If you are the type of person who likes to look a bit deeper into the world of fashion and tailoring, you may be interested in a book we have just published. The Story of Corozo Buttons traces the origins of this wonderful material, describing its physical properties and credentials as one of the most eco-friendly, sustainable, bio-degradable and beautiful imaginable.

It goes on to tell the remarkable story of how, where and when tagua palms were first discovered by botanists in the Age of Enlightenment and how the unique qualities of tagua nuts were brought to the attention of button-makers in Europe a century or so later.

The Story of Corozo Buttons also explains the journey these ‘fruits of the rainforest’ undertake in their transformation into some of the most sought-after buttons available on the market.

Along the way, readers are introduced to the Matapalo community in Ecuador and their forays to the tagua palm groves, following the journey to the artisans of Manta who turn these innocuous looking nuts into round, ‘ivory’ coloured blanks ready to be shipped around the world where they are turned, dyed and polished into irresistibly beautiful buttons.

For those looking for a worthwhile book to read on their summer holiday, why not take a look at a ‘The Story of Corozo Buttons’? Once you have read the book, you’ll never look at a corozo button in the same way again. For sure.

The Story of Corozo Buttons. Published by PanAgora Books and sponsored by Courtney & Co, button-makers. 73 printed pages, soft cover. 26 black and white illustrations. £12.50 including Postage & Packing in the UK and £16.00 including P&P for Europe. Deliveries to the rest of the world will be quoted on request. Thank you.

Please drop us an email at enquiries@courtneyandco.uk if you’d like to order a copy providing us with your name and delivery address. We will send you an invoice and a payment link by return and get the ball rolling!

We are sometimes so keen on spreading all of our good news that we inadvertently blend out some of the bad. And recent events in Ecuador definitely fall into this category. For while Ecuador literally straddles the equator, it still experiences both wet and dry seasons – and this year’s wet season between January and now has been more than exceptional.

To say that the recent rains have been extraordinary is an understatement. They have affected much of the country, including the province of Manabi, where tagua nuts are collected, and the city of Manta, the centre of the corozo trade, where they are processed into corozo blanks and shipped around the world.

The floods have cost the lives of 20 people, caused landslides and destroyed homes, infrastructure and crops. Over 100,000 people have been affected, while more than 14,000 have lost their homes as waters, up to waist-deep, ran down from the mountain and hills, swelling the rivers before they overflowed causing such devastated damage.

In our microcosmic world, the consequences have also been felt as tagua nut supplies can’t be delivered to Manta causing supply shortages. Not that this is such a great issue right now as the drying-pans where they are first stored and the ateliers where the nuts are worked are also flooded and inoperable.

This may, in turn, cause temporary delays to supplies, both to us as makers and our clients as users. But this is minor relative to the economic effects on those whose livelihoods rely upon corozo for their sole income.

It is also a stark reminder of how events way beyond our control can affect lives and businesses many thousands of miles away and around the globe. And sometimes we need to be reminded of these facts. So, spare a thought for those affected in Ecuador and place corozo buttons at the centre of your trim needs. It is the best way to show commitment, support and consideration and help all those affected recover. Thank you.

Each year we set aside funds to improve our working space and reduce our costs and environmental impact. Last year, we built a secondary ‘skin’ at both ground-floor and first floor level, which combined increased heat insulation and natural light which floods in through the new double-glazed windows and doors we fitted. The impact was huge as it reduced heat loss as well as reduced the need for artificial light.

Following up from these works, we have just replaced all the old florescent light tubes on our factory floor with state-of-the-art LED counterparts. The difference is like day and night and the benefits accrue immediately on various levels.

Firstly, the white light means that colours are far more faithful to the naked eye and we no longer have to venture into the cold outside to inspect dyed and/or finished buttons; secondly, they cost, on average, around 85% less to illuminate than the old strip lights and, thirdly, as they use significantly less energy in producing better and cheaper light, they also reduce our emissions.

It has been a visible success – quite literally.