

Wish I could get another Barbour Solway jacket.

Mine has now seen better days after 30 odd years.

Did send it back to Barbour once for a refurb came back like a 'new' one.

Sadly I think it is now beyond a service.

[Penelope]

I have and occasional use my grandfather's old Barbour Solway Zipper, over 40 years old now.

The original and best... A decent Barbour thornproof is worth its weight in gold imo. You can keep all that poncey Scandinavian survival gear made in Asia for a tenner and sold for 3 or 4 hundred....we will still be wearing them in 200 years time when all of these "superior" manufacturers have disappeared.

[Dominicrobed]

I bought my first wax barbour a nice Northumbria and got the optional hood.

I love it much better than my rivers west coat.

When I get it re waxed next year I'm getting a game pocket fitted to the back as wish it had one but they quoted me £40 to do this so not to much.

[Fagus Sylvatica]

I was 13 when I got my first Barbour, although, it wasn't a Barbour, but it was an excellent Barbour look-a-like. Keeper Wear; I think was it was called.

My father had a shop at the time in a small market town, and I must have passed my exams, or got a good school report, since he said that, if he had a good day on Monday; trade wise - Monday, being the cattle and sheep market day in town, thus, a lot of trade, he'd buy me the Keeper Wear coat off the market stand that sold country man's garb.

And he did. I was old enough at that time to start beating at the local estate ( Haddon) and also at a syndicate, whose members were friends of my Dad's. And that's how I started a love affair with the country side and country sports.

I wore the Keeper Wear wax coat, day in and day out. Wore it through Winter on my paper round riding a Raleigh Arena and snagged it a thousand times on barbered wire.

My Dad said 'throw it away', but it'd established a character of its own by then and I felt authentic, in wearing it. I also knew the provenance of all the rips and tears in it.

When I was a little older, I went to Newton Rigg to study Forestry and the coat my Dad had bought went with me - rips and all.

I opted to do work experience with the Peak District National Park's Forestry Works Department as part of my course. Part of the package was a pair of locally made boots ( Calver ), and a Barbour Solway Zipper coat, together with the necessary chain saw PPE - which wasn't much in 1996 - '97.

Solway Zipper's are good against the rain, but stiffen like boards when wet and cold, but I liked it, and wore it for shooting and fishing trips as well as for work. I had Barbour leggings for Christmas and a hood for birthday, then my Dad borrowed it to nip down the pub one night and it never returned. He bought me a replacement, but it wasn't a Barbour and was destroyed in a matter of months.

And that's where things fell apart. The coat disintegrated. I found other unhealthier interests, other than shooting and fishing. I changed track career wise and my parents marriage fell apart.

I left England in the early 90's and have made only visits since.

I hadn't worn a coat for 20 years until three weeks ago, when I was back home. I spent most of my time at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, where my father was critical with end stage lung cancer. He was moved to Newholme Hospital for palliative care 10 days ago, about the time, the wet / cold weather started and my Step Mother lent me his Northumbria coat. Since hospitals are depressing places, I'd take myself off for a long work after visiting and reacquainted myself with the joys of a well made country man's coat - conkers ! You can fill the pockets to over brimming - At a difficult time, I'd sit by my father's bed and say "look at these - that's a 6'er at least" Then we'd look out the window and I'd talk, since he was struggling to, about strategies for decoying wood pigeons in order to augment the hospital menu.

Before I returned, my father asked me to write an amendment to his will. He asked, if there was anything I wanted. I now have in trust, a Barbour Northumbria coat.

I missed the majority of the last 20 years with him, and am just beginning to realize just what I missed; I may never know what caused the rip on the left sleeve, or the tear on the inside lining, or why the dry flys are on the right of the collar and there's a wet fly leader in the left hand pocket. Stories I will never hear.

 

RIP : Dad : Peter Wilson /05/ '39 - 23 /10 / 2013 - An English Country Gentleman and Fly Fisherman Extraordinaire.

 

[Hamster]

Lovely and touching farewell, may he RIP.