Where are Point Blankets made?

Where are Point Blankets made?

England
Current use. Versions of the blanket are available at Hudson’s Bay stores throughout Canada. Solid colours are available, as is the classic pattern featuring the green, red, yellow, and indigo stripes. The blankets have always been made in England; today they are made by John Atkinson, a sub brand of A.W.

What do the black stripes on a Hudson Bay blanket mean?

On every Hudson’s Bay blanket… most of which are white with red, green, yellow, and blue stripes…have points, or thin black lines, woven into one corner. The number of points indicates the size of the blanket. Eventually, the point blankets were the standard by which other items that were up for trade were valued.

How do you date a Hudson Bay blanket?

In 1890, because other companies (including Pendleton) were making similar blankets, Hudson Bay began to label its blankets. The labels are how most collectors date the age of the blanket. If you ever spy an unlabeled, round corner blanket, scoop it up. It could date before 1890.

Are Hudson Bay blankets still made?

Today, Hudson’s Bay Point Blankets continue to be produced and sold in Multistripe, Millennium (four stripes in shades of brown introduced in 2000), White with black bar, Scarlet with black bar, Green with black bar and Grey with black bar.

How old are Hudson Bay blankets?

History. The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) had been trading blankets since the company incorporated in 1670. By 1700, blankets comprised more than 60 per cent of goods exchanged in the fur trade.

Were Hudson’s Bay blankets infected with smallpox?

“I found absolutely no evidence that the Hudson’s Bay company ever purposely infected anybody with blankets and smallpox,” said professor Paul Hackett from the University of Saskatchewan, who has researched the history of the Hudson Bay blanket.

What do the points mean on a wool blanket?

The term “point,” in this case, originates from the French word empointer, which means “to make threaded stitches on cloth.” The points were simply a series of thin black lines on one of the corners of the blanket, which were used to identify the size of the blanket.

Are Hudson Bay blankets itchy?

it has the warmth and weight of my napped blankets, doesn’t itch, and is more “wearable” because it falls and folds like their cotton blankets.

Are old wool blankets valuable?

Textiles are usually pretty inexpensive when you find them used. Wool blankets might have a high price tag, even at a thrift store if they are considered collectible. Hudson Bay blankets with their heavy fulled character and stripes are usually at the high end, along with Pendleton blankets.

How old is my point blanket?

The Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket is a wool blanket with a series of stripes and points (markers on cloth) first made for the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in 1779.

Does Woolrich make Hudson Bay blankets?

Woolrich offers hudson’s bay point blankets under the official license of the historic hudson’s bay company. Our hudson’s bay point blankets retain the authentic 100-percent wool quality that has made these blankets legendary.

Did Hudson Bay blankets have smallpox?

When was the Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket made?

December 18, 2018. The Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket is a wool blanket with a series of stripes and points (markers on cloth) first made for the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in 1779. The most iconic design is that which is white with green, red, yellow and indigo stripes; these colours are now used as an emblem for the HBC.

When did they start making Point Blanket coats?

The practice of converting Hudson’s Bay Company blankets into coats began years before the company began mass-manufacturing point blanket coats in the twentieth century. During the fur trade, Native Americans hunters traded beaver pelts for wool point blankets. Point blankets were waterproof and warm, and easy to sew into coats.

What was the value of a point blanket?

Though the points on the blankets did not have an inherent value, merchants during the fur trade often priced point blankets according to the number of points on the blanket, with one point assigned for small blankets and four points designated for very large blankets.

Which is the collector’s Guide to point blankets?

After finishing his first book for the HBC – The Blanket: an Illustrated History of the Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket, Harold asked me to design his self-published, definitive work – The Collector’s Guide to Point Blankets of the Hudson’s Bay Company and Other Companies Trading in North America.