Split washers – how can we make our millions?

My Dad is retired as and has a little business making armour (chain, ring and plate).
To help him with his materials he bought some old school heavy machines that makes split washers/rings from whatever metal he feeds in.
The armour business is pretty slow and so I have been trying to think of other applications he can put his machinery to work on. Does anyone have a “Dragons Den” type idea?

Does anyone have a “Dragons Den” type idea?

Yes, it’s a bargain at 500k pp gift is fine

Google Metal Curtains – seems to be quite a lot about and there may be an unmet demand/new designs he can meet?

The armour business is pretty slow

It’s been in decline ever since the crossbow made plate armour obsolete.

It’s been in decline ever since the crossbow made plate armour obsolete.

😀

Chainmail Aprons/gauntlets for butchers?

One of the girls on my team was a goth. She was off work injured, and I made a home visit? I found her making chain mail underpants from split washers to keep herself busy. Apparently they were all the rage in the goth scene at the time. She did advise that if you wear them you either need to wear something underneath or be completely smooth, as she once had to use nail scissors to carefully cut a friend out of a pair she had tried on sans culottes.

So, grab yourself a pair of pliers and knit some knickers.

Sounds like what he is doing already is great. Keep with what he knows and market his current business better.

Thanks. He did make Beyonces skirt for a Pepsi advert once – worth a Google 😯 Unfortunately China can now undercut him on his larger pieces.

Re-enactment season starts soon. Towton is usually first of the season.

See about stalls, all the medieval re-enactors I know wouldn’t go with cheap Chinese armour and they can pay a lot for a full set.

If you get a good rep you can easily make a living with a stall and the willingness to attend events over the year.

Aside from reinactment maybe make himself known to more potential markets for the same thing – look at directories for film and tv services (Kays, the Knowledge, Film Bang) and make himself known to armorers, costume design and hire, props makers etc.

He did make Beyonces skirt for a Pepsi advert once

There was a dress that (I think Vogue) sold as a kit of rings and disks that you had to make yourself. A friend of mine spent ages putting one together to wear on her 21st Birthday. To her horror the evening before her birthday Gina G appeared on Eurovision wearing the same dress so she went out on her birthday looking not like a glamorous debutant as she’d hoped, but instead looking like a Gina G tribute act.

Unfortunately China can now undercut him on his larger pieces.

Doesn’t matter.

all the medieval re-enactors I know wouldn’t go with cheap Chinese armour and they can pay a lot for a full set.

Agree.

We sold 176prs of £95 trousers in 5hrs by telling a true story – http://www.hebtro.co

We sold 176prs of £95 trousers in 5hrs

You’d have sold 177prs with some better photography 😆

We sold 176prs of £95 trousers with no good pictures of the product in 5hrs by telling a true story

You’d have sold 177prs with some better photography

Except that it was limited to 176 pairs…so no.

Paint them bright colours and market them as flexible Enduro-Armour?

Paint them bright colours and market them as flexible Enduro-Armour?

Bike armour. I like it.

You could be …..King Gnarthur. 🙂

Bike Jousting would be the new extreme sport du jour.

Bike Jousting would be the new extreme sport du jour.

That has got Redbull written all over it!

perchypanther – Member
…King Gnarthur.

I don’t know if I should despise you or celebrate you for that.

I think I’ll go for measured indifference until I decide.

That has got Redbull death written all over it!

We sold 176prs of £95 trousers in 5hrs by

advertising them in a market that would buy anything you are associated with.

perchypanther – Member
…King Gnarthur.

I don’t know if I should despise you or celebrate you for that.

I think I’ll go for measured indifference until I decide.

Despise away!

I reside safely behind the walls of Camelbakalot.

I’ll get me gambeson.

You could be …..King Gnarthur.

like it

King Gnarthur

🙂

Does Ann Summers have an S&M department?

Turns out Bike Jousting is actually a thing. Who knew?

Bike Jousting would be the new extreme sport du jour.

Arthog outdoor centre, staff Christmas party, 1993.

Down corridor, through dining room, stop before you hit the back of the kitchen wall. Boss stood in the middle with two yacht buoys held outstretched. Kids bike, windsurf mast, much beer. 8)

Turns out Bike Jousting is actually a thing.

I think that may be a Dick and Dom spoof.
If not,it should be.

A friend used to make rugs with chain mail inserts; she used to buy from an armourer who did repair work on museum pieces – worth approaching a firm that does restoration work?

(I can attest to the pain of kneeling on ‘mail being akin to that of treading on Lego.)

Also enjoyed King Gnarthur reference.

I will just leave this here – clearly some big hitters at work…. 😆

What saddle pedals for bare arse feet? 😯

That picture’s great, there’s just so much going on 🙂

You could be …..King Gnarthur.

Thanks. I’ve just SnotBubbled™ myself.

A ‘smarter’ tin foil hat for Wi-Fi haters?

We have a lady come in the shop with a handbag made from ring pulls.
You could copy that or make a purse.

I found her making chain mail underpants from split washers to keep herself busy. Apparently they were all the rage in the goth scene at the time. She did advise that if you wear them you either need to wear something underneath

Surely anything that requires pants under it cannot be described as underpants? 😀

Chainmail handbag/clutch/purse is a good idea, as it would be RFID reader proof

Could sports netting work? Something like cricket nets? These always look tatty, get vandalised etc but chain ones would be vandal proof and rip proof? Lots of schools out there…

breatheeasy – Member

Surely anything that requires pants under it cannot be described as underpants?

I asked if she did a thong version, but she gave me a bit of a funny look.

Overpants?

Or without undies, Gnarpants or Chafepants.

You could make a male thong out of these and sell them in Waitrose. …

You could call it a middle class winey cockbag. 😉