Who is George Weil?

George Weil arrived in London from Alsace in 1891 to supply silk linings to the fur trade. Three generations of the Weil family created George Weil & Sons Ltd which became an important source of fabrics and decorative materials for the crafts market. The business has grown through the acquisition of other reputable craft suppliers and now offers a vast range of craft materials and equipment to professional artists, crafters, the performing arts, education and sheltered workshops, and many others worldwide.

Whether it is a hobby or a serious occupation, George Weil provides prompt and professional service alongside high-quality traditional craft supplies for felt makers, dyers, silk painters, jewellery makers, screen printers, weavers, knitters, modellers, paper makers, spinners – in fact, the range of craft materials is so varied that they can be applied to many other crafts.

An Exciting New Chapter for George Weil

In November 2025, George Weil transitioned to employee ownership, with 100% of the company’s shares being sold to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Following the transition, former owner and Managing Director Ian Bowers retired, and the business is now run by its dedicated team of employees.

The Employee Ownership Trust holds the company’s shares on behalf of its employees, supporting the long-term independence and continuity of George Weil while preserving the specialist knowledge and expertise that our customers have come to rely on. With our longest-standing employee and new Managing Director Jo Barrell at the helm, the team here at George Weil are looking forward to continuing the story.

How George Weil Evolved

We include here a brief history of the craft supply businesses which have been brought together through George Weil. Each of the businesses is best known for specific products, which are still sold through George Weil as Fibrecrafts dyes and fibres, Papershed papers and Selectasine screen printing pigments and binders. The Polymer Clay Pit traded successfully as a distributor for branded clays such as Sculpey polymer clay and Art Clay Silver clays. The George Weil branded products include silk fabrics and silk painting supplies, while the Guildford Art Centre extended the range to include artist materials.

Fibrecrafts was set up in 1982 by Anna Bowers to offer textile crafts supplies for hand spinners, weavers, dyers, felt makers and knitters. She set the standard for the service we are proud of today. The products are still sourced from leading worldwide manufacturers, offering choice, quality and value, and are usually dispatched to our customers the next working day. We are delighted that her granddaughter Sophie Smith is an integral member of the team here at George Weil and agreed to become a Director as part of the Employee Ownership Trust changeover.

The Papershed brand was originally developed by Kath Russon and acquired by the George Weil Group in 2004. Many of the Papershed handmade paper products are handcrafted by small rural communities and sourced from Thailand, Southern Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh and India. Other items, such as the hand-dyed silks, are brought in as raw materials and produced in-house. The Papershed now offers the serious paper maker the professional materials for producing high-quality and durable handmade paper.

In 2008 the Polymer Clay Pit extended the group to include supplies of polymer clays and silver clay. The range also includes tools and equipment such as a kiln, shape cutters, pasta machine for blending clays, moulds and texture sheets. The business was founded by artist and author Sue Heaser in 1985.

In March 2010 the Selectasine range was added to the George Weil Group. Selectasine Serigraphics (Serisine Ltd) was founded by Richard Knight in 1978, bringing with it a range of screen printing supplies which included the Selectasine (previously known as Bricoprint) binders and pigments. When combined, the pigments and binders can be used to create a wide choice of screen printing ink colours and effects. The Selectasine screen printing system completes the range of materials offered to the textile crafts enthusiast.

The Guildford Art Centre joined George Weil in March 2013. The range of traditional craft materials and equipment now includes a large selection of fine-art supplies including oils, acrylics, watercolours, canvases, papers, brushes, easels and portfolios to supply the artist and student with brands including Daler Rowney, Winsor & Newton, Jakar and Derwent.