Waxed cotton

[4][6] In the mid-1920s, three companies co-operated to create paraffin-impregnated cotton, which produced a highly water resistant cloth, breathable, but without the stiffness in the cold or yellowing with age.

[7] Webster's were cautious about disrupting their home market, and so sent the new product to another part of the British Empire with similar climatic conditions and a love of sailing for testing: New Zealand.

[8] Current United Kingdom manufacturers include British Millerain Co. Ltd., Halley Stevensons Limited, and Templemoyle Mills.

Halley Stevensons began as a manufacturer of textiles for upholstery, curtains and furnishing, and added waxed cotton to their range in the 1990s.

More recently, Templemoyle Mills was established and began manufacturing waxed cotton in Ireland; the company registered in 2013.

In 1968, Swedish company Fjällräven began producing their G-1000 fabric after research based on the military and expeditionary experiences of the founder, Åke Nordin.

Waxed cotton became an instant success with the commercial shipping industry, and Webster's as the primary manufacturer looked for alternative markets.

One early adopter was J. Barbour & Sons in the outdoor industry, producing waxed jackets for farmers and gamekeepers.

[6] Adopted as the first choice waterproof clothing for the British armed forces during World War II,[citation needed] uses of waxed cotton escalated in the late 1940s and 1950s as spare material and army-surplus was liquidated.

Improved Macintosh was extremely versatile and was developed for fashionable wear and sporting activity and was made by numerous Manchester manufacturers.

[6] Modern uses of waxed cotton have consolidated to a niche where its warmth provides a benefit over its cost, weight and maintenance disadvantages.