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Sweater for Life

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I still search for a high quality, cable knit wool outdoor sweater. I keep buying them and they work for most pedestrian situations, but I’m beginning to think the good stuff is no more, gone the way of the princess phone and hitchhiking to school. Anyone know a source for quality wool sweaters like I wore in my rock climbing, coed skinny dipping days?

My last good one was purchased in the 90s from Cabelas, I think.
 
Wool has gotten expensive over the years but is still a great cold weather layer.
 
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I've bought several products over the past 40 years from David Morgan, the maker of Indiana Jones's bullwhip.
 
David Morgan also has Stanfield’s wool long johns, the warmest, toughest wool I have ever worn. Just looked at the DM interweb pages, they carry not only the long john wool tops I have been wearing for years as a sweater but they have it in a hooded version of the long john top too, it is been placed on my get for me, Christmas/birthday/father’s day, gift list. The dark gray color also doesn’t show dirt.
Not some soft cable knit, nambie bambie, sweater that the OP wanted, but the kinda stuff that ppine, Calvin Rutstrum and an other tough, real world old timers have found to be useful.
BB
 
I owned 2 prs of wool "base layers" as they're called nowadays. 1 was a union the other being separate top and bottom. Probably Stanfield's. They were excellent for way beyond winter months provided you layered sensibly. Wool breathes beautifully I found. When they wore too thin to make any difference, I couldn't find replacements (pre-internet days). Only in the fiercest blizzards could I wear them under a pair of heavy wool pants, it felt like a foundry furnace. And the wool that I wore wasn't wind blocking. Anything between -stupidC and +10C those pants were golden. Too bad the waist kept shrinking. Similarly wool jackets are perfect for shoulder season. These days my outdoor exertions have lessened with age and circumstance so more and thinner layers is working best for me. Something I'm still trying to get right. Big chunky sweaters are too big a thermal commitment. I prefer a thinner merino with other layers to find that sweet spot of warmth without sweat.
 
Yes. David Morgan has what you want.
I love the Norwegian sweaters. And I have worn Stanfield's for years.
 
I would second Sweetfancymoses's suggestion of Military Surplus: I got a West German "Commando" sweater back in the '90s. Although not the most stylish of garments, it is very warm and rugged. It has fabric patches on the elbows and shoulders, a nice big chest pocket, a crew neckline and thick heavy wool. The best part is after hundreds of hours of wear in rough conditions it doesn't show any sign of wearing out.
 
Boreal Birch,
Thank you even mentioning my name in the same paragraph with Calvin Rutstrum.
You made my day. Blessings to all people in the North.
The Old Ways are the Best Ways.
 
That looks like a good choice for a medium weight sweater to me. If I needed one I would try that one. I like the zipper neck and merino wool and I think it will be more versatile than a heavier more expensive one.

Sweaters are like canoes, you need more than one for different conditions, plus, if you only have one I doubt it will last a lifetime.
 
I almost forgot to mention the five button fatigue sweater that the US Army had in the Korean War, notably worn by Loretta Swit as nurse Major Hot Lips Houlihan on MASH.
My father brought one home from when he worked on the DEW line in Thule Greenland in the late fifties. It became my favorite piece of cold weather wear for a mid layer. I currently have two of them that I got from the Salvation Army Store or a local Army Surplus Store in Fairbanks, AK.
I tried to wear them as a long john top, but the tight/firm weave ate the skin off my under arms. Much better over merino wool long sleeve tee shirt. The Olive Drab color is not the best if you think of yourself as a clothes horse, maybe cover it with a colorful buffalo plaid wool shirt. It isn’t bulky rolled up or stuffed into a canvas portage pack on warm days.
……Birchy
 
I almost forgot to mention the five button fatigue sweater that the US Army had in the Korean War, notably worn by Loretta Swit as nurse Major Hot Lips Houlihan on MASH.
My father brought one home from when he worked on the DEW line in Thule Greenland in the late fifties. It became my favorite piece of cold weather wear for a mid layer. I currently have two of them that I got from the Salvation Army Store or a local Army Surplus Store in Fairbanks, AK.
I tried to wear them as a long john top, but the tight/firm weave ate the skin off my under arms. Much better over merino wool long sleeve tee shirt. The Olive Drab color is not the best if you think of yourself as a clothes horse, maybe cover it with a colorful buffalo plaid wool shirt. It isn’t bulky rolled up or stuffed into a canvas portage pack on warm days.
……Birchy
Sidetrack: My uncle flew left seat in a North Star serving the DEW line out of Sept-Ilse.
 
I would rather have one Norwegian sweater than 5 from LL Bean.
That would be a good deal because you can only buy three LL Bean 100% morino wool 1/4 zip crew neck sweaters for the price of a Norwegian version.

I have real good Icelandic Wool and German "pounded" wool sweaters and they are great, but not my favorites.
 
Just a Note !
I was SCAMMED !
Someone stole the add from these guys, and sent a poorly made, see through Anorak.
Don't order from FACEBOOK !!!!!!!!!

Jim
 
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