Loop-wheeled What is it?
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In the 1920’s through to the 1960’s loopwheeled fabric was relatively common, but the complexity and almost glacial slowness of production caused the industry to almost disappear and for most of the machines to be scrapped. Now, most loopwheeled fabric made in the world today is made in the Wakayama Prefecture of Japan. There is just only exception to this that I know of and that is Merz b. Schwanen in Germany (I will discuss this in more detail later).
The loopwheeled machines are actually circular knitting machines that knit “tubes” of fabric, the only tension used in the knitting process is gravity, the end result being a knitted fabric with virtually no inbuilt stress or tension. A loopwheel machine rotates at just 24 revolutions per minute, a modern knitting machine in excess of 10 times that. Each machine is only able to knit enough fabric for about 8 -10 shirts per day and can only knit a tube of a fixed diameter, so each size finished Tee or Sweat shirt is actually woven on a different sized machine. Apart from the knitted fabric feeling incredibly soft, it also allows shirts to be made with no side seams. Sweats and tee’s made out of loopwheeled fabric are necessarily expensive, but look better and last longer than anything else.
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great links rock(it) a lot of useful information
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yea, thanks
although I hate to say it, it seems that loop wheeled construction is more nostalgic than serving a purpose. -
I think the loop wheel machines make a much higher quality fabric than projectile looms. One of these old knitting machines is like a mechanical old lady. She is an expert knitter with only one purpose. This is like the terminator of knitting sweaters. Probably the only thing better is an actual human doing it. I'm not trying to suggest that other machines aren't making quality fabric. But the reason that most companies don't mess with these machines is because they are just too slow. They can't keep up with demand. So they are not as profitable…..
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I think the loop wheel machines make a much higher quality fabric than projectile looms. One of these old knitting machines is like a mechanical old lady. She is an expert knitter with only one purpose. This is like the terminator of knitting sweaters. Probably the only thing better is an actual human doing it. I'm not trying to suggest that other machines aren't making quality fabric. But the reason that most companies don't mess with these machines is because they are just too slow. They can't keep up with demand. So they are not as profitable…..
I guess you wanted to compare ancient circular knitting machines (loop wheel machines and others) with modern circular machines and not with modern day weaving machines (projectile looms).
For knits you have basically 2 options:
- circular knits
- flatbed knits
The majority these days is done on circular machines with tubes of a wider diameter and cut open, straightened and set for further processing like cutting and sewing - the ancient machines (loop wheel and other) are much slower, but the mechanics of how the loops are formed are the same compared to modern day machines.
The differences between the machines at Merz b. Schwanen and the loop wheel machines in Japan are marginal - in Germany the name "Loop Wheel" was not commonly used for this type of machine ("Rundstrickmachine" which is much more generic).
There was a significant industry in Saxony and Frankonia that specialized on underwear and hosiery that managed to survive well after the WW2 - this is probably the tradition the machines at Merz b. Schwanen originate from…
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I guess you wanted to compare ancient circular knitting machines (loop wheel machines and others) with modern circular machines and not with modern day weaving machines (projectile looms).
Right. I think the big difference between the older machines, and the more modern ones is speed and amount of tension.
Really I just don't buy the nostalgia thing (this does play into it though). I think they make a higher quality fabric with less regard to 'How much can we pump out?'
can we really refer to these machines as ancient though… weren't they in use through the 50's? -
I hear your Scroogen, but I have yet to read or see any concrete evidence that supports that they are a better fabric. I based the nostalgic comment off of what Foxy said in the Mynudies link. I do not mean to speak for him, but he seems pretty hip to this kind of thing.
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I have 80's and 90's Hanes, Champion, Russel, Jerzees, anvil 'cotton deluxe' and some other ones all made in usa probably on more modern knit machines. They are mostly falling apart. Sure the fabric is soft and the shirts are still wearable. I guess I will have to wait and find out how loopwheeled shirts hold up over time. I think a lot of the PRICE has to do with nostalgia but also because of how slow the machine is. Sometimes technically things are the same but actually they are different
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i guess "better" is also subjective. I def. like the idea of a slower, more controlled weave. I guess time will tell if it resists the typical holes or stretching that curse just about every regular t-shirt I own. we will see
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I have yet to read or see any concrete evidence that supports that they are a better fabric.
This is something you can look forward to in a year's time if you pick up some loopwheeled goods now. I've been wearing an IH loopwheeled T every week since last June and not only is the fabric clearly in another league to most of the other shirts I own (the weight and the texture of it is superb), it has kept its shape perfectly, including the collar. Likewise, the Strike Gold sweatshirt I own is in a league of its own. So fleecy and thick while also super soft. I've never had another garment like it.
