Would be even worse if you were right and you probably are... I ordered a.o. the 4-ply cardigan and there it says made in Scotland in the description.
You are right, they are made in Scotland, l just found it, BUT they no longer mention the Ballantyne workers etc, so who makes their cashmere knitwear now??? You say they have become insolvent, so are they going to restructure the company and start cost cutting??? These types of things never have good endings.
güero said:
They told Crapton some years ago that they don’t source from Barrie,
Yep, definitely not Barrie, Berk had their own special skilled workforce. Barrie does make for Hermes' however, and the quality is fantastic. Barrie also took over Glenmac, and it seems like the quality is similar to the Hermes in that they use an extra thick ply of exceptional quality.
Note: GLENMAC (or Chanel / Barrie Knitwear) was acquired by CHANEL in 2012. This protected the Hawick knitwear factory, which was facing an uncertain future. This is an exceptional sweater. of PREMIUM QUALITY ~ among the best you can buy.
www.ebay.com
güero said:
which I understand took over some staff and assets from Ballantyne and now belongs to Chanel.
I have never heard that before, interesting.
güero said:
To me their cardigan looks identical to the Windsor model from Lockie, but who knows. I think there is also Corgi (but I think it’s England not Scotland, they used to produce the Cardigans for T&A until at least the last season) and Hawick Cashmere, don’t know if there is anything else left in Scotland.
Outside of those there is not much left, but of course there is Johnstons of Elgin, but l hear the cashmere is sourced from China and not inner Mongolia. There is also
https://stillmadeinbritain.co.uk/clothing/scott-charters.
Pringle has been made in India, China and Italy. So sad that the country of great cashmere Scotland has so little gems left. China has taken the jobs and sold us inferior products in return, and some have gotten rich capitalising on this absurd situation. Humans are silly, so this situation has been allowed to happen. Why would one want cheaply made products when one can have beautiful high quality products instead, but the China situation has created greed and cheapness, and has produced masses of ugliness, and created a throwaway society.
güero said:
For other products, it just says the yarn is spun in Scotland. So why wouldn’t they say made in Scotland if it were the case.
There are companies that go on about their Scottish heritage but they manufacture in China. Pringle of Scotland is one of them. None of these companies ever show their labels or mention where their knitwear is made. Ballantyne is the same, they avoid showing their labels at all cost, and trying to find out the manufacturing country is like pulling teeth. They don't want questions or to provide customer service, they just want money from suckers who ask no questions. What awful companies, but that is how things are today.
Good cashmere makers? There are good makers, but they aren't like they used to be when `made-in-Scotland was leading the world IMO. You won't find nice plush 2 ply cashmere jumpers like used to be made in Scotland except from perhaps Barrie/Hermes/Chanel, nor will you find 6 ply's anywhere like Ballantyne used to make, but you can still get nice thick Italian multi ply jumpers made in great designs for high prices, but they aren't built like the legendary Scottish stuff in my experience, but they aren't as expensive either.
As l have said before, Ballantyne used to make a 6 ply that sold for 1,500 GBP 13 years ago, and yet these days even the 12 ply's sold by Scott & Charters/Kabbaz etc are still cheaper. Lockie is also much cheaper, and l have to ask myself why, are corners being cut??
