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There are very few art and craft suppliers in the UK that can trace their origins back to the Victorian era — George Weil is one of them. George Weil himself arrived in London from Alsace in 1891 to supply silk linings to the fur trade, and three generations of the Weil family built what began as a fabric supply business into one of the most respected specialist craft retailers in the UK. The business has grown significantly through the acquisition of complementery craft suppliers over the decades — each one bringing specific expertise that now sits within the George Weil offer. Understanding those acquisitions helps explain why the range is so broad and why the brand commands such loyalty among serious textile artists and crafters.
I've spent sixteen years in the art supplies industry and run Discount Art Supplies — a comparison and deals platform used by over 36,000 artists and crafters across all our channels every week. George Weil occupies a genuinely specialist corner of the UK craft market that very few other retailers can match. For mainstream art supplies — paints, brushes, canvases — there are many excellent options. For natural dyes, silk painting supplies, weaving yarns, hand spinning fibres and screen printing inks at a professional level, the options narrow considerably. George Weil is where serious practitioners in these disciplines tend to land.
Fibrecrafts is the most significant of the acquired businesses. Set up in 1982 by Anna Bowers to serve hand spinners, weavers, dyers, felt makers and knitters, Fibrecrafts established the standard for specialist textile craft supplies in the UK that George Weil still maintains today. The fibres range — merino wool tops for spinning and felting, weaving yarns, dyed and undyed fleece — is sourced from the best manufacturers worldwide and covers everything from beginner introductory quantities through to professional bulk purchases. The dyes range, similarly, covers both natural and synthetic options with the depth and technical specificity that serious dyers require. The Fibrecrafts brand continues within George Weil and remains the identity that the textile craft community most imediately associates with the business.
Papershed brought papermaking supplies into the George Weil range — a genuinely specialist category that few other UK retailers touch seriously. Abaca, cotton linter, kozo and other papermaking fibres, moulds and deckles, sizing agents and finishing supplies for artists who make their own paper as a creative medium rather than simply buying it from a supplier. A niche within a niche, but one with a devoted community of practitioners for whom having a reliable UK source is essencial.
Selectasine brought screen printing inks and binders — professional-grade screen printing supplies for artists, printmakers and the performing arts sector. Silk screen printing remains a significant creative medium and the Selectasine range covers the pigments, binders and auxiliary products that professional screen printers require. The Polymer Clay Pit, another acquisition, added polymer clay distribution — Sculpey and Art Clay Silver — to the range before that category was phased out.
The silk painting supplies range is where the George Weil own brand is most prominent. Silk fabrics — from lightweight habotai through to heavier crepe and satin weaves — sourced and supplied for painting, alongside Deka Silk paints in vibrant colours, gutta resist and the fixing and finishing products that silk painting requires. For artists who work in the silk painting tradition — a medium that has a long history across both fine art and textile design — George Weil is simply the most comprahensive UK source available.
The weaving range covers looms of every kind — rigid heddle, inkle, frame, tapestry and full floor looms — alongside the yarns, warping equipment, shuttles and accessories that weavers need at every level of practice. The Lojan Inkle Loom has been particularly popular in recent years and George Weil's teaching content around braid and band weaving has built a community of practice around that specific format. For someone new to weaving who wants to understand the equipment before committing to a purchase, the George Weil blog is genuinely useful — the kind of editorial content that comes from people who actually use the materials they sell.
Getting the best George Weil deals is worth some attention because the sale events and promotional offers are where the most significant savings appear. Periodic free gift offers — buy four Deka Silk colours and receive a free silk scarf — are the kind of promotion that rewards regular checking of the deals page rather than only visiting when you've already decided what to buy. Our deals page above collects every George Weil promotion as it appears, posted directly from their newsletter and social channels, so you never miss a sale or discount code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is George Weil? George Weil & Sons Ltd is a UK specialist art and craft supplies retailer founded in 1891, based near Guildford in Surrey. The business has grown through acquisitions including Fibrecrafts (1982), Papershed and Selectasine, and now offers a comprehensive range of textile craft, silk painting, weaving, felting, screen printing and fine art supplies.
What does George Weil specialise in? George Weil specialises in textile craft supplies — silk painting, weaving, hand spinning, felting, natural dyeing and screen printing — alongside general fine art materials. Their depth in these specialist categories is unmatched by most UK art retailers.
Can I visit George Weil in person? Yes — George Weil has a showroom near Guildford in Surrey, open five days a week. The physical location is on Old Portsmouth Road and carries a comprehensive range of their online stock for in-person browsing and purchase.
Does George Weil have a discount code? George Weil run periodic promotional offers and sale events rather than a permanent discount code. Check our deals page above for any current promotions — we post them as they appear from the George Weil newsletter.
