Best wool hunting suit?

Altitude sickness said:
Wow! That is some heavy high quality wool.

There probably are not many mills left making that heavy of wool.
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Actually, there are a few, but I don't think there are any within the USA doing "loden" , much of what I have seen is technically "boiled wool".

However, there are clothiers who import loden from europe, but none are producing Hunting/Sporting apperal.
 
farmer_john said:
Any good suitmakers that you recomend
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Norton Ditto in Houston Tx . Is where I went
Here is a sample of their work ( definitely very expensive and time consuming ! Luckily I have family business in Houston to warrant the trips to get fitted)
IMG_1899.jpeg
 
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In my previous post regarding possible sources for european style hunting/sporting apperal , I forgot to include "Cordings" in the UK .... again, shipping to AK could be an issue, but for some companies it is not.

Also, there was a previous AH thread on a similar topic that had some useful info -

"https://www.africahunting.com/threads/european-alpine-hunting-clothes.95146/"
 
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akrifleman said:
I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
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Have you seen into ravno.no they make ventile garments. But you need proper clothing underneath.
 
farmer_john said:
Any good suitmakers that you recomend
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I think they are all about gone if we're talking about made to order scottish wool hunting suits? Stewart Sargent in the Midlands was doing his best to keep it going 15 years ago, but I don't think he could make it work at 2500 pounds a go, plus duty/shipping. He was telling me at the time that he and one other firm were the total remaining of the Midlands Tweed Garment industry.

There are foreign imports that are mass produced like Laksen (polish?) and others, but nothing bespoke that is using real Scottish tweed where you get to select the swatches and they get a bolt of cloth from the Hebrides to your specs.

People won't pay for quality until you can't get it for any price. I have two business sport coats made in England by Stewart I wear in the office all the time too. They were great suitors.

Holland & Holland has shooting suits, but they are thin and I suspect they are imported. They are also obscenely expensive for off-the-rack garments.
 
Akrifleman
akrifleman said:
I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
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Dear Akrifleman, I am a supporter of the style of hunting clothing, just like you. I mostly have Blaser suits. I've been wearing them for the last 10 years and actually only use them. (Before Blaser i use Chevalier). I have them made of wool, but most of them are made of modern materials. However, I think you would like the suits from Habsburg manufacture. You can look at their offer. They have a high price, but the quality is excellent
 
rookhawk said:
I think they are all about gone if we're talking about made to order scottish wool hunting suits? Stewart Sargent in the Midlands was doing his best to keep it going 15 years ago, but I don't think he could make it work at 2500 pounds a go, plus duty/shipping. He was telling me at the time that he and one other firm were the total remaining of the Midlands Tweed Garment industry.

There are foreign imports that are mass produced like Laksen (polish?) and others, but nothing bespoke that is using real Scottish tweed where you get to select the swatches and they get a bolt of cloth from the Hebrides to your specs.

People won't pay for quality until you can't get it for any price. I have two business sport coats made in England by Stewart I wear in the office all the time too. They were great suitors.

Holland & Holland has shooting suits, but they are thin and I suspect they are imported. They are also obscenely expensive for off-the-rack garments.
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It was my understanding that House of Bruar sources their woolens - Tweeds, Mohair blends, Lambs wool, Merino, etc.... locally from within the British Isles from - Harris Tweed, Lochcarron of Scotland, Lovat Mill , British Weaving Partners, etc... , to include some european continent Wool & Linen makers. I was told the same applies to Cording. I state that due to inquiring at my local tailor shop, when I was in being fitted for a new suit, they stated what was available to them, andvwhat was available from other It is likely the offerings are not the same as that which was available 30 - 40yrs ago, but in the 21st Cent. it is to be expected as the trend for everything is for it to be "lighter" or "less taxing" , so lower thread counts, lighter ounce textiles in the preference of the masses. As was already stated the same applies to rifles/shotguns & calibers/bores, the masses want lighter. So, the fact traditional clothing offerings being lesser is of no surprise.
Which I am surprised there hasn't been the errant comment poking fun at this thread, as some think the notion of wearing anything other than the latest greatest modern offering is "playing dress-up".
 
Xpraetor said:
It was my understanding that House of Bruar sources their woolens - Tweeds, Mohair blends, Lambs wool, Merino, etc.... locally from within the British Isles from - Harris Tweed, Lochcarron of Scotland, Lovat Mill , British Weaving Partners, etc... , to include some european continent Wool & Linen makers. I was told the same applies to Cording. I state that due to inquiring at my local tailor shop, when I was in being fitted for a new suit, they stated what was available to them, andvwhat was available from other It is likely the offerings are not the same as that which was available 30 - 40yrs ago, but in the 21st Cent. it is to be expected as the trend for everything is for it to be "lighter" or "less taxing" , so lower thread counts, lighter ounce textiles in the preference of the masses. As was already stated the same applies to rifles/shotguns & calibers/bores, the masses want lighter. So, the fact traditional clothing offerings being lesser is of no surprise.
Which I am surprised there hasn't been the errant comment poking fun at this thread, as some think the notion of wearing anything other than the latest greatest modern offering is "playing dress-up".
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If someone wants to accuse me of playing dress up, or chasing some romantic notion of a time past, they are welcome to. I'm sure I stole a movie line, and I don't care if casual Friday has turned into wearing crocs to work daily, I still think Clothes Maketh the Man.
 
RHG said:
Have you seen into ravno.no they make ventile garments. But you need proper clothing underneath.
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I haven't. I was far more aware of German and Scottish clothes, but suspected the Scandinavian countries had similar with probably better layering options. But, I don't know that... I'm leaning as we speak.
 
akrifleman said:
I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
Click to expand...
The very best I ever owned for over 20 years with no sign of wear was light weight, yet wind and rain could not penetrate came from New Zealand given its high lanaline content. Sorry I don’t remember the brand but without question New Zealand has the best wool hunting clothes with my above characteristics
 
I have some knowledge as a customer and acquaintance of the Lovatt mill.

I have a friend who is 3rd generation tailor in the Scottish Borders, he supplies the shooting tweeds for many estates in Scotland, I have 2 tailored for me.

Point being there are a few local tailors still on the go in Scotland, that aren’t part of the big house names previously mentioned, but who’s quality is still very high both in cloth and skill.

I have shot with the lads that run and own Lovatt mill, which is one of a few Scottish Borders mills still making tweeds.

Lovatt mill would be able to advise you on the best cloth for your needs. For example a keepers tweed, which runs very heavy (900grms per yard), might works for your needs. It’s named such due to its high abrasive quality when crawling through heather, which is brutal on modern water proof clothing.

The mill have a wide range of tweeds weights and designs for different uses and climate. Might be worth dropping them a line I’m sure they can recommend a outlet or tailor who can help.
 
Fargo Boyle said:
I have some knowledge as a customer and acquaintance of the Lovatt mill.

I have a friend who is 3rd generation tailor in the Scottish Borders, he supplies the shooting tweeds for many estates in Scotland, I have 2 tailored for me.

Point being there are a few local tailors still on the go in Scotland, that aren’t part of the big house names previously mentioned, but who’s quality is still very high both in cloth and skill.

I have shot with the lads that run and own Lovatt mill, which is one of a few Scottish Borders mills still making tweeds.

Lovatt mill would be able to advise you on the best cloth for your needs. For example a keepers tweed, which runs very heavy (900grms per yard), might works for your needs. It’s named such due to its high abrasive quality when crawling through heather, which is brutal on modern water proof clothing.

The mill have a wide range of tweeds weights and designs for different uses and climate. Might be worth dropping them a line I’m sure they can recommend a outlet or tailor who can help.
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Each estate has a unique type of heather. The Scots were making woolen camouflage that matched the Fall foiliage and late Autumn flowers. That’s why no two estates has the same exact pattern.

The Brits were civilized and remarkable hunters, Americans assume merely the former.
 
Icefox has European style for Arctic. Very high quality.
 
Arctic conditions vary. In the Summer of '72 I quit my job in June and was enrolled in college that started in September- so I had three months to do whatever I wanted. My brother in law and I drove my Porsche to Circle,AK- at that time the farthest point of connected roadway in North America. I got out and BIL drove the car back to Oregon. I spent the Summer rafting down the Yukon with hikes to the interior. I don't know what the temps were but I never got cold. On my way out I rafted into Fort Yukon, stayed a night in the hotel and caught a flight out the next day to Fairbanks. I was amused by a group of tourists- they were on a trip to the Arctic Circle. They were dressed in down parkas complete with fur ruffs. The temp must have been 70+F- but they had pictures taken of them in the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile I was wearing Levis and a utility jacket leftover from military service. No one asked for my photograph. I can see where someone would be adequately dressed in Interior Alaska during the transitional parts of the year while wearing wool clothes that are stylish.
 
akrifleman said:
If someone wants to accuse me of playing dress up, or chasing some romantic notion of a time past, they are welcome to. I'm sure I stole a movie line, and I don't care if casual Friday has turned into wearing crocs to work daily, I still think Clothes Maketh the Man.
Click to expand...
Same.
 
akrifleman said:
I haven't. I was far more aware of German and Scottish clothes, but suspected the Scandinavian countries had similar with probably better layering options. But, I don't know that... I'm leaning as we speak.
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I think they dress way nicer than we do here in Norway, and i guess it’s also a cultural and what you are used to wear. That ventile garment is very good, if i remember right. It was invented (but definitely used) during ww2. Google it
Hope you find what you are looking for.
R
 
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