The story behind our buttons

At TWC, we have a steadfast rule: we only partner with makers and mills whom we admire, respect, and share our vision of creating enduring, high-quality products. Our commitment to quality is non-negotiable.

For years, we've relied on our 'Made in England' Blewbury Buttons, and it's high time we shine a spotlight on the incredible artisans behind them: Courtney & Co. Lucky for us, they're located just a stone's throw away in our neighbouring county. Recently, we had the privilege of visiting their factory to witness the time-honoured process of crafting our beloved Blewbury buttons.

We first crossed paths with David during his visit to our barn in Blewbury. Back then, we were operating out of a sprawling, drafty barn, living out the startup dream. David had launched his business in 2016, coincidentally the same year as us, so we were eager to learn about his button-making enterprise. When he presented us with salvaged bundles of buttons from his archive collection, some dating back to 1865 and crafted by the renowned James Grove, we were captivated. David and his wife, Andrea, single-handedly revitalized the button-making industry by acquiring the last remaining machines in the UK and the esteemed heritage archive collections of James Grove, which sadly faced closure in 2012.

Together, David and Andrea have have nurtured and invested into the process of crafting buttons in the UK. Their meticulous attention to detail, passion for their craft, and dedication to unparalleled quality are the reasons why we wholeheartedly endorse their work. While British manufacturing often sets the global standard for excellence, it's not immune to challenges. Thankfully, David and Andrea possess the resilience, courage, and unwavering commitment needed to navigate the tumultuous waters of entrepreneurship and ensure the success of their business.

Now, let's delve into the fascinating process behind our Blewbury buttons, starting from a humble nut!

Here you can see the huge Mochoca husks which naturally fall from the female tagua palm when the nuts ripen. These palms abundantly grow in the rain forests of Ecuador and are indigenous to the area and unique to these forests, growing nowhere else in the world. The mochoca are collected from the forest floor, the corozo nuts are extracted by skillfull workers with machetes and taken by mule to the villages for sorting. Any nuts not collected are purposefully left to grow into tender saplings and so on into mature trees, continuing mother natures work. 

Button blanks are created and delivered to the UK at Courtney & Co. Now the process of creating a button begins. A machine is skilfully set up to create each unique design, one at a time the buttons are produced. Once the shape is created  and the holes are made the button gets a 4 day tumble, in a soft bed of natural maize pellets or tiny wood chips. 

Here our buttons are organised by size undyed, when we send in our new order, they are dyed by Lise to our specific required shade, we favour 105 brown shade for all of our warm tone fabrics or black for any navy styles. 

Shown here on our Lawrence Field Jacket, our Corozo Blewbury buttons in brown on the Olive waxed cotton. Incidentally this jacket cloth is woven in Scotland and made in east London. Everything is 100% made in the UK.

 And here, in black on the navy cord Lawrence field jacket. Infact the only buttons we use are our Blewbury Corozo buttons made by Courtney & Co. 

We hope you'll join us in supporting artisans like David and Andrea as we celebrate the artistry and craftsmanship of British manufacturing.