Gang - most of my socks are Karin Timour and they are absolutely superb copies of original pairs sewn with size 0 needles. Unfortunately, they cost $65 each and take awhile to make so its not like one can dash off and grab 2-3 pairs.

Enter Dave Gerow and his $40 pairs sold by Chris Daley and I think W, W and Company. I have a pair and have examined it vs some good photos of originial pairs and my schooling from Karin. In a visit to NYC she took me aside and spent hours explaining patterns, etc. Dave's socks use good fine wool and are knitted on a period machine. The period machines could not attach the toe and heel - that still needed to be done by hand. In 1864, the fully made sock machine was patented in England, but examples likely never made it to our shores in any quantity. According to what I read, Dave's socks are also finished by hand. Can you confirm that Dave? Even if they are all machine knitted, with handsewn hem in the tube, they are superior to others I have seen in weave, wool and pattern. The colors are excellent as well. Mine have the entire tube part ribbed, which is more rare than just the top of the tube being ribbed, but I gather they did exist on machine knitted socks.

Anyway, these are nice, and better than other $40 hand knit pairs I have seen out there, in wool and pattern. They only thing better are Karin's, at $25 more per.<br><br>Post edited by: Doug Cooper, at: 2007/09/11 18:16

Doug: Thanks for your interest in the socks. The hand cranked machine I use allows for knitting to be done on just part of a circle. This forms a pocket for the heel which is knit back on to the body of the sock when the foot is made. The toe is closed by hand.
Dave

Ah sock knitting, a subject near and dear to my heart.

Dave, how I wish I could see a picture of your machine! As I've been hand-knitting for a few years now I'm always interested in period knitting related &quot;stuff&quot;! Doug--just as you said, it's my understanding as well that period knitting machines required the heel to be entirely hand-knit (since the machine could only do tubes of knitting), and the toe to be decreased by hand as well (this is different than the toe opening just being closed by hand). I believe Karin talks about this in her excellent article in the Columbia Rifles Compendium.

As a side note, IMHO $65 for a pair of hand-knit socks like Karin's which employ period techniques, needle size, gauge, etc. is more than a fair price. Yep, it is a lot of cash, but with care those socks will last quite awhile. Like any well made, well documented garment you might buy, you might be paying a bit more but are likely getting a better quality product overall. Why should the poor, lowly sock be any exception?

Just my 2 cents,
Mary

Dave,

Can you make me a pair by Outpost???

RM

Rod,
Just go on CJ Daley's site or Wambaugh's and they should have them.

Let me tell you about Mr. Gerow's socks. I wore a pair of his socks for my first pair that I used at BGR (I had 3). My feet were in fine marching fitness until we crossed a knee deep creek, After fording the stream I unwisely changed my wet Gerow's for a pair of dry cotton socks. I then developed my only blister of the event. I feel if I would have left my wet Gerow's on I WOULD NOT have gotten this blister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wisely dried them out and wore them each day afterwards. I kept my Nancy T's dry and used them for a comfortable sleep wear (YEP IT WAS COLD AND I WAS GLAD TO HAVE A DRY WARM PAIR!!!!!!) (Thanks also to Nancy).
I like the Gerow's so much I snagged another pair.
And that's all I have to say about that.

Robert Gobtop
Wishing I had a Dave Gerow mosquito net!
Ol' Sipley Mess
ONV

Rob,
Always remember &quot;wool on the march and cotton in the camp,&quot; if you so choose to have cotton socks.