The misconception persists that originally the points were an indication of a blanket's price in beaver pelts or even its weight. Thickness and quality are the same blanket to blanket, and a larger blanket will naturally weigh more. Mackinaw jacket In 1811, at Fort St. Joseph there was a shortage of greatcoats for the King's soldiers. The date was November 20, 1811 and British Army Captain Charles Roberts, wrote a letter to Captain Evans, Adjutant General in Quebec, making a requisition, written as follows: Captain Roberts requisitioned HBC 3.5 point blankets from the British Indian Department to manufacture greatcoats for his troops. John Askin Jr., a Métis and keeper of the King's stores at the fort, hired local women to design and manufactured forty woollen greatcoats. Everyone was in agreement that the newly tailored greatcoats were of superior quality than the British Army standard issue greatcoats and helped to increase the morale of the King's soldiers. At the beginning of the War of 1812, Roberts and his men occupied Fort Michilimackinac located at the present-day Mackinaw City, Michigan. Roberts ordered a new supply of Hudson's Bay point blankets for the upcoming winter to manufacture more greatcoats. This time Roberts had enlisted the aid of professional tailors and seamstresses to produce the greatcoats. A despatch runner advised that the long length of the greatcoat was impractical for the deep snow drifts when travelling between Mackinaw and Montreal and requested it be replaced by the shorter double-breasted style, which became known as the Mackinaw jacket. At first, the Mackinaw jacket was produced in blue and was later replaced by the more popular red and black tartan pattern. The new design of the Mackinaw jacket was so beneficial for travelling through woods and trails that orders were received from people located from Fort William to Penetanguishene. More than 100 years into the future, when the Hudson's Bay Company began to commercially sell point blanket coats the Mackinaw jacket remained popular with their customers. Current use Versions of the blanket are available at Hudson's Bay stores throughout Canada. Solid colours are available, as is the classic pattern featuring the green, red, yellow, and indigo stripes. The blankets have always been made in England; today they are made by John Atkinson, a sub brand of A.W. Hainsworth & Sons Ltd. Wools from Britain and New Zealand are used in the manufacture of blankets. The official