https://ukmade.wordpress.com is 1 year old today!

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ukmade – celebrating British manufacturing – helping you source British made goods.

#BuyBritish  #UKMade – UK Made – Made in Great Britain – Recommendations of quality products made in the British Isles – Made in the UK – British Made.

https://ukmade.wordpress.com

Why not make a conscious preference to buy British during the next year?

Manufacturing in the UK allows companies to control supply, guarantee quality, offer flexibility and to be ethical and environmentally sound.

You or your company or organisation can support British companies and British jobs and be environmentally friendly (by reducing your carbon footprint through reducing the miles goods are transported) by buying British.

ukmade is 1 year old today!

I hope you find ukmade useful and enjoyable 🙂

Happy Birthday ukmade!

117 thoughts on “https://ukmade.wordpress.com is 1 year old today!”

    1. ukmade Post author

      Thanks 🙂 I suspect there might be less updates in the coming year due to other stuff going on but I’ll keep at it. Positive comments like your make all the effort worth while and make writing so much more enjoyable.

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      2. ukmade Post author

        Hello. Thank you for your comment. I have added details about Concord Filing Products, as well as some information on their recent acquisition by Pukka Pads. Concord make great products. I hope they will continue to make them all in the UK. Thanks for pointing out this omission.

      5. Ariel

        Also,
        I just remembered
        Connectix Cabling System make some of their stuff in the UK (put under DIY, for telephone extensions and advanced home networking)
        I would suggest that you contact them to find out what is made where

      9. ukmade Post author

        Thanks for your comment, both look good and it’s unusual to find a clock made in Britain these days so I am particularly struck by that.

    1. ukmade Post author

      Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kind words 🙂

      Your blog is fab too. I recently enjoyed listening to Gary Newman, seeing pics of cats eating ice cream via your twitter feed and reading your well written words about support. Thanks.

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    1. Ariel

      A lot of their products are own branded under many differerent names. All the stuff branded Tru… eg TruPower, et cetera, is own branded (mostly imported)

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      2. Ariel

        Also, “Zero In” anti-moth products are made in the UK.
        also,
        And most PVA glues you see at hardware stores are made in the UK.

    1. ukmade Post author

      Hi again. Thanks for your comment. Betts tools offer a good range of tools and from their website it appears they are all made in England. Please let me know what they say about country of origin when you write to them. Thanks.

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      1. Ariel

        No response. I think they may be having a technical problem, or maybe they just don’t care about individuals.
        I found this: http://www.brianclegg.co.uk/
        I do not know if you have it already on your website, but they say they make in UK, and add it if you do not.

      2. ukmade Post author

        I wrote to Betts Tools about country of origin too and I have not had a reply yet. I have said this on a short write-up on them in my tools section. I have also mentioned Brian Clegg in 3 places on my site. Thanks for your input and let’s keep buying British where we can. Cheers

      3. Ariel Barto

        I bought 3 pairs of Whiteley scissors, they arrived and are fantastic quality. 1 for myself, 2 as presents for poeple who only have crap oes.

      4. ukmade Post author

        Thanks for sharing. You’re right you can literally feel the difference in quality and you know they will last. Cheers.

  6. Ariel

    I very much like Milliput. Good quality, sensible price. Sugru is overpriced and god knows where it is made.

    ALSO, ANTEX soldering irons. Made in Devon. They do not boast about it on their website, but if you look closely on the photos, it says MADE IN ENGLAND. Good thing I found that out, I was about to buy a Draper one.

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  7. Ariel

    I think only the ones with thin yellow handles are made in england. It only says those words on the yellow handle ones.

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      1. ukmade Post author

        That’s fab. Thanks. I have added Doncaster Cables. Thanks again for your input. I am really excited that you have been able to find so many great British makers of so many great things.

      2. Ariel

        I am very surprised to find out that Sugru is made in the UK. Add it in DIY. It is pricier than milliput but it more flexible

  9. Ariel

    When I said that Betts Tools were impossible to contact, and you confirmed that, I think it is also impossible to buy their tools. Maybe they went out of business but forgot to close down their website. Maybe try phoning them??

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  10. Ariel

    Does this website include Republic of Ireland? And if Scotland becomes independant, will this still include it. Because technicially, ROI is not UK, and Scotland might not be UK in a few months time.

    Maybe “Made in British Isles” would be better, as that means both UK and Ireland.

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Hi. Yes, perhaps I’ll ring them. I found a few of their products on eBay. Probably they are also known as S Betts & Sons Ltd. Cheers.

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    2. ukmade Post author

      Hi. This website is happy to include products from all of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, plus offshore islands such as the Isle of Man and in theory at least overseas territories too. It does not feature any products from the Republic of Ireland. Should Scotland become independent from the UK I will have to consider the place of Scottish made products on this site and whether they should be excluded from the site. It might depend on Scotland’s final status should they vote for independence. Cheers.

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      1. Ariel Barton

        At the top of the page, it says “Made in Great Britain – recommendations of quality products made in the British Isles – Made in the UK”, and British Isles means the UK and southern ireland, it would probabaly be a good idea to change that, but it does not matter hugely.

        With regards to Betts Tools, if you type S betts and son into google, you get lots of directory websites which have s betts and sons on it, but no shops that sell their products.
        If you type s betts and son into Ebay, you get nothing.

      2. ukmade Post author

        Yes, you are quite right. Really it should say ‘Made in Great Britain – recommendations of quality products made in the British Isles (excluding the Republic of Ireland) – Made in the UK’. I will have think if there is a better way to express this whilst still keeping it simple enough for everyone to understand and to find in search engines. I have though now changed by “about” page to make it clearer what my aims are. Have a look and let me know of anything there does not make sense. Some of the things I say can perhaps come across as slightly contradictory at times to some. I will also added a video to explain the UK to everyone.

        As I say I founds some Betts tools by searching for Betts tools in eBay but I don’t know of anywhere myself that sells their tools. From their website though it does say they make tools for other people too.

    1. ukmade Post author

      Hi. Thank you. APL Chemicals should put a bit on their website home page to say their cleaning products are made in the UK.

      What is “rustlings” please?

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      1. Ariel Barton

        Sorry, I was in a hurry and spelt it wrong. I bought a botte of rust removal chemical, made by a brand called Rustins (which i spelt wrong before), which says on the back of it that it is made in the UK

    1. ukmade Post author

      Nice find. They even make door stops in the UK I see. I have not been able to find anyone else who does so. I wonder where you can get their products?

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      1. Ariel

        I have seen in hardware stores awls and simiar branded by tool companies (you know the type that don’t make tools but import s**t from china mostly (i guess sometimes the UK) and write their name on it)
        Note that the products that are not linic branded are most likely imported.
        From Ebay
        http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=spoorp&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313&_nkw=linic&_sacat=0&_from=R40
        Their website:
        http://www.proopsbrothers.com/cgi-bin/ss000002.pl?TB=A&GB=&SS=linic&PR=-1&PG=&REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.proopsbrothers.com%2facatalog%2fOnline_Catalogue_Home___DIY_8.html&PN=0
        Or Amazon (I dont like them because they do not pay tax)
        http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=&seller=A1FZ59R24J6ORA
        It is a bit tricky to search for them on the internet because the search engine thinks you are searching for clinic and have made a spelling mistake.

  13. Ariel

    I guess you will have to rewrite your DIY section and garden section and similar.
    Some of their stuff is recycled plastic, a bonus.

    Please remember that they are a plastics company, so their clamps and similar are reinforced plastic, not metal.

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      1. Ariel Barton

        What happened is I decided that I needed some more clamps, you can probably see from the brands I have recommended that I am keen on DIY, and making things, so I searched on Ebay for clamp, and suddenly something popped up saying BRITISH MADE CLAMP NEW, and from there I investigated what brand, and researched.

      4. ukmade Post author

        Another good find. Thanks. Many of the products in the Footprint Tools range are shown as being made in the UK.

  14. Ariel Barton

    Starrett is a very international company that just happens to have factories in the UK. you can usually see on the photos that it either says uk made, or american made or nothing (china)

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Interesting article. Thanks. Still quite a bit of British made tech out there. I’d like to see a Zoostorm computer.I don’t know anyone who has one.

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      1. Ariel Barton

        Why don’t you do one of those big things that appears on your homepage about it.

      3. Ariel Barton

        About british made computers in general. Because most people think that all computer are made in South East asia.

      1. Ariel

        What I do is whenever I am in the shops I look at the back of the packets of a couple of things at random, see where they are made, then tell you.

  19. Ariel

    Write that Bostick prodcuts sold in UK are usually also made here. (instead of saying blu tack or similar)

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  20. Ariel

    I recently ordered some tools online, and having accepted that not many tools were made in the UK, I just bought whatever looked good quality, excluding file handles (linic ones that are rebranded). One of the things I got was a hickory hammer handle, which said that it was made in Great Britain. Interesting. I thought hickory was grown in the USA…

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  21. Ariel Barton

    King Dick told me that all their tools are british made.
    Either it has changed or the customer services person was wrong.

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Hi. Most King Dick products are made in England, but not all. THis is what they told me in February 2013 and I doubt the situation has changed – “I am pleased to confirm that the majority of the King Dick range of products is made here in Birmingham at our factory. These include all wrenches; ring, combination, sloggers, podgers etc, and socketry. It is not physically possible to make all items here, so some items are made for us, such as our pliers and screwdrivers, which are made in Europe”.

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Hi

      I added Brannan at http://wp.me/p2KOue-wT and at http://wp.me/p2KOue-T4. Replica foods are something you see in the windows of restaurants in Japan and are a great idea. I suppose they must be used for displays in the UK too and it is nice to hear that they are being manufactured in the UK. I am not sure that all their products are UK made as this is not clear from their website. I have also added them at http://wp.me/p2KOue-T4 (although I am not sure if this is the right place!). Thanks.

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  28. Ariel Barton

    With talon saw blades, please change it. I contacted them, and they said that ONLY their Junior hacksaw frames and blades are made in the UK. Nothing else. Rest is imported

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  31. Ariel Barton

    I can’t believe how cheap they are – The prices stated include VAT, and postage is free on all items.

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  34. Mark Brearley

    Hello UK Made. I have enjoyed browsing your excellent website. I am the proprietor of Kaymet. We have been manufacturing aluminium trays, trolleys and hotplates in London since 1947. Please do take a look at our website (kaymet.co.uk), and see us on Instagram (kaymetlondon). We are proud to export to 17 countries from our Bermondsey factory. Good wishes to you. Mark Brearley, Kaymet.

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Hello. Thank you for your kind comment. I’d like to support you, so I have written a short article with a few pictures. Let me know if anything needs changing. All the best.

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    1. ukmade Post author

      Thanks for sharing. I have tried to source a UK made hot water bottle a few times in the last couple of years with no luck. Hot water bottles these days seem to be made in Germany or China.

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  37. Ariel Barton

    Please add MK Electric
    Their sockets are made in the UK.

    Their other products are not, but however are still very high quality

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      2. ukmade Post author

        Good question.

        My pen of choice is always a fountain pen and I am fortunate over the years (before the factory closed) to have still got a number of made in the UK Parker fountain pens which I still use.

        My favourite is the Parker 25.

        I generally fill the pens using made in England Diamine ink from a bottle. http://www.diamineinks.co.uk

        Diamine also make ink cartridges but these are Euro style and do not fit in Parker pens. In some of my pens I do use Parker ink cartridges (these are made in France these days).

        For pencils I use a Derwent Pencil (with careful selection you can still get a made in England one). I also use a made in Japan propelling pencil sometimes. I have a couple of old made in the UK Parker propelling pencils too. http://www.pencils.co.uk

        For when I am out and about (which is much of the time) I use a made in Japan Muji gel pen – http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=13&Sub=52&PID=5162. Unlike fountain pens I find these don’t get messy when I carry one and they write rather like a fountain pen.

        I keep an old made in the UK Parker Jotter fountain pen (filled uses Parker cartridges for convenience) at work too.

        If I need a biro (which is rare) I use a made in France Bic Cristal disposable ballpoint pen. These are reliable, cheap and write well. I also have, but generally do not use, old made in the UK Parker biros which write well too.

        I have a number of other fountain pens and pencils too, mostly old British made ones. Other Parkers, Platignum Pens, Berol pens, Royal Sovereign pencils, etc.

        I wrote an article on British made pens and pencils which you can find at https://ukmade.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/british-made-pens-and-pencils-pencil-cases-and-rulers/

        Realistically, as pens are no longer mass produced pens made in the UK, there are no cheap good ones.

        What do you write with?

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