I am looking for a collection of the companies offering the highest-grade OTC socks who ship internationally, to either the US or the EU/UK. They must offer socks that are:
- Majority Natural Fiber
- Hand-Linked
- Under $40 per pair for Merino Wool and Mercerized Cotton (before shipping & tax)
- OTC
- Sheer Thin, or close-but-inexpensive (i.e. Boardroom)
- Come from a Sock Manufacturer, not a retailer that outsources or white-labels.
My current list includes:
- Il Regalo (These seem exceptionally unique. Is there any other company doing what these guys are doing?)
- Tabio
- Corgi
- Pantherella
- Boardroom (Only patterned are Hand-Linked it seems)
- Bresciani
- Pedemia (Are these Hand-Linked?)
- Falke Luxury Line (Overpriced? It seems like they have become more of a Designer brand?)
- Visconti di Angera (Does anyone have experience with these? Hand-Linked OTC for 10 Euros?)
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Some further context:
I have reviewed the old sock threads on SF, which have been very helpful, but still am struggling with a few questions.
One is material. My understanding is 20-30% Polyamide (Nylon, Elastane, etc.) is acceptable, if not wanted, in a high-grade sock for the much-needed stretch in the collar and possibly heel and toe. Most companies show this, though some companies like Pedemia and Bresciani show 100% Natural Fiber. Is that actually correct? Or are they just omitting that there is Polyamide? If it is correct, for those who have these socks, can you tell? Does it affect the grip? Is there any real advantage here to being 100% Natural Fiber?
The second is Hand-Linking. Oddly enough, it seems that many of these companies will go lengths to say anything they can except for Hand-Linking. That is totally fine, though I am having trouble distinguishing between what is actually Hand-Linked, and what is a gimmick. For example, Pantherella says they have "the famous Pantherella 'seamless' toe". Is this actually something novel, or simply dressed-up marketing for Hand-Linking? Similarly, Boardroom shows their Solid-Color socks as "Flat-Toe Seam" and their patterned as "Luxurious Linked Toe". Interestingly enough, I have there socks and despite their patterned socks only being $1 more, their Solid-Color socks are indeed not Hand-Linked, and have a ridge of fabric.
To further obfuscate things, Corgi has a video on their website stating that their socks are Hand-Linked, yet the store pages of their socks sometimes say "Hand-Linked", sometimes "Smooth Toe", and sometimes don't make any mention at all, which I can't tell if that means it is Machine-Linked, or is simply an omission error.
The lack of continuity is just making it a bit tricky to gauge the actual quality of the product. I have emailed some of these companies to get clarity (awaiting response), though I wanted to check with you guys to see what insight you have. Any thoughts?
And are there any brands you know of that I have not listed here?
- Majority Natural Fiber
- Hand-Linked
- Under $40 per pair for Merino Wool and Mercerized Cotton (before shipping & tax)
- OTC
- Sheer Thin, or close-but-inexpensive (i.e. Boardroom)
- Come from a Sock Manufacturer, not a retailer that outsources or white-labels.
My current list includes:
- Il Regalo (These seem exceptionally unique. Is there any other company doing what these guys are doing?)
- Tabio
- Corgi
- Pantherella
- Boardroom (Only patterned are Hand-Linked it seems)
- Bresciani
- Pedemia (Are these Hand-Linked?)
- Falke Luxury Line (Overpriced? It seems like they have become more of a Designer brand?)
- Visconti di Angera (Does anyone have experience with these? Hand-Linked OTC for 10 Euros?)
-------------------------------------------------------
Some further context:
I have reviewed the old sock threads on SF, which have been very helpful, but still am struggling with a few questions.
One is material. My understanding is 20-30% Polyamide (Nylon, Elastane, etc.) is acceptable, if not wanted, in a high-grade sock for the much-needed stretch in the collar and possibly heel and toe. Most companies show this, though some companies like Pedemia and Bresciani show 100% Natural Fiber. Is that actually correct? Or are they just omitting that there is Polyamide? If it is correct, for those who have these socks, can you tell? Does it affect the grip? Is there any real advantage here to being 100% Natural Fiber?
The second is Hand-Linking. Oddly enough, it seems that many of these companies will go lengths to say anything they can except for Hand-Linking. That is totally fine, though I am having trouble distinguishing between what is actually Hand-Linked, and what is a gimmick. For example, Pantherella says they have "the famous Pantherella 'seamless' toe". Is this actually something novel, or simply dressed-up marketing for Hand-Linking? Similarly, Boardroom shows their Solid-Color socks as "Flat-Toe Seam" and their patterned as "Luxurious Linked Toe". Interestingly enough, I have there socks and despite their patterned socks only being $1 more, their Solid-Color socks are indeed not Hand-Linked, and have a ridge of fabric.
To further obfuscate things, Corgi has a video on their website stating that their socks are Hand-Linked, yet the store pages of their socks sometimes say "Hand-Linked", sometimes "Smooth Toe", and sometimes don't make any mention at all, which I can't tell if that means it is Machine-Linked, or is simply an omission error.
The lack of continuity is just making it a bit tricky to gauge the actual quality of the product. I have emailed some of these companies to get clarity (awaiting response), though I wanted to check with you guys to see what insight you have. Any thoughts?
And are there any brands you know of that I have not listed here?
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