Mushrooms: are they the LEAST understood life form? I was raised with the idea that fungi is neither plant nor animal, and somehow therefore less significant than lifeforms that can lord it up with their very own kingdom. I was also told not to pick them, but the ones from shops taste great when fried … Read more
You can buy Logwood Trap Dye online from Dartmoor Sheepskins in the UK. Logwood chemically converts rust (iron oxide) into a more stable compound (ferric tannate). The tannic acid in the ground logwood bark can convert any surface rust it comes into contact with, but it won’t ‘soak in’.Start your rust conversion by removing any … Read more
The tannic acid in logwood bark reacts with the iron within the rust, and this produces iron tannate – which is much more stable than rust. American trappers use logwood bark in a hot dye bath to chemically convert the rust on their traps. The logwood is loaded with tannin – tannic acid, which reacts … Read more
Cross breeds seem to be the order of the day and we have a whole bunch of rare breed ruminants to choose from. All our sheepskin rugs come from animals that have already entered the food chain, and as such we receive the skins of animals that have been slaughtered. We don’t get to choose … Read more
Why are Brixham trawler sails red? People often wonder why the Brixham trawlers had red sails? Few of these boats are still water tight – and very few, if any, skippers will still be using the old methods of sail maintenance. But why where the sails painted red, is the red colour a preservative of … Read more
An excited dog barks, tail wagging, as it runs out from behind a snowy ATV – the Reindeer have arrived! Life won’t return to ‘normal’ for months. “What is good for the Reindeer is good for the Sami” Where do the Reindeer come from? It’s thought that after the last Ice Age reindeer began pushing … Read more
Spring is nearly sprung here in Devon (the snowdrops are out at any rate), and this means we need to make way for the new year’s stock. This makes it a good day to pick up a sheepskin of your own – we ship worldwide, so wherever you want to use one, it’s cool with … Read more
We like to work with skilled people, and our hunt has unearthed a real treasure in the form of a shepherd on Shetland raising sheep for wool. A shepherd on Shetland, one of the ancestral homes of British sheep full stop and forerunner of the UK Flock. Also, very far north. So far north in … Read more
For most of our customers, I suspect most people, standard luxury is probably better than much of the stuff at the “high end”, and definitely better than no luxury at all! I say this because as you go up in price flavours can become more of an acquired taste. Specific and developed in one particular area, … Read more
Can you wash a sheepskin at 60 degrees Celsius? (140 Fahrenheit) Can you wash a sheepskin at 60 degrees?. Will a sheepskin survive a very hot wash? A customer emailed in to see if sheepskins can be washed at 60 degrees Celsius. Her local dust mites had proven to be awful house guests and had … Read more