Garmology: Buying a vintage Barbour Border or Northumbria

In this Garmology video, I talk about buying a vintage Barbour Border or Northumbria. Most of the features and differences are covered, as well as how to clean and rewax the waxed cotton.

Read more about rewaxing a waxed jacket on my blog:

[DevonReviewer]

Thanks Nick, never thought about going vintage on these. My modern Duke (International) is celebrating it's first birthday, not convinced it will be around in 40 years though! Do you think quality has changed over the years?

[VictorLeSong]

Hope this helps someone who got a vintage Barbour and can't get the smell out:
1. Wet the entire garment.
2. Sprinkle generously with baking soda, both inside and out. Remember to do pockets, areas between the cuffs and outer sleeves (for Bedales), behind the collar, the fold between the zipper and closure buttons.
3. Spray with 50/50 white vinegar & water solution.
4. Rinse thoroughly.
5. Lay flat to dry in an area with ventilation. Hang dry might work as well but the garment may stretch, and I wasn't interested in finding out.
6. Re-wax.

I used room temp. water for the entire process. Most of the smell is gone. Only area that still has some slight odour is between the cuffs and sleeves, which I forgot to treat. Please try to air out the garment first before attempting this. If this hadn't worked, I would have tried again with warm water and a 75/25 vinegar solution. After that, it would go into the washing machine (mine can be very gentle, but still would only be the last resort). From other sources I've read, a non detergent-based soap can be thrown in somewhere along the way, and try not to soak the thing in vinegar for too long.

[runthomas]

I love the way this man speaks, it is truly ravishing.

[Langersport]

Lovely video on my favourite Barbour! I’ve had my Border for around 35 yrs and while it is well used it still looks great. I’ve used the Barbour repair service to have a few holes patched, the zip replaced and the hems ‘re-hemmed’. Most recently I even had the sleeves lengthened! I hope it and I will last another 35 yrs!

[barryking]

I have had my Northumbria jacket for over 35 years and it has never let me down, it is very heavy!

[aarongraubart]

After watching this vid a few times I've only gone and bought one of each of these from eBay. Amazing jackets and absolute bargains to boot!!

[harleysmith]

Found my border in a consignment shop in east tn, similar condition. Manufacturers date is 1989. I paid $75 cash and couldn't be happier. That was about 6 years ago, still going strong.

[pclarin]

New to Barbour, yeah, where have I been for 63 years? I like it very much. Thanks for your video. Oh, I like wool too!

[rosshilton]

I came from Derbyshire and fly fished in the summer and shot with a syndicate in the winter. I had a number of Barbour jackets over the years, buying my first in the 70s. I am now down to my last two, a Border and a Northumbria, both from the early 90s. I tried the snap in liner on my earlier jackets and never thought it did much for me, hence the Northumbria. I have looked at new Barbour but they just don't seem the same.

[robbrown]

I’ve got a Corbridge and an International Jacket and I absolutely love waxing them. Maybe I’m a bit odd as I also enjoy polishing shoes. Along the way I’ve definitely picked up a few tips that make the process a lot easier. Key amongst them is to make sure the wax is always thoroughly melted and try and spread a little a long way.

[rachelmalcolm]

This has been very helpful for my “new” vintage pre 1987 Bedale!

[hughroberts]

Hi nick
Bought a barbour northumbria jacket second hand some time ago.
Gave it a good waxing
Looks like brand new
Cheers mate 👍

[runthomas]

I bought an old barbour border, great condition but the smell was absolutely disgusting... i mixed some neat vodka in cold water and wiped down the entire interior so it was damp...
then i turned it inside out and hung the barbour outside in the winter months, so it freezing cold, and in the day was sunny.
after about 3 full days of hanging outside and the vodka....the smell went away, hardly noticeable. thanks for the info about the vodka, otherwise it would have just been water.
if this hadnt worked i was going to put some pure vodka in a bucket and a table spoon of washing up liquid in cold water...and dunk the entire jacket in for half an hour...from there i would have rinsed it out best i can and turned it inside out and hung it on the line....i don't expect the cold water and vodka would have taken off any of the fresh wax....but that would have gotten rid of the smell for sure.
another thing barbour, on one of the jackets label tells you to wash by sponging down.
i would have used isopropol alcohol if i hadnt found the vodka.

[thegreyman]

Hi Nick, personally prefer the auld Barbour jackets as they last far better Thornproof is a better grade
of cotton in my opinion as my 1987 Bedale flap pocket jacket is in better shape than a modern Barbour utility from about 7 years back, worth noting the modern hoods will fit the older jackets.
Like the rollneck sweater, perhaps you could do a review on it please?

[Hollyrock]

Great video Nick. I love my Barbours… wouldn’t putting the jacket in a bucket with detergent take the wax off ?

[King_Harrold]

Cold water with a nappy/diaper or wool detergent is spot on. I wouldn't risk the washing machine.

Useful insight. I'm looking at a barbour border to wear as an overcoat to go over my suit. I run warm so only really need suit outerwear when it's raining

[hughroberts]

Hi nick
Bought my Northumberland jacket second hand
Heavy weight which I like
Hopefully will have it for many years
Will have to rewax it soon.
Fantastic jacket though

[ludolfebner]

thanks for the video. i just bought a northumbria in c36, but the lower pockets are below my waistline, whereas they seem to be above your waistline...i am 176 cm, and when i put mine on, it looks very different to you, even though you seem to be 4 cm shorter than me....

were there different versions? mine is old...

[LM-tkbh]

Great video. Where is your jumper from please?

[niklasyu]

I bought a nice vintage chevalier wool shirt with some syntetic lining and my goosh it smelled like a hunting slaughter cabin, needed to rip out the lining and rewash it 😂