Wool

Wool is a sustainable resource. Not renewable. Sheep need fuel too. However the fleeces we use are plentiful. We use wool from upland, hill-farmed sheep, historically used in the UK carpet industry. Demand for this wool has declined and is considered almost worthless, a by-product of sheep farming. 

By using traditional, hardy breeds we are supporting British farms and reducing the carbon footprint of our product. In addition to reducing our carbon footprint, when buying British wool you are keeping traditional skills and craftsmanship alive.  

Herdwick
We have focused on using wool from Herdwick sheep, the iconic breed of the British Lake District. This wool is wiry, dark and coarse. Regarded as the most hardy of all British breeds, they roam the high fells for most of the year, naturally hefting themselves to the land. This sense of place removes the need for walls high on the open fells with their instinct keeping them rooted to the place they have always lived. It is believed that up to 99% of all Herdwick sheep are farmed in the central and western Lake District, with 95% of the breed found within 14 miles of Coniston, Cumbria. That's provenance right there. This wool is something special, but along the way, something has gone wrong and its perceived value has been lost. It is currently one of the lowest value wools in the UK. 

When used in Solidwool, Herdwick wool is beautiful, producing a dark grey composite with the lighter guard hairs standing out.

Welsh Mountain
Welsh Mountain is a hardy, British breed that still roam the rugged hillsides of Wales today as they did centuries ago. Using this close-textured wool from both the white and black Welsh Mountain sheep, the multicoloured white, grey-brown and black kemp reveals a distinctive veining throughout the composite. This creates a striking marbled effect, showcasing the unique layering of textures and tones found in this incredible wool.

Bio-resin

In order to make Solidwool, we combine the wool with bio-resin in a unique manufacturing process we have developed.

Traditionally the resins used in composites manufacture are 100% petrochemical and have varying levels of toxicity. They have a large carbon footprint and emit potentially harmful toxins during use. It stands to reason that these resins are not pleasant to work with.

The resins we currently use are classed as bio-resins. They have a 50% bio-based renewable content. Sourced from waste streams of other industrial processes, such as wood pulp and bio-fuels production, our environmentally conscientious resin manufacturer claims a 33% reduction in Carbon Footprint and Greenhouse Gas Emissions during manufacture over traditional resins. Plus their green chemistry eliminates those harmful toxins, making it a more pleasant resin for us to work with.

These materials do not compete with food sources or displace food-based agriculture. The resins allow for strong and durable composites with a lower environmental impact. Better still, our work on how to increase the amount of bio content within our resin means we use nearly twice as much than our previous chair. That doesn’t mean we’re going to sit back and relax, we’re constantly looking to evolve and improve how we can be even better to our environment.

Made in Devon using Herdwick and Welsh Mountain wool

UK sourced Ash legs, hand-turned by Roger in Somerset

Black powder-coated recycled steel frame made in Peterborough