Local Merino manufacturers

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

I have done an initial Google search, but only seem to find links to producers (like the actual wool producers)

I am trying to find a local manufacturer of merino clothing. Not technical gear/rising gear, just casual wear. Like t-shirts/sweaters etc, and then also maybe some base layers and so forth.

Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

I find it hard to accept that we are one of the worlds top producers of merino wool, but export it all so we can import it back again in garment form. 

Edited September 7, 2021 by DonatelloOnPinarello

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

Okay, I found Core Merino, and that was just what I was looking for. 

 

Mods, feel free to close/delete this thread

[Knersboy]

The Core Merino stuff is good. I have a sleeveless vest and a long sleeve base layer and they are really nice. Made on China though……

[Nico van Loggerenberg]

Was looking for this myself recently. Unfortunately it seems that the technology to produce fine textiles from Merino is only available in China, so whatever we produce gets processed there regardless. Core makes a few nice things but it is not cheap. Icebreaker is another brand that makes Merino stuff, not local.

[Patensie]

Have you tried to contact the National Wool Growers Association? https://www.nwga.co.za/ They used to stock some products at their branches when I audited them back in 2002... but those were mostly jerseys, etc.

[Baracuda]

8 hours ago, DonatelloOnPinarello said:

I have done an initial Google search, but only seem to find links to producers (like the actual wool producers)

I am trying to find a local manufacturer of merino clothing. Not technical gear/rising gear, just casual wear. Like t-shirts/sweaters etc, and then also maybe some base layers and so forth.

Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

I find it hard to accept that we are one of the worlds top producers of merino wool, but export it all so we can import it back again in garment form. 

BKB and the Mohair SA produce some stuff that is available locally in the Eastern Cape, but there is such global demand for our mohair by the top fashion houses in the world, that most of it goes directly overseas.

Like beautiful women from Benoni, before you know it, they on the world stage looking back at us.

[Dirt Tracker]

Core stuff is great. I've got a fair few older long sleeve t-shirts but in the heavier knit before they went thin and they are awesome. I have their Have them on rotation almost all winter and they are brilliant. I did talk to them quite seriously about making mtb / gravel kit like Mons Royale do but that died out over lockdown / covid.

I've also got alot of stuff from Aus' and the UK. Places like Patagonia and Fjallraven have alot of Merino in there range but it's not a local producer. Outdoor warehouse do icebreaker and Decathalon do quite a bit of Merino and even Woolies have a few select pieces. I'm guessing Cape Union would have a few bits aswell. 

Other local guys are Runderwear who do a couple of tees / baselayers. Covita do a cycling specific base layer. Vertigo gear have a few pieces. There was a company that was cape town based that did some of their own kit, they had a pretty dodgy logo of the table mountain plastered on everything but I think they might have been a victim of the pandemic as I couldn't find them when I had a quick look. 

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

3 hours ago, Knersboy said:

The Core Merino stuff is good. I have a sleeveless vest and a long sleeve base layer and they are really nice. Made on China though……

That's really disappointing, but understandable. It's become pretty clear that producing anything locally, and at a fair price is completely impossible. 

[Mountain Bru]

I see a core Merino T-Shirt is R1000.... 

A normal cotton T-shirt is like R150..... Quick Dry T shirt is maybe R200....

I've heard great things about merino wool stuff, but is it really 5 or 6 times better than a cotton T?

Or to put it differently, would you rather have 1 merino shirt, or 5 or 6 cotton /quick dry shirts?

(This is a 100% honest question. I've looked at merino stuff often, especially base layers, and always concluded that it's not worth it. Am I missing something?) 

[dsw]

13 minutes ago, Mountain Bru said:

I see a core Merino T-Shirt is R1000.... 

A normal cotton T-shirt is like R150..... Quick Dry T shirt is maybe R200....

I've heard great things about merino wool stuff, but is it really 5 or 6 times better than a cotton T?

Or to put it differently, would you rather have 1 merino shirt, or 5 or 6 cotton /quick dry shirts?

(This is a 100% honest question. I've looked at merino stuff often, especially base layers, and always concluded that it's not worth it. Am I missing something?) 

I have been using Isadore merino wool baselayer for the last 4 years... it is 10 times better than cotton.. worth every cent

It is difficult to explain why it is so good, it just is. 

 

[Sepia]

I have some Endura Baabaa cycling gear and they are fantastic.  When I was in PE I went to BKB and tried some of the cycling gear but they were very prickly and not as soft as Baabaa.  The Endura merino stuff is definitely worth the price you pay.  It is a better buy but difficult to obtain unless you have a mate in the UK. Some local cycling tops cost just as much! 

I wear them for days on end when on the road and hardly ever take them off, even when sleeping.  They also dont seem to pong after 3 days......I did a girlfriend test and all was good.  ????

[MDJ]

Its definitely way, way better than cotton! I have two specialized Merino base layers and they are my goto on a cold or wet ride. They feel very thin and light, but its simply awesome the way they repel water and never get really wet or smelly! If you are racing or doing an intense or wet ride - cotton is complete crap in comparison, it gets soaked through and wet either from sweat or rain. I haven't really used any other quick-dry base layer to compare to the merino - cotton sucks though.  I used my merino base layer for the Winelands race this weekend and even though it rained for 2 hours and my jersey was soaked my core was warm, without a gilet or rainjacket as those make me very hot.

[Danger Dassie]

3 hours ago, Baracuda said:

BKB and the Mohair SA produce some stuff that is available locally in the Eastern Cape, but there is such global demand for our mohair by the top fashion houses in the world, that most of it goes directly overseas.

Like beautiful women from Benoni, before you know it, they on the world stage looking back at us.

Have a couple pairs of Mohair socks, best thing ever. Defacto goto when working outdoors in winter!

[Furbz]

https://ciovita.co.za/collections/mens-baselayers

 

Ciovita does Merino - i have not tried it personally so don't hold me to it!

[Knersboy]

50 minutes ago, Mountain Bru said:

I see a core Merino T-Shirt is R1000.... 

A normal cotton T-shirt is like R150..... Quick Dry T shirt is maybe R200....

I've heard great things about merino wool stuff, but is it really 5 or 6 times better than a cotton T?

Or to put it differently, would you rather have 1 merino shirt, or 5 or 6 cotton /quick dry shirts?

(This is a 100% honest question. I've looked at merino stuff often, especially base layers, and always concluded that it's not worth it. Am I missing something?) 

Good question. All I can say is that I have two merino long sleeve base layers that I bought for cycling, but I wear them all the time when I am at home in the winter. Also, you don’t need to wash them much. 

[Mountain Bru]

22 minutes ago, Danger Dassie said:

Have a couple pairs of Mohair socks, best thing ever. Defacto goto when working outdoors in winter!

Is mohair similar to merino? I figured they were completely different (apart from both being wool based)