Made by hand in Scotland.

It started with a torn midge net. A rip in the mesh, on the sort of still evening when they’re at their worst, and the whole thing suddenly worth nothing. A replacement cost more than the day out had.

So I drew the wee part it needed instead. It took a few goes — the early ones snapped, the next ones wouldn’t hold — and the one that finally worked is still on the net that started it. Once other folk began asking for one, it seemed daft not to print a few more.

Every part is drawn from scratch, printed here in the corner of a spare room, and checked by hand before it goes in the envelope. Nothing is made in batches of ten thousand. Nothing sits in a warehouse.

Each design gets tested on the gear it’s meant for before it goes on the shelf. If it hasn’t held up to being used properly, outdoors, in the weather we actually get, it isn’t for sale yet.

“Aww nut” is what you say when the tent pole snaps, the net tears, or the clip pings off into the heather. It’s the sound of a small disaster — and it happens to rhyme with the thing that holds most of the world together.

Get in touch and tell me what happened. If a part doesn’t fit, or doesn’t hold, I’ll put it right — another one, or your money back if you’d rather. That’s usually how the next version gets drawn anyway.

Posted from Scotland · UK postage included.