Yaps With The Founder
A collection of honest journal-like entries from the Founder.
Who Plastic Waste Really Affects (And Why We Start Local)
Cafes, shops, gyms and climbing walls make clean plastic every day with nowhere local to send it. Here is who plastic...
Make What You'd Buy. That's the Whole Business Plan.
Trends, niches, funnels. It's a lot. Here's the one rule I actually used to decide what Forma should make, and the re...
Nobody Owes You a Sale Just Because You're Small
Guilt-tripping people into buying small is the wrong way round. A customer is not doing charity. Here is what I do in...
One Belt. 25 Belts. The Maths Nobody Shows You
One belt, five rope colours, five sizes. That is 25 belts on the shelf before a single person buys one. The honest ma...
Nobody Makes a Reel About a Packing Table
Day 8 of building a business out of literal trash, and I did nothing you would want to watch. I built a packing table...
Handmade Is Just a Word. Until You Ask Who Made It.
Handmade turns up on every tag and every caption until it stops meaning anything at all. Here is what it is actually ...
60 Makers, One Shop, and a Wee Shelf of Rope
Fifty seven centimetres of shelf in a Stonehaven gift shop, sat among sixty other makers. Why that beats another thou...
If It Breaks, the Recycling Bit Means Nothing
Somebody asked if the belts are properly durable, or if the recycled thing is just a nice idea. Here is the honest an...
Workshop Notes
How Forma products are made.
Gifts For Scout Leaders: A Proper Thank You, Under £5
Scout and Guide leaders give up their evenings for free. Here are small, honest thank you gifts under £5, made from r...
Gifts For Stage Riggers: Small, Tough And Theirs
Stage riggers and stagehands carry a lot of kit that is not theirs. Here are three small gifts made from real retired...
What To Buy A Dad Who Climbs (He Says He Needs Nothing)
Dads who climb say they need nothing and own too much kit already. Here is what to buy instead, made from real retire...
A Thank You Gift For Your Belay Partner
Your belayer holds your life. Here is a proper thank you gift guide, all made from retired climbing rope in Aberdeen.
Gifts For Cavers: Tough, Small and Rope-Made
Stuck on gifts for cavers? Skip the kit. Here are small, tough gifts made from real retired climbing rope, from £2.90.
Gifts For Trad Climbers: Skip the Kit, Buy the Story
Trad climbers own the rack and have opinions on every cam. Here are gifts made from real retired rope that they will ...
Gifts For Indoor Climbers: Small, Useful, Not Chalk
Gifts for gym and indoor climbers that fit in a chalk bag and a budget. Made from retired climbing rope in Aberdeen.
Gifts For Offshore Workers, From An Aberdeen Workshop
Two weeks on, two weeks off, and a drawer full of socks already. Here are honest gift ideas for offshore workers, mad...
Materials Matter
Learn about sustainability, material and product lifecyle, material properties and how you can contribute.
Can You Recycle Plastic Bottle Caps in the UK?
Yes, in most of the UK. Here is what to do with the cap, what it is made of, and what it can become.
Fall Factor Explained: Same Fall, Very Different Catch
Two climbers fall the same distance. One gets a soft catch, one gets a jolt. Fall factor explains why, in plain words.
Can You Recycle an Old Climbing Harness?
Short answer: not in your normal bin. Here is what to do with an old climbing harness, part by part, and what Forma d...
Core Shot: Can You Still Use That Rope?
A core shot is hidden damage inside your rope. Here is how to spot one, what it means, and what to do with the rope n...
What Is Downcycling? Why Your Recycling Bin Isn't the End
You put the bottle in the recycling. Job done? Not quite. Here is what downcycling is, why it matters, and how we mak...
Kernmantle Rope Explained: Two Ropes in One
Every climbing rope is really two ropes, a core and a sheath. Here is what each one does, in plain words.
Nylon vs Polyester vs Dyneema: Which Rope Is Which?
Three rope fibres, three very different jobs. Here is the plain version, and why my belts are always nylon.
Your Rope Isn't as Young as It Looks. Here's the Real Shelf Life.
A climbing rope wears out on two clocks at once, how often you use it and how long you've had it. Here's the real she...