A very sad tale...............

[Otter]

Thrifty Scots. One currently selling on greedbay at 30 GBP and climbing.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Thrifty Scots. One currently selling on greedbay at 30 GBP and climbing.

For a Tanner I'll try to get you a photocopy of ours, if there's still one in the factory

 

[Otter]

Did a certain somebody not already sell them all ?

 

[rendalen]

We've just had the first batch of our new commercially made (in Scotland, of course) RAF Comforts Committee Roll Necks delivered, even though I say so myself they are absolutely brilliant, virtually indistinguishable from the hand knitted ones we've been making for a few years and at a saving to the customer of almost £100 each, retail on these is £165 and that's in the very best
10 ply Guernsey 100% wool, available in Air Force Blue and/or Natural

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=818

View attachment 12237
View attachment 12238 View attachment 12239

I was thinking of getting one of these, how are they sized ? I am a 39" chest.

 

[robrinay]

View attachment 12241

Otter.
This is the one you need, we used this pattern for our hand knitted version. They show up on ebay quite often

B-Man2
Describe what you mean by turtle neck? There are so many interpretations of that term
The neck/collar on these is tall with a fold over, ie Roll Neck
Same as in the pattern, these are not to be confused with the dreadful RAF "Frock" sweater

There’s a copy on eBay UK today - I’ll post a link in the proper ‘auction talk’section.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I was thinking of getting one of these, how are they sized ? I am a 39" chest.

You'd need a Medium

 

[rendalen]

Thank you

 

[Otter]

Just back from seeing Grandma, showed her the patterns and her reaction was "Oh that's simple !"

In fairness and had just completed a look on a single pin knit and did say that the yoke and underarms were quite difficult. Long and short is she is going to do me a WWII Submariner pattern in oiled Arran wool. Will post some pictures once she finishes.

Many thanks for helping Ken !

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Otter

I'd love to know how long it takes your Gran, our best hand knitter told me it took her 20 hours

 

[Otter]

Will do Ken,

She tends to knit a little, read a little, have a cup of tea. She is bored as she is not long out of hospital with a part collapsed lung and not driving so it will give her something to do. When we were up she had finished the sweater and was more than half way through a semi complicated scarf.

 

[STEVE S.]

Ken, out of curiosity, do you have any younger knitters? I think so many things like this are soon going to be a lost art. Back in the fall, we had a mountain fair nearby that displayed all the “old ways” of doing things. There was an old lumber mill set up & running, water powered grist mill, knitting, blacksmithing etc. I took note & seemed to me that other than a good “selfie” moment, most of the younger folks weren’t interested at all.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

SteveS
Not amongst the hand knitters, there are a few youngsters in our commercial knitters and Aero's in house knitwear expert is only 23 (I don't use the term expert lightly either), she's also a brilliant leather machinist who likes to cut her own jackets so she get "a complete sense of ownership".
I think the Aero factory is bucking the trend though, we try to employ young folk wherever possible and kids with enthusiasm, seven of our current production staff are under 30 and our star machinist started as a teenager and I doubt if she was even 20 by the time she made N0 1, still is No 1 nearly 30 years later.

It think having one of the World's leading clothing Universities just round the corner helps us!

 

[zoomer]

Remember, this is Britain, where every craft from 9th century catapult building onwards has a clutch of devotees. Whereas in the US, it's all part of some industry where good business practices demand all unused machinery, tools, plans and employees be scrapped, pulped, shredded and written off before lunchtime or people will dump your stock like it's got Ebola.

 

[STEVE S.]

Good to hear. I just hate to think some of these art forms could be lost to the history books. My Dad was always good about making me learn the old ways. In the paint shop, he made me master lead filler before I was allowed to touch the modern body fillers. Always said “ you may not ever need it or even want to do it, but at least you will know how...”

 

[STEVE S.]

Remember, this is Britain, where every craft from 9th century catapult building onwards has a clutch of devotees. Whereas in the US, it's all part of some industry where good business practices demand all unused machinery, tools, plans and employees be scrapped, pulped, shredded and written off before lunchtime or people will dump your stock like it's got Ebola.

Ain’t that the truth! World of instant gratification, I want it & want it right now.

My old shop, before the fire in 2010 ruined everything was fully equipped with older machinery. Every bit of it was free to me, given by a friend who worked at FL Power. Seems they had budgeted for new equipment & the old stuff was to be buried in a hole or destroyed....

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Another of the young kids at Aero is so skilled at hand sewing she can hand stitch a label into a jacket so neatly that nobody could tell it's not been machined, and to show that talent is not handed out evenly, she's also one of the best leather machinists we've ever had.

This thread has reminded me we do have the best set of kids right now that we've ever had, now if only I could get them to stop showing up for work wearing jeggings.......................

 

[Micawber]

Remember, this is Britain, where every craft from 9th century catapult building onwards has a clutch of devotees. Whereas in the US, it's all part of some industry where good business practices demand all unused machinery, tools, plans and employees be scrapped, pulped, shredded and written off before lunchtime or people will dump your stock like it's got Ebola.

In the world of heavy horses [big horses developed and bred for agricultural work and heavy hauling] which is one of the many things I'm involved with, many people in the UK have turned to products that are still made in the States by and for the use of the likes of the Amish. There are few old style harness, collar makers, wheelwrights etc over here, what ones there are are true crafts people who continue the kind of work that was once common in every town and village in the land. As always handmade products always come at a high price.

 

[STEVE S.]

Another of the young kids at Aero is so skilled at hand sewing she can hand stitch a label into a jacket so neatly that nobody could tell it's not been machined, and to show that talent is not handed out evenly, she's also one of the best leather machinists we've ever had.

This thread has reminded me we do have the best set of kids right now that we've ever had, now if only I could get them to stop showing up for work wearing jeggings.......................

Sounds like you have a good crop of youngsters. Count your blessings if jeggins are all you have to deal with!

 

[Smithy]

Yeah it could be worse Ken...dirty denim!

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Ain’t that the truth! World of instant gratification, I want it & want it right now.

My old shop, before the fire in 2010 ruined everything was fully equipped with older machinery. Every bit of it was free to me, given by a friend who worked at FL Power. Seems they had budgeted for new equipment & the old stuff was to be buried in a hole or destroyed....

Much to my chagrin over the years we've had to phase out virtually all the vintage Singer machines in favour of Japanese repros, all down to the demise of good mechanics and our geographic location, 4 hour round trip from Glasgow and the last source of quality mechanics
In my defence I still use an early 1900s Singer Treadle for fine detail work and fitting jersey.