Introducing: Edgware by BBICO

The current range of edgware products
The current range of edgware products

You may have seen in previous blog posts that we have recently launched two new brands, one of which is Edgware by BBICO. It’s time we introduced you to our most recent project here at The British Band Instrument Company (BBICO). We will be sharing the reasons for launching this new brand, explaining the concept behind our packaging and introducing each product in detail today.

Why launch Edgware by BBICO?

Edgware by BBICO is a new range of quality musical instrument products for woodwind and brass instruments, which we hope will help revolutionise musical instrument manufacturing’s environmental impact.

  • Designed and packaged in the UK
  • Free of toxins and petroleums
  • In biodegradable, compostable and recyclable packaging

This natural range of non-toxic instrument products are an alternative to the current industry standards which use harmful petroleum, mineral and synthetic-based oils. Not only are these damaging to our already fragile planet, but they are also unsafe for unsupervised use by children. The Edgware brand is also commitment to producing biodegradable, compostable and recyclable packaging that resonates with the wider population’s desire for industry to create a lesser environmental impact.

Since launch at The NAMM Show 2020, edgware accessories have already begun to resonate with environmentally conscious musicians across the globe and a new generation of ethical instrumentalists.

The edgware logo
The Edgware logo

Why the name edgware?

The town of Edgware, between the North London Boroughs of Harrow and Barnet, has great historic significance as a centre of crucial instrument manufacture. In the 1930’s, Boosey & Hawkes moved from central London to Deansbrook Road. The name Edgware then became a brand of woodwind and brass instruments in its own right, as a consequence of being firmly established in the minds of woodwind and brass players during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.

We believe Edgware still holds significance amongst musicians who identify with the legacy of the uniquely British brand of music products. Given that the majority of the product range is currently manufactured in the UK (all bar 3 items), and that all of the items have been designed and packaged in our very own office, it seemed like a natural fit.

(It’s also a convenient coincidence that BBICO happen to based here in Edgware!)

Breaking down our packaging…

As soon as we knew we wanted to launch a range of products with consideration for the environment, we knew this approach had to also apply to our packaging. It was imperative that each element of our packaging was either compostable or recyclable. We also wanted each element to be manufactured in the UK.

(We wanted to avoid the typical clam-shell style packaging that is so heavily used across the rest of our industry)

The Edgware by BBICO products

It is our pleasure to introduce you to our eco-friendly, British designed and packaged products, manufactured to use less packaging, produce less waste and be a healthy alternative to current available products on the market.

Oils

Our oils are made in the UK from natural plant-based oils, meaning that they are non-toxic, non-petroleum and non-synthetic.

  • The regular valve oil and rotary valve/key oil are lightweight, long lasting, and made from food grade ingredients – you could technically drink them if you wanted to, but we wouldn’t personally recommend it!
  • The vintage valve oil is smooth and more viscous, in order to better lubricate the valves of older instruments.
  • The bore oil for wooden instruments is made here in the UK from pure flower oils, including lavender grown in England. The hydrophillic properties of these oils allow the wood of clarinets, oboes and bagpipes to breathe whilst moisturising the fibres. This bore oil inhibits cracking and warping, whilst improving the tone of the instrument over time.

In addition, all of the oils are supplied with a directional applicator to reduce waste and save money.

Greases

Our cork grease is handmade in the UK from 100% natural ingredients, meaning that as with our oils, it’s non-toxic, non-petroleum and non-synthetic. In fact, before taking this product to The NAMM Show in January, we were using this item as a lip balm in the office!

(no more having to warn young woodwind pupils not to put their cork grease anywhere near their mouths!)

Sprays

  • Our UK-made sanitiser spray is a revolutionary 100% natural sanitiser that kills 99.9999% of all germs. It’s anti-bacterial properties are provided by hypochlorous acid which is produced naturally in the human body. It is skin safe and safe to be used by children without adult supervision as it’s alcohol, fragrance & harmful chemical-free, as well as harmless if swallowed!
  • The UK-made trombone water is laboratory grade UV filtered water with an inbuilt corrosion inhibitor. It has been developed to greatly improve the effectiveness of slide greases. This in turn increases slide speed and prevents corrosion & limescale build up.

Soaks

Our brass soak is a uniquely formulated suitable for all brass instruments. The formula attacks the bio-film build-up within pipes, de-greases valves and slides, and freshens with a clean citrus fragrance. This formula is safe for all forms of plating and lacquer finishes due to it’s neutral PH. It also features an anti-static agent which aids water repellence, making the next clean even easier!

edgware Brass Soak
edgware Brass Soak

Brushes

Our brushes feature a coating to prevent the scratching of mouthpieces and valves. Built to last, we believe our brushes are the highest quality on the market currently. We hope they will greatly reduce the number of brushes used and discarded by wind musicians over the course of their playing careers. These are the only items in the range that are made outside of the UK, so we’re currently exploring alternatives. We are conscious that we don’t want to sacrifice the superior quality of the products we currently have.

 edgware Brushes
edgware Brushes

Cloths

All edgware by BBICO cloths are made in the UK from 100% cotton.

  • Our care cloth is made from 100% untreated cotton, which is lint free, and ‘good as new’ when washed. Ideal for all instruments, this cloth is super soft, and will gently clean the surface of any instrument.
  • Our polishing cloth was originally designed for the most delicate of jewellery, so will polish up your instrument beautifully. The chemical solution impregnated into the cloth removes grease and grime. The cloth is also skin-safe, and leaves an anti-tarnish coating behind to prolong your polishing efforts!
 edgware Cloths
edgware Cloths

Interested in edgware by BBICO?

Should you be interested in purchasing any of the products above, they are now available for purchase on www.edgwarebybbico.com.

If you’d be interested in distributing Edgware by BBICO, or stocking it in your retail store, – we would love to hear from you! Please do drop us an email to find out more: edgware@bbico.com

We’d love to hear from you!

Hannah Williams

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