Drizabone identical to Barbour A1550 Bushman?

[robrinay]

My latest charity shop find is a Drizabone - great quality but a bit too big maybe?
Anyway imagine my surprise when my mate Paul arrived for lunch wearing an identically similar (that’s science speak for the same) jacket but with a Barbour label. If you search for Barbour A1550 Bushman Jacket and compare to the attached pics of my Drizabone you’ll see what I’m getting at. I’ve read that Drizabone made Belstaff and Barbour jackets under licence in OZ but was unaware that Barbour reciprocated in the U.K.? - my Drizabone is labelled made in England. Does anyone know any background to the above?

 

[Doctor Damage]

Barbour owned an Australian oilskin outerwear company for a few years in the 1990s and included their coats in the Barbour catalogues. I have no idea of the current status. In any case, your coat looks great and nicely avoids the Barbour brand fetishism.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I spoke to a Drizabone manager here a few years ago - some Belstaff jackets were made here by them under licence, just as Akubra made Stetsons under licence until the 1980's.

Drizabone has discontinued a lot of jackets over the years so who knows what similar patterns they used to have. I had some great Drizabone jackets without that awful shoulder cape. I suspect Drizabone also copied patterns without permission before the internet made such things easier to spot.

Not many people here seem to take an interest in Belstaff or Barbour jackets and while you do see some Drizabone product (mainly in rural areas) I am not sure the waxed cotton look really caught on here. I'll keep an eye out next winter.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I managed to dig out an old Barbour print catalogue from 1994 and it had, in the back, a couple coats by W.K. Backhouse of New Zealand. The coats were a full-length oilskin duster and oilskin 3/4 coat. Neither fit the Barbour image and I don't think they lasted long in the line-up since I have catalogues from several years in the mid to late 1990s and they only show up in one catalogue.

 

[robrinay]

Following your lead I searched for and found on eBay; a couple of WK Backhouse jackets. The WK Backhouse label shown in one of them said WK Backhouse a Barbour Company. I wonder If at some time Drizabone was a Barbour Company, or maybe still is in this time of multinational takeovers?

 

[robrinay]

I’ve written to Barbour customer services to ask them if it’s a copy etc.

 

[robrinay]

Meanwhile I found this old thread from 2004 wherein @ The Mad Hatter states that the Barbour Bushman is the Backhouse Bushman
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-story-of-the-waxed-jacket.1919/

 

[Seb Lucas]

Following your lead I searched for and found on eBay; a couple of WK Backhouse jackets. The WK Backhouse label shown in one of them said WK Backhouse a Barbour Company. I wonder If at some time Drizabone was a Barbour Company, or maybe still is in this time of multinational takeovers?

Pretty sure Dirzabone was an Australian company with no connection to Barbour - it was owned by Belstaff in the 1980's for a several years. The company is currently owned by an Australian business man who is looking to sell. I think various companies had licences to make various similar products like the Akubra/Stetson connection.

 

[Edward]

Pretty sure Dirzabone was an Australian company with no connection to Barbour - it was owned by Belstaff in the 1980's for a several years. The company is currently owned by an Australian business man who is looking to sell. I think various companies had licences to make various similar products like the Akubra/Stetson connection.

Licensing to local production would be a logical move for an EU / NH company anting to get a cut of the Aus market.