Twenty seven years later Malcolm phoned to see if we were still operating.
When Malcolm phoned us at Styx Mill, we wondered what we were hearing down the line. Greg had started the company in 1991 in a garage and it must have been one of the first garments he ever made.
The thing that most impressed us about Malcolm was his connection to the jacket, he really didn’t want to part with his old one. We gave him a new garment free of charge so we could put it in a photo frame in the office. We were proud to do the exchange, he was a real decent hard working farmer and that jacket had been a lot of places in 27 years.
I brought it in 1991 and finally in 2018 thought it probably should be replaced, it was still great though. When Styx Mill offered to swap it I was most surprised, for them it was heritage, for me it was just a great jacket
Farming can be a tough industry. I like it. I think everyone should spend more time outdoors and see what we do. On a cold frosty morning, I go out to check the livestock, I feel free, and it’s my life. When I’m farming, it’s how I live.
I’ve always been a farmer and I think it’s shaped my thoughts on things that last time and things that break down. I’ve never made a mistake buying quality, it is one decision that supports me every day I go out to work.
Our farm is near Leeston, on the Canterbury Plains, South Island, New Zealand. Leeston has seen a lot of change, the dryland cropping and livestock style of farming has shifted across to more dairy herds and suchlike. I’ve stuck to what I know, we run the crops through and have the lambing ewes as well. Someday it might change but it works for me.
Farming can be tough on clothing, I just liked that it lasted.
Leeston is on the curve of the island with Banks Peninsula’s hills on one side and the Canterbury Plains on the other. The weather systems from the south tend to get pushed across because of the Southern Alps and so when those southerlies blast through, it’s a mean cold hard wind.
One thing I’ve always said is that there’s no point working when you are too cold or wet to do the job right. But when the weather doubles down and things need to be done, that oilskin jacket really blunts the cold. Plus it has some purpose, things like that tail design make a difference when you lean forward, covering your lower back.
I’m what some would call a traditional farmer, and that works too. Today though, I see my son and what he can do with technology, I embrace that. It takes away some of the tough stuff we used to do. But my wax jacket really was a favourite. If Styx Mill had said they were going to throw it out, I probably would be still wearing it today.
Malcolm's Classic Oilskin Garment
Oilskin Thermal Lined Jacket
