Dear Spot,

Why not try Malcolm Newton in Heanor, Derbyshire who makes very good, long-lasting strings by hand. I've tried practically every make but now use his strings on all my instruments and am very satisfied with them.

Here's his website which gives contact details.

Your other question deserves a thread on its own as it's a complex question. There have, however, been several threads on this in the past like this one and this one too.

Peace

moo