Submitted by SweetPickleRelish t3_10bl9gl in BuyItForLife
Comments
badsandwiches t1_j4bacu9 wrote
I live near the factory, it definitely isn't a Chinese factory churning out rubbish haha. Can't speak for their bags because I've never bought one but I have some of their things which still look brand new, even down to a harness I bought for my dog which was more than well used before he outgrew it.
SlfDstructingUsrName t1_j4bjvgs wrote
If you're talking about the factory in England I'm pretty sure they just make the Beaufort and bedale there. Everything else is Moldova, Vietnam, some other places.
badsandwiches t1_j4byuda wrote
I'll be honest, since my stuff has lasted such a long time it will all say it was made in South shields so I'm not the most informed. I can say from experience that the dog's stuff, which is more recent, is good quality regardless of where it would have been made.
Isernogwattesnacken t1_j4aw4jl wrote
Cotton will never last for life and this bag was never intended to do that. Just enjoy it while it lasts.
hacknix t1_j4c6g1v wrote
Barbour is over priced and no better quality than any of the other (much cheaper) British waxed cotton manufacturers. I have a jacket by Walker and Hawkes. Quality, British made, less than half the price.
As far as BIFL bags go, my 90s Karrimor rucksacks and my 2000's Maxpedition bags, I would consider BIFL.
BandwidthBand t1_j4b0itf wrote
Barbour isn't BIFL at all. It's a fashion brand now. The pocket liner on my jacket ripped after less than a year of casual wear.
elepuddnlily t1_j4d28go wrote
A guy friend has a Barbour jacket. He said the sleeve liners are plastic which causes his arms to sweat when he wears it. Sounds like a fail to me.
SweetPickleRelish OP t1_j4apu46 wrote
I’m a bike mounted social worker in the Netherlands so finding a professional, feminine bag that can hold up to the weather has been tough. I don’t need waterproof per se, more like weather proof.
I bought this Barbour bag and I’m going to give it a try. On the one hand, I know this company is known for durability specifically in the weather conditions I need. On the other hand, the bag is fully fabric and 100% cotton so I’m worried about the durability of this specific model. Can anyone tell me a bit about Barbour fabrics? Are they all they’re chalked up to be?
tradfletcher t1_j4awows wrote
They’re heavy duty. If you’re using it every day in bad weather, then no, they won’t be bifl, but they will last reasonably well. Most Barbour stuff isn’t UK made any more, but there are loads of 50yo bags that the shooting & fishing community use that are in fine condition. Might be worth looking at specialists who make the bags themselves, rather than brands who outsource it, such as Chapman bags in Carlisle, UK, or someone closer to you in the Netherlands, rather than a brand that outsources to far flung countries.
donnie-stingray t1_j4awr1s wrote
They're known for their waxed cotton jackets, but that bag looks more like a casual item. They make good stuff that lasts generally, or at least that could last, with constant care and maintenance.
GammaRaystogo t1_j4b22uh wrote
I just had my Barbour jacket refinished (rewaxed). Said jacket is 40+ years old, has had 80,000+ miles of motorcycling in all sorts of weather, and is still in excellent condition. Having said that, and read the other comments, it's very probable that that level of quality has diminished considerably. Good luck with your bag, OP.
donnie-stingray t1_j4b7u1z wrote
Even stuff they make today is of higher standards, but you can't compare a casual bag that was probably 50-100€ to their international line of jackets that costs around 1 grand. @OP id look at a Fjallraven bag for something more suited to NL weather and riding a bike.
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Billypisschips t1_j4b0z16 wrote
A dead giveaway of Barbours falling quality is the lack of pattern matching. Older barbour items featuring the tartan (plaid) check; shirts, hats, bags etc would always match the pattern at the seams, on newer items they can't be bothered to even try (or they won't pay the Chinese factory enough for these small but important details which they are quite capable of, for a price).