50% Rubber / 50% Nylon — 20m Reel

An evocative survivor from Britain’s diminishing textile manufacturing era, this reel of shirring elastic was produced under the “Entraflex” brand by Entraco Yarns & Fibres Ltd, a little-known company once based in Stag Industrial Estate, Atlantic Street, Altrincham, Cheshire.

Each reel holds 20 metres of fine shirring elastic, composed of 50% rubber and 50% nylon, precision-wound onto a sturdy white card tube. The reel is protected in its original clear plastic sleeve, with both ends of the elastic neatly tucked inside. The label features a bold red background with white print, showing the “Entraflex” branding with distinctive 1980s British utilitarian charm.

While the UK registered trademark (No. UK00001147475) was filed in 1981, no formal record of the company can be found on Companies House, which suggests it may have operated under a different legal name or traded only briefly—a fate not uncommon among specialist UK textile firms of the time. The trademark is now dead, adding to the scarcity and collectibility of surviving items.

The Stag Industrial Estate was once a busy hive of small-scale British enterprise, housing everything from engineering firms to textile processors. Entraco Yarns & Fibres occupied Unit 2E, likely manufacturing elastics and yarns for domestic haberdashery, lingerie makers, or small garment workshops. Like so many, the company vanished during the decline of UK textile production in the late 20th century.

This reel stands not just as a supply item, but as a piece of British industrial heritage—evoking the fading era of independent makers, regional industry, and everyday craftsmanship. A true collectible for lovers of vintage sewing, textile historians, or anyone fascinated by the lost threads of British manufacturing.

currently we only have Green colours!