In early December we made the pilgrimage to the historic steel capital of England, Sheffield, to commission Andrew – the last Putter in Europe – to make bespoke tailoring shears for our cutters.
As any tradesmen will know, the best tools produce the best work and the guys at William Whitely, where Andrew works, really are the Savile Row of the scissor industry. When Andrew retires he will take his craft with him, leaving the company to look to the future and, with it, more modern manufacturing techniques.
Quality scissors last generations and whilst it is still possible to commission bespoke tailoring shears, made under the hands of the last master, we decided to have our own unique sets made, to honour and support a leading light in British Craftmanship.
The shears made by Andrew and William Whiteley are as unique as the suits we make, each one starting its life being cut by these blades. We documented the making by taking two customers to capture the process in both video and photo. We hope their images convey the craft and talent that goes into making every pair of bespoke tailoring shears whilst also paying homage to the skills of Andrew, and all like him in British industry.
You can find out more about William Whiteley, their history and what they do via their website. You can also watch some suits in the making via our blog.
