Before you begin
Choose one object: a table, a jacket, a bowl. Write down what it is made of and what you were told about it. Keep the claim on the page, word for word, so you can test it later.
Then ask one question: which record would show this? Keep asking it at each stage.
The five stages
Each stage has its own records. Ask for them by type and date. A supplier who cannot name a record for a stage has already told you something useful.
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Origin
Where the raw material began: a woodland, a flock, a clay seam, a mine or a field. Ask for the place by name, and for any record that names it.
Records to ask for: a harvest or extraction date, a site or plot name, and a dated statement of origin signed by the supplier.
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Harvest
The first physical act: felling, shearing, digging or picking. Ask who did the work and when it was done.
Records to ask for: felling or cutting logs, shearing or clip records, and a reference for any site permit that applied.
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Processing
Sawing, carding, spinning, firing or smelting. Each process changes the material, and often the paperwork with it.
Records to ask for: mill or works batch numbers, lot numbers on sheets or rolls, and any process notes that tie a batch to its input.
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Transport
Every move is a chance for records to go missing. Ask for the shipping document for each leg of the journey, not only the last one.
Records to ask for: bills of lading or delivery notes, invoices that show weights and dates, and border paperwork where it applies.
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Finishing
Dyes, glazes, sealants and coatings can hide what lies beneath. Ask what was applied to the surface, and with which product.
Records to ask for: product data sheets, batch labels for finishes, and a short note of what was used and when.
Weigh the evidence
Not every record proves the same thing. Read each one for what it shows, and then for what it cannot show.
| Record | What it shows | What it cannot show |
|---|---|---|
| Dated delivery note | That a named sender moved goods on a given date | Where the goods were grown or made before they were loaded |
| Batch or lot number | That items came from the same production run | Which tree, flock or seam the run began with |
| Supplier statement of origin | What the supplier says about origin, and who signed it | Whether the statement is true, without a second record to check it |
| Product data sheet | What a product is made of and how it should be used | Where its raw ingredients came from |
| Dated photograph of a workshop | That a place existed and looked a certain way at a certain time | Who did the work, or whether this material came from that place |
| Retained sample, dated | What the material looked like when the sample was kept | The history between the sample and the finished object |
Mark the gaps
Write down what you do not know, in three short lines: what we know, what we can show, and what is still missing. A gap written down is useful. A gap that stays hidden is the real risk.
A claim with a clearly marked gap is stronger than a claim with a smooth surface.
A worked example
This example is hypothetical. Imagine a dining table sold as made from a single walnut tree. You ask for the origin and receive a dated statement from the supplier. You then ask for the sawmill's batch number and a delivery note for the timber. Both records name the same mill and the same month, so they agree. Nothing yet links the boards to the tree.
Your note reads: mill and month confirmed by two records; felling site not documented; next, ask the sawmill for its intake log. You now have a stronger claim, and a precise next question.
A final check
- Every stage has at least one record, or a written gap.
- Each record has a date, a sender or signer, and a plain description.
- The claim you were given is quoted in full, next to the records you hold.
Have a trail you want checked? Send it to the editors.