What is a Hudson's Bay Blanket?

If you've been around vintage blankets, and perhaps been noodling around Etsy, you'll have probably come across the Hudson's Bay Point Blanket. 

They are a type and quality all unto their own.

What are Hudson Bay Blankets? Wikipedia says this," A Hudson's Bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in British North America, now Canada and the United States, from 1779 to present.[1] The blankets were typically traded to First Nations in exchange for beaver pelts as an important part of the North American fur trade. The blankets continue to be sold by Canada's Hudson's Bay department stores and have come to hold iconic status in the country."

I've come across only three in my years of sourcing vintage. I sold two and kept one.

This is a beautiful one. While it's not perfect, it doesn't need to be. As is the unwritten rule of vintage, the more wear and the more patina an item, the better it is.

The "Points" on the side of the blanket (the black pointing) reveal how large the blanket is at a glance, which is genius, in my book. Rather than having to open the blanket and figure it out, the point system says it all for you.

My blanket is a four-point Hudson's Bay Company blanket. It fits perfectly on our king-size bed. 

While the blanket is only good for the winter months in our neck of the woods (northern California), can I just tell you how excited I am when this time of year comes around?

It's all because of the blanket.

Are you interested in a blanket like this? Here's a link to one. If you do a search on Etsy or eBay, you'll find many. They are works of art, really.

They may cost a little more than your average blanket, but then, you're getting far more than an average blanket. You're getting quality, real wool, true craftsmanship, and beauty. And it's vintage!

That's all a huge win.