Craft Supplies, Buxton.

[KimG]

Years ago I bought a lot of stuff from this company, they had everything you could wish for and more, today I had a look at the website and it is a poor reflection of their past stock, hardly any turning tools in stock, very little in the way of timber of any size (no end of 25mm thick bits, but no 50mm exotics, even as long square section) what has happened to them?

 

[woodyturner]

They went bust a few years ago and the bank bailed them out so it is taking them some time to get sorted I think they got to big to quick with taking over other businesses it is a shame because as you said they had such a vast range of stuff

 

[KimG]

Well that explains it then, thanks Woody, I guess these days they have more competition too, so that will likely slow any recovery a bit. Ah well, that's the way it goes I guess, Pity.

 

[flh801978]

The shop is a sad reflection of how it used to be as well very run down and on the few occasions I have called in there's no customers and very little staff too ..

 

[paulm]

Their catalogue used to be first port of call a few years back when I was first into turning, visited the shop a couple of times too and was very impressed back then.

Wonder if they lost their way when they started trying to run the French based holiday courses, and had too much money tied up in too many stock lines too. Never really embraced the internet properly either, losing ground to others who did.

Their website remains very, very poor and tedious to use still unfortunately....

Cheers, Paul

 

[Mike Wingate]

It used to be a great place for a day out, then pop down to Bakewell and visit the 3 Tabwell Tool shops. The present Craft Supplies establishment is very poor, limited stock and high prices.

 

[woodyturner]

It used to be a great place for a day out, then pop down to Bakewell and visit the 3 Tabwell Tool shops. The present Craft Supplies establishment is very poor, limited stock and high prices.

Yes Tabwell's was another one it just disappeared of the face of the Earth they were part of Record that was just dumped when they were taken over it is some of there staff that started up Rutlands and they are still in Bakewell but they don't have a shop

 

[dickm]

Didn't know Tabwell were part of the old Record empire. My impression was that they over-reached themselves by opening branches all over the place (mainly by taking over existing outlets) and presumably got into a serious cash-flow problem as a result. Probably bad timing too - expanding just when the economy was going through one of its wobbles.
Just hope the same doesn't happen to any of the current crop of decent woodworking supplies people.