Hey guys welcome to Jam Reviews today I have some amazing items from Shire Archery.
Shire Archery is a company based in the town of Chesterfield with its bustling market and famed for its Church Spire which is both twisted and bent! I spoke with the owner Trevor Lilley and asked him some questions about his business and the journey he has been on.
I asked him about his business and how long has the business been going/products/customers?
"I started to take the idea of operating as a 'craft business' seriously, laying the foundations in 2008-2011 whilst working for a local engineering company; as local archers and people from all over had contacted me through recommendation for several years prior. Taking the plunge Shire Archery opened as a business in 2012."
"It’s just me at the moment but I have a really good team around me, the business quickly grew beyond my original plan and expectations. I initially started the business to enable me to run a series of simple day courses making arrows and demonstrating in period costume, alongside making custom arrows, sourcing hard to find natural materials and supporting a couple of craftsmen. The product side of things grew beyond my reckoning after opening accounts with several companies that have archery related products, the real 'icing on the cake' came in January this year when I was offered a dealership with Bearpaw! I was ‘over the moon’ to be accepted."
"This solid base has expanded in product range and scope; we now have over 200 chosen core products stocked with at least another 150 products to add going forwards. What you see is in stock or within a couple weeks of order; we are also able to pre-order anything from the full-range of products in the catalogs of our accounts & dealerships- it is mind boggling."
"Apart from advertising in NFAS and a few Banner Ads on forums all of our custom comes from word of mouth so we must be doing something right! To keep updated we are on Facebook which is operated as an informal Blog, news, gallery and products release platform. The support out there from the traditional archery community has been amazing and I can only say thank you, as without it we would not exist."
I was curious what inspired him start such a amazing business? and the ethos/philosophy behind it?
"With all the travel and experience of my life I have met some amazing, skilled, incredibly welcoming people all over Europe and the UK. Out of that time I have always wanted a workshop of my own; perhaps in my own small way to return the favor. The modern notion that items which are hand crafted are cruder, quaint, expensive or inferior compared to those that are mass manufactured or branded I find utterly bizarre".
"Where’s the Love! The time! The passion!"
"I wanted to create a workshop space to carry on making, with a specialist web shop & sales space, all for the traditional archer by a traditional archer from the ground up. It would be self-funded not in debt to itself. Product quality is paramount so I don't sell anything I am not happy to use myself. This forms the core values, the focus; on this I will not be swayed."
"If I had to have a simple mission statement for 'Shire Archery' that summarizes all this it would be-"
"Raising the Profile of Trad-Archery"
So with all this going on with him i was curious as to what he does in his down time?
"I have a small library of History, Archery and Technical books, many I have read cover to cover. My partner questions how I fit it all into my head. I am part of a local Re-enactment group circa 1320's.
I also like nature and hiking, I am very lucky to live close to the Peak District National Park and Sherwood Forest- famed for a certain Mr. Hood.I love Pork Pie, a good Cheese Board and Stout."
So with a business growing this fast i was curious where he sees himself in 5 years time?
"We aren't the biggest but we are certainly trying hard to be up there with the best. No one, not even the big pro-shops can stock everything in every conceivable variation. I am always searching for interesting products or crafts people who would like mutual support- I would like to expand the bow side of things next. In 5 years time if not before it would be brilliant to have a workshop-retail space to welcome customers."
Are all items pre made or can you do a custom order for a customer that wants something special?
"The stock items are as you see them, but when it comes to arrows the range of materials available- and that is growing- enables a wide range of customization for a customers own arrow needs, so our
arrows are almost always custom, then there are requests for historical reproductions, historical look alikes, shootable fantasy inspired, LARP, re-enactment safety. Some of the leather items can also be customized as we know the craftsmen".
The items supplied where 2 handmade historical repo arrows and a leather arm guard.
The 2 arrows supplied came with 2 different arrow heads one was a leaf blade head and the other a 15th century hunting tip with blades to prevent it from falling out of your prey.
The flights of these arrows are all hand glued and bound and are self notched for your bowstring. The quality of these arrows are superb and are made to a high quality with nice wooden shafts.
The second product supplied was a Suede leather arm guard or Bushman Cairn with elastic string strap and bone button fasteners.
With a middle reinforcement panel to protect from the bowstring recoil. I know i am wearing it the wrong way in the pictures but it was entirely put on that way to hold the string and to show how it fastens.
In the package I received was also a stylish metal shire archery pin.
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Many thanks for reading.
Joe
