Home > Clothing > Glenbrae Knitwear

Well we knew it would happen, but here it comes.... with the nights drawing in and the clocks turned back from BST we are faced with the change of the seasons, despite a fine long summer there is now a distinct nip in the air, no longer can we turn up to a shoot in a t shirt and weather be damned. We are all going to have to think about what we will wear to our next shoot. Archers will go to extraordinary lengths to keep warm but stay flexible, rather annoyingly pretty much every item of clothing that has ever been deigned was done so  without the archer in mind, consequently the action of raising ones arms will most often distort the shape of a garment and in some cases can be almost impossible... if you are not comfortable and free to move then the archery just won't flow. Archers therefore are always on the look out for something which will offer the protection and warmth required on a winters day shoot but still allow a comfortable draw.

Recently a friend of mine was foolish enough to announce to our club that he had struck clothing gold by purchasing a beautifully tailored waterproof jacket.......... it was in fact a ladies jacket and despite his protestations that a ladies cut allowed him a little extra wriggle room in the chest and hip department and enabled him to draw his bow unencumbered he was soon offered all manner of sexy womens clothing, just check out the guy in the fetching mac at your next shoot... see which way the buttons are fastened.... and if you spot him be sure to give him a wolf whistle !

I too am looking for the perfect archery kit but I draw the line at shopping in Miss Selfridge. You can imagine how thrilled I was to be contacted by Glenbrea the knitwear manufacturers. More commonly associated with the golf market where the demands of the outdoor sportsman is similar to those of the committed archer, Glenbrae asked us to field test a couple of their new range of outdoor Merino jumpers. Due to their wealth of experience in the Golf market Glenbrae recently set up a new branch of the company to deal with other field and country sports, from Shooting to fishing and now, archery. They have developed a comprehensive range of knitwear that will do all the stuff we want it to as an item of clothing but also work for those of us that need a garment to go above and beyond and fit in with our chosen activity.

First we need to know a few things about the company and their methods of production and the ethos behind the top of the range kit they produce.

For once I am happy to report that we are dealing with a British company, not just a company that is based in Britain and uses manufacturers abroad to source and produce its product but a company that takes a hands on quality based approach... the way it used to be before profit and greed were put ahead of quality, reputation and customer service...

Glenbrae start by sourcing the very best wools from the very best farms, their no compromise approach means that there is only one place where these wools can be cleaned, carded, combed and then spun... Yorkshire of course... the home of the wool mill.

Everything from the dying, knitting, hand finishing and embroidery is then completed in their own Derbyshire factory. The focus for Glenbrae is very much on performance, although you could wear an item like this anywhere it really comes into it's own when used by the Sportsman.

We took ours out on a misty, damp November morning, the opportunity to ham it up with some outrageous "catalogue poses" was just too tempting !!! We had at our disposal 2 of their many designs, for me a Mans Black Zip Neck Spirol Lambswool jumper and Caroline is sporting a wonderful ladies Sia lined Jumper in Navy which is wind and water resistant.

I like to shoot without a jacket whenever possible and the jumper made a much better alternative to a fleece, firstly it has fitted cuffs and hem, the very nature of a knitted top allows an element of stretch that is not available with something like a fleece which has no alternative than to "move" with you, this can create all sorts of issues for an archer, I also shoot without a bracer ( unless using an English longbow... I always catch myself at some point with one of these and it hurts !), however a fleece and no bracer can lead to material getting in the way of the string, the jumper caused no problems at all. Being as the day was damp the wool also showed it versatility and ability to retain warmth, it seems that in recent times man made fibres have supplanted the more organic materials that were used for millennia, I too have fallen into this pattern of buying cheaper garments, it only took a morning shooting in a proper jumper to realise the benefits both in comfort and sheer utility that a quality garment can bestow.... not to mention the fact that several people commented on how good I looked... mind you having reviewed the photos I have to agree !!

Reading this you might think the jumpers are produced by little old ladies sitting in rocking chairs.. nothing could be further from the truth, despite the materials being traditional the technologies involved are without doubt 21st century. For a start the yarn in the "Spirol" sweater is a Merino Lambswool mixed with Spirol which has special elastic properties allowing the garment to keep and hold it's shape and not to go "bobbly"... The real coup though is the fact that the jumper is made on a knitting machine with seamless technology.... what you have is a one piece jumper with no seams to bunch up and get in the way... the bottom line here is total comfort and movement... isn't that all an archer is asking for ? 

For Caroline the lining was essential, she can sit beside a roaring log fire and still complain of the cold, it was nice not to have to part with my own clothing for once, as usually happens when we are out on a shoot...  this jumper is an 80/20 mix of Lambswool and Polymide and has a water resistant coating.In these days when everything seems to be vying for it's hi-tech place and stuff advertises itself on being new and modern it is refreshing to be able to own a product that places a value on tradition and quality, couple that with the functionality of a material that was designed by nature to provide warmth, protection and weatherproofing and it seems blatantly obvious that everyone should own at least one item of clothing that offers character, individuality and style..... as an archer you need look no further....

Check out the full range of styles and colours at www.glenbraecountrywear.com

Rating
Features & Design
So much more than just a knitted jumper. Combining timeless natural materials with the latest yarn and knitting techniques Glenbrae have poduced a technial garment to suit us.. the archers..
Performance
Awesome, with so many advantages over man made fibres from a sportsman point of view the degree of weatherproofing offered is exceptional.
Value for Money
You would not expect a Ferrari for the price of a Suzuki ( no offense Suzuki.) and the value for money thing is often confused with the "cheap" thing... this is a superb Brithish made quality item designed for life, not just as a seasonal fashion item... it is made with the outdoor man in mind so needs to be robust enough to cope with the sort of things an active person who spends time in the fields, woods and glens is going to encounter... not just superb value... this is an investment in yourself.. God knows you deserve it !!
Overall
I said it earlier... everyone should have 1 item that does it's job at the level of excellence, for me this is a real feel good product - I actually enjoy wearing it ...

 

 

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Steve Nicholson and Andy Gilfrin, are real archers interested in the best archery suppliers have to offer. In our search for the very best bow, arrows and equipment we have shot, used and worn pretty much everything on offer.

We value feedback from users and suppliers and are keen to hear from you if you wish to contact us about anything on the website.

Contact Steve .. steve@archers-review.com

Contact Andy .. andy@archers-review.com

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Essential Details
What : Glenbrae Knitwear Price : From £69.99

 

Magazine

Magazine We were very pleased to give our support to the James Whale Kidney Foundation shoot which we cover in this months magazine. We were also contacted by Lars Pilø with news on the archery related finds on Jovfonna, and while we couldn't get out there ourselves Lars kindly filled in some background information for us.


A mixed bag this month, me in the South West, Geoff putting the record straight, a chat with Keith Stay and the wisdom comes from South Cox of Stalker bows. 

We take a tour the length and breadth of the British mainland to visit Scotland with Border Bows, Yorkshire with Aidy Hayes, the Wirral with Jason from thelongbowshop.com, down South with the Company of Canterbury Longbowman, and Geoff is in Spain.

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