The knitwear thread

You are very lucky V, I almost snagged that navy Ballantyne sweater. It would have made my collection of the BIG 3 complete of the most classic sort after sweaters, the navy v neck. I've got a Johnstons of Elgin navy v neck, a Pringle navy v neck and a Lyle and Scott navy v neck, and l could have completed my hat-trickof the BIG 3, but l thought i'd let it slide and let someone else have it. My heart wasn't in it.

I had been eying off those Ballantynes from about the first couple of hours when they got listed. You are lucky V....I was going to go in for the hardcore snag and make sure l got the v neck, but had last minute thoughts.

I let a few things from that seller slide today. Why? Because self control is really important, and I don't want to be excessive.
As I have said before about other pieces—I have absolutely meant it then and mean it now—I am happy to send it your way when it arrives, if you change your mind.

It would be but a small expression of my gratitude for the education and mythology that you have provided us here.
 
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I would never change my mind. I want you to have them far more than I want them. Btw, l edited my post on the previous page and talk about this.
 
More than any other reason, that’s why I love you, Shooey!

Thanks mate, you're a kind bloke, and l am really pleased you have such great things like Lobb and Ballantyne etc. Why? Because part of the journey is about getting to experience these things and learn why these things are so special, and along the way you will have much enjoyment of the items, and when you look back as an older man you will fondly remember all the good times you had in all those wonderful things you bought. See....people have forgotten the pleasure of good shoes and clothes, but we wear these things all our waking hours so it is worth getting the good stuff. Money is so well spent on clothing.

But the real thrill with vintage Ballantyne is that you are wearing knitwear of a quality that no longer exists, and nor was it ever common. So you are one of those small number of people who will have the pleasure of wearing the greatest knitwear ever to exist in the history of the world. YOU are part of the Ballantyne legend.

Anyway, here is a good video about why the vintage Pringle cashmere is so special.
 
Ebay dead man’s cashmere haul

Grey v neck sweater vest

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Pale yellow v neck sweater
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Green argyle v neck
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Green argyle round neck
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Grey v neck
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Pale yellow round neck
One feels that the quality is a lot worse than the vintage cashmere
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Bonus pics
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Ebay dead man’s cashmere haul

Grey v neck sweater vest

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Pale yellow v neck sweaterView attachment 28654

Green argyle v neckView attachment 28655
Green argyle round neck
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Grey v neck
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Pale yellow round neck
One feels that the quality is a lot worse than the vintage cashmereView attachment 28658

Bonus picsView attachment 28661 View attachment 28662 View attachment 28663

I didn't know you purchased dead man clothes too
Sometimes it's the only way to get ye olde world good stuff
Nice selection btw
 
English knitwear sizing in inches is a little odd. How would you translate a small size into inches sizing? 36, 38, 40?
 
european size is half chest in cm
UK size is full chest in inches

Multiply EU size by 2 and convert to inches (divide by 2,54), that's your UK size

The EU X = UK X + 10 approach only works for a size EU 50
 
yeah sizes near to 50 are closer to the -10 rule
But as you deviate the difference becomes bigger
 
English knitwear sizing in inches is a little odd. How would you translate a small size into inches sizing? 36, 38, 40?

Buy
Then use skilled alterations person & skilled hot washing

Edit:
Or embrace the oversized sweater style
Or resell to fat friend (customer) or donate
 
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English knitwear sizing in inches is a little odd. How would you translate a small size into inches sizing? 36, 38, 40?

You know I didn't realize you were talking about an actual S size
Your best bet is to look at the description, usually pit to pit size is specified there (if we're talking about eBay)
 
I've been looking at ebay and there are very few vintage pieces worth the purchase. And none in small sizes. Please, inform if there are specific seller to look at.
 
Ebay dead man’s cashmere haul

Grey v neck sweater vest

View attachment 28653

Pale yellow v neck sweaterView attachment 28654

Green argyle v neckView attachment 28655
Green argyle round neck
View attachment 28656
Grey v neck
View attachment 28657
Pale yellow round neck
One feels that the quality is a lot worse than the vintage cashmereView attachment 28658

Bonus picsView attachment 28661 View attachment 28662 View attachment 28663


Wow, l can hardly believe my eyes. Simply incredible!
 
I promised I wouldn't buy anymore knitwear for a good while now, but I thought i'd have a quick look tonight for cashmere turtlenecks and found something really special tonight. Check this out, a dark green vintage Paul Stuart made-in-Scotland turtleneck. Now THIS is a real prize piece of knitwear. A real piece of true vintage in EXCELLENT condition and in my favourite colour.


Now l have two dark green turtlenecks, a brand new vintage 1970's Ballantyne (my most prized piece of knitwear) and this little beauty. I am beyond delighted.
 
Teaser. . .

All Scottish cashmere. That’s an intarsia cardigan on the top of two gorgeous turtlenecks. I ended up getting something else altogether, but I might still pick up the cardigan once I am back to reclaim my bag! It is proving really hard to resist. . .

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All the colors are a shade darker than they appear in the photo.
 
Comments of some of my cashmere turtlenecks.
Pringle v's Malo v's Ballantyne



purple Pringle turtleneck
It is 1980's and very nice, however it is reasonably thin but looks to be unworn. Probably 1 ply cashmere.

dark green Paul Stuart turtleneck
I am guessing it is 1970's, and it looks unworn. It is extremely impressive and a very substantial thick cashmere knit that is unmistakably classic Ballantyne. The feel and style is classic Ballantyne. It is identical to my other 1970's dark green Ballantyne. Far superior to the Pringle turtleneck, Ballantyne takes it all the way to show why it is the best there ever was.

RJman tells the story of seeing Ballantyne cashmere turtlenecks in San Francisco in about 1992 (26 years ago) and being shocked seeing them selling for $700 U.S, but he said they were worth the cost because of the quality. Well...my ones are from the golden era in the 1970's, and l imagine mine could be even better.

black Malo turtleneck
It seems like some guard hairs were left in because it has a slight itch when l wear it, and it is not as nicely styled as the Loro Piana, and certainly not as amazing as the Brunello Cucinelli cashmere pieces. No other cashmere has ever itched. The cashmere is very nice and dry. There could be various reasons why the guard hairs were left in: 1), maybe corners were cut during the process for taking out the guard hairs, or 2), perhaps the goat was on it's first fleece and the guard hairs were really fine and extremely difficult to remove because the guard hair width was similar to the fine cashmere (see video from 3:31 - 3:53). The Malo is also thicker than the Pringle.

Regardless, the black Malo turtleneck l have is very nice, and the purple Pringle turtleneck I have is very nice and beautifully styled, but none match the Ballantyne and Paul Stuart (99.9% certain it would also be Ballantyne) green turtlenecks in amazingness. The green turtlenecks are hallmarks of what l think Ballantyne is really about...thick substantial well made stylish cashmere knitwear from Scotland that is made to last a lifetime.

When one wears Ballantyne turtlenecks it tells the world that they are the boss! It says all that needs to be said!

 
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Guard hairs, itchy cashmere and highend knitwear garments made-in-Scotland

I remember people writing online about their vintage made-in-Scotland highend Chanel sweaters itching, so this leads me to believe that discussion in the video above was probably the case (see point 2 below)

2), perhaps the goat was on it's first fleece and the guard hairs were really fine and extremely difficult to remove because the guard hair width was similar to the fine cashmere (see video from 3:31 - 3:53).

I reckon that is most likely the case because a company like Chanel isn't going to be cutting corners in the sorting process imo. And of course this problem is likely to arise when the goats have their first fleece.
 
shooman, if you were to buy some new pieces of cashmere, which brand would you choose?

I'm biased towards Johnston's for sentimental reasons but there is maybe a better option. Do you know the french brand Eric Bompard?
 
shooman, if you were to buy some new pieces of cashmere, which brand would you choose?

I'm biased towards Johnston's for sentimental reasons but there is maybe a better option.

I recall reading Will's posts from `a suitable wardrobe' about 5 years ago and he mentioned he ordered samples of Johnstons and John Laing for his online shop. He stated that the Johnny Laing was clearly the better cashmere jumpers, and more beefy.

I would go with Scottish cashmere. Why? 3 reasons below.

1). Because Hermes chooses to have there best cashmere jumpers made in Scotland, and they are at twice the price as there ltalian cashmere jumpers.


2). Professional insight on Scottish v's ltalian v's Chinese cashmere
All of Shibani's cashmere comes from Mongolia and is then dyed and spun in China,Italy and Scotland. Chinese cashmere is the cheapest; Scottish the finest and most expensive. "The quality used in a sweater depends on what the clients wants to pay".

(Deluxe - how luxury lost its luster, p374
Dana Thomas)

My comments = the book was published in 2007 after the chinese bought the company Todd & Duncan in 2004, BUT BUT BUT it doesn't mean the chinese owned scottish cashmere company doesn't still spun and treated in a special way that is different from the ltalians. If scottish cashmere was no longer superior then Hermes wouldn't be selling it for double the price of the ltalian spun stuff.

My comments 2 = notice how the man gets all his cashmere from the one area, yet he says the scottish is best because of the way it is spun. It seems like the spun scottish cashmere is more expensive because the knit is denser IMO.

3). Most of the Scottish made cashmere l have is more substantial than the ltalian cashmere l have. One of the few exceptions is the ltalian `Kiton' cashmere v's the Scottish modern day `Brooks Bros'.


[Do you know the french brand Eric Bompard?[/QUOTE]

I have heard of it but know nothing about it.
 
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Thanks a lot for the answer. I'll try to find sources for John Laing. It seems T&A carries them. The ASW shop carried very nice styles, it's a shame he closed the shop.
 
Photo dump of the deadstock Ballantyne cashmere haul from Charvet. As per @The Shooman’s kind request, I have paid special attention to the tags. Fellow vintage Scottish cashmere speculators would know how prone those tags on turtlenecks are to coming loose or being altogether lost. For that reason especially, I really appreciate the placement of the sole stitched tag on the waist for this particular Charvet-Ballantyne turtleneck.

It was nigh on impossible to resist getting every single Ballantyne article they had available in stock. . . Though it has certainly helped that whatever else they had in my best fit was either in hot pink or canary yellow. I will probably regret, in hindsight, not getting the teal turtleneck in the grandpa fit (1 size up; the darker shade of blue in that last photo is also a turtleneck in 50).

PS: Photos of the recent haul from the special purveyor are to come in the next couple of days.

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Bonus. The wonderfully supple braided Charvet belt in burgundy. An instant hit as my casual belt of choice.

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For one of the first times in my life l actually don't know what to say, l am completely stunned. It is almost like l am in a dream. Has this really happened or am l still asleep. *takes a really deep breath and sighs*

You got the lorne green turtleneck. Wow, just wow. You got that cardigan, amazing.

I wrote to charvet in France last year or the year before asking about the old Ballantyne stock they had but they never wrote back.

Still lost for words. This is way over the top.

Later.
 
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I love how they give you extra cashmere thread for a repair job if needed. I have that with my lorne turtleneck also.

I notice how they are different sizes. If one of them is too big it is easy to make them smaller. Just wet in cold or luke warm water, squeeze the excess water out and dry in the direct sun. Do this over and over until you get it to the right size.
 
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I love how they give you extra cashmere thread for a repair job if needed. I have that with my lorne turtleneck also.

I notice how they are different sizes. If one of them is too big it is easy to make them smaller. Just wet, squeeze the excess water out and dry in the direct sun. Do this over and over until you get it to the right size.
Thanks for the great tip, Shooey! In this case, I chose the sizes very carefully so they are scarcely in need of manipulation! Since I often wear cardigans under a sport coat, I like them as snug as humanly possible. In this particular case, it was also my intention to combine the old-school glamor of an intarsia argyle cardigan with a modern fit for those occasions when it will be the center of attention. This size works wonderfully for that!

Similar considerations were at work for the turtleneck also. One size larger certainly wouldn’t have worked as nicely under a coat. One size smaller, and it wouldn’t on its own have that authoritative presence, as you have so wonderfully put it. To be perfectly honest, this is also the reason why I don’t find many Italian-styled turtlenecks that attractive. Since most of them are too fine, even wispy, I don’t think they have the same flexibility as a quality Scottish specimen that can easily transition from playing second fiddle to and dressing down a sport coat to stepping forward as. shining on its own.
 
Thanks for the great tip, Shooey! In this case, I chose the sizes very carefully so they are scarcely in need of manipulation! Since I often wear cardigans under a sport coat, I like them as snug as humanly possible. In this particular case, it was also my intention to combine the old-school glamor of an intarsia argyle cardigan with a modern fit for those occasions when it will be the center of attention. This size works wonderfully for that!


Yes, l am the same. My various pieces need to fit differently to fill various roles in my lifestyle also, and l am very specific about this. Eg, many cardigans need to fit tighter and be shorter to wear under coats where-as other cardigans need to be slightly looser so l can wear a turtleneck under them, but the knitwear length also needs to be the same length as the other knitwear that is worn with it.



viaattovannucci']Similar considerations were at work for the turtleneck also. One size larger certainly wouldn’t have worked as nicely under a coat. One size smaller said:
To be perfectly honest, this is also the reason why I don’t find many Italian-styled turtlenecks that attractive. Since most of them are too fine, even wispy,

Those ltalian turtlenecks are common and for boys. The old scottish turtlenecks are unique and have presence and for real men who knows what's what.

- most fine ltalian turtlenecks = too gentle and common, and for boys
- vintage scottish turtlenecks = the boss! Only men need apply.

viaattovannucci said:
I don’t think they have the same flexibility as a quality Scottish specimen that can easily transition from playing second fiddle to and dressing down a sport coat to stepping forward as. shining on its own.


EXACTLY!!!!

And again, when l wear the old Lyle & Scott or Ballantyne turtlenecks on there own l have the authoritative style, but when I wear the Loro Piana and most other ltalian turtlenecks on there own l am stripped down and like a whimpering little boy with no authority.

Scottish turtlenecks = the boss and a true man! He's got the stuff.
Italian turtlenecks = like a whimpering runway model and a mere boy. He ain't got the stuff.

I don't really have much interest in ltalian knitwear. I tend to scoff at such stuff.
 
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Photo dump of the deadstock Ballantyne cashmere haul from Charvet. As per @The Shooman’s kind request, I have paid special attention to the tags. Fellow vintage Scottish cashmere speculators would know how prone those tags on turtlenecks are to coming loose or being altogether lost. For that reason especially, I really appreciate the placement of the sole stitched tag on the waist for this particular Charvet-Ballantyne turtleneck.

It was nigh on impossible to resist getting every single Ballantyne article they had available in stock. . . Though it has certainly helped that whatever else they had in my best fit was either in hot pink or canary yellow. I will probably regret, in hindsight, not getting the teal turtleneck in the grandpa fit (1 size up; the darker shade of blue in that last photo is also a turtleneck in 50).

PS: Photos of the recent haul from the special purveyor are to come in the next couple of days.

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Bonus. The wonderfully supple braided Charvet belt in burgundy. An instant hit as my casual belt of choice.

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viaattovannucci viaattovannucci now please reveal the secret we are all interested in
HOW MUCH?
 
Of fingerfapping quality! Especially calling that cardigan a Kingfield in Falkland red is what ups it from brilliant to fap city. elevates an already masterful article of clothing to grail status.

On the two blue turtlenecks I had to leave behind with a heavy heart, the size and color were written longhand with a fountain pen:”ocean, teal.” Tear. Many iGent orgasms were had in that store. . .
 
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