Military 'woolly pully' sweaters

[Carnage]

Army. To be honest I'm not sure these jumpers are even scaled any more for general issue, I believe they have been replaced by the horrid fleece (not as outerwear).

I have a very different regimental jumper as well that is in no way uniform...

 

[Ticklishchap]

Army. To be honest I'm not sure these jumpers are even scaled any more for general issue, I believe they have been replaced by the horrid fleece (not as outerwear).

I have a very different regimental jumper as well that is in no way uniform...

That's my understanding - they are no longer general issue but are an optional item. Therefore we - both civilian and military men - must keep buying and wearing them! It's my junch that fleeces are starting to go the way of shell suits and there is a steady trend back towards wool. So it's not impossible that the 'woolly pully' will be revived for general issue.

 

[Carnage]

Indeed Oxford, various regiments retain some form of Barrack Dress that consists of some form of Jersey, Heavy Weight. And various bewildering combinations of ever more increasingly bizarre regimental trouser/belts & shirts. And this is just for officers. For WOs, there is a different order of dress, and again from SNCOs, oh and other ranks too. Ensuring that nobody is ever dressed the same, yet it is still uniform.

I would much rather see barrack dress worn as a day to day working uniform (unless conditions dictate other clothing be worn) over S95 combat pyjamas. But I believe there is a costing issue....

 

[Ticklishchap]

Indeed Oxford, various regiments retain some form of Barrack Dress that consists of some form of Jersey, Heavy Weight. And various bewildering combinations of ever more increasingly bizarre regimental trouser/belts & shirts. And this is just for officers. For WOs, there is a different order of dress, and again from SNCOs, oh and other ranks too. Ensuring that nobody is ever dressed the same, yet it is still uniform.

I would much rather see barrack dress worn as a day to day working uniform (unless conditions dictate other clothing be worn) over S95 combat pyjamas. But I believe there is a costing issue....

Indeed, Sir. Everyone dressed differently but still in unform is typically British, I'm afraid. I am glad you've been issued ith a new woolly pully - keep wearing it! [Though I have to confess I've worn three versions this week - black, olive (Army) and today RAF blue.

 

[Mr Vim]

I don't quite understand why you can't wear them because of the US Coastguard. They use a v-neck, so a Crew would surely be OK?

That's true Chap, I could wear other branch's versions of the pulley, but it's a personal preference that I do not.

 

[Carnage]

Indeed, Sir. Everyone dressed differently but still in unform is typically British, I'm afraid. I am glad you've been issued ith a new woolly pully - keep wearing it! [Though I have to confess I've worn three versions this week - black, olive (Army) and today RAF blue.

I will confess that I seldom wear uniform (normally I wear a suit now) however when I saw my wooley pulley was looking in gash order I felt like I needed a new one, more so with 11/11 coming up....

I have a black one that I wear with my moleskin trousers, barbour jacket and brown brogues.

 

[Ticklishchap]

The black one is all-purpose and can go with almost anything. I wear mine with corduroys or moleskins. I often wear the olive with a green barbour jacket.

 

[Todd V]

Received a US Coast Guard sweater today from Mitts Knitts. It is quite nice, soft, not as scratchy as my green commando which is also a size 36. The Mitts Nitts is slimmer, trimmer and shorter, though I bet it will stretch out some.

Overall, I'm quite pleased as I couldn't find a navy blue v-necked WOOL commando anywhere!

 

[Ticklishchap]

Received a US Coast Guard sweater today from Mitts Knitts. It is quite nice, soft, not as scratchy as my green commando which is also a size 36. The Mitts Nitts is slimmer, trimmer and shorter, though I bet it will stretch out some.

Sounds great. I must order (yet another) commando sweater just to support this firm!

 

[Ticklishchap]

Another supplier is Leicester based Outdoor Knitwear. www.outdoorknitwear.com Click on 'Woolyback' or 'Workwear' sections and then go to Style 700, Original NATO sweater. They have the 1000% wool crew neck in olive, blue and black, and the v-neck in blue and black. Overall it's a very good site and they are very reliable because I have ordered from them before.

 

[keith]

www.outdoorknitwear.com is owned by the original manufacturer of the woolly pulley they supplied brigade quartermasters with them for years, this i know as i used to work for them in their warehouse in leicester until i retired.

They are still made in leicester by them as i have family still working for them, but they dont supply the british army who now buy them cheap from china.

 

[Corto]

www.outdoorknitwear.com is owned by the original manufacturer of the woolly pulley they supplied brigade quartermasters with them for years,

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[keith]

glad to be of service, when i worked for them they supplied all over the world with Woolly pullys.
They also made and still make the Submariners sweater, but i dont think its on the website.

 

[Kory Leach]

I would say over the last...23 years I've owned about 3 or 4 of them. The original British made "Wooly Pully" that was sold by Brigade Quartermasters were always the best quality.

Brigade used to sell one color per service (Army- black, Navy-dark blue, USAF-lt. blue, USMC- olive, and I believe there was a brown one as well) - but no longer. Does anyone know if the US military still has them as an official uniform item? In this day and age of polypropylene and tightening budgets I can't imagine they'd still exist.

A quick Google search tantalized me that you can get an OD Brigade Wooly Pully on Amazon...but they're "currently unavailable" with no known date as to when they'll be back in stock (I'm guessing never). You can also get an acrylic official US Merchant Marine version at the Lighthouse Uniform Company.

I currently own a 100% wool Navy blue version by Rothco (which I bought with much reservation) but it's thick, durable and (surprisingly) well made.

I think "What Price Glory" sells a repro "Commando Sweater" with neck drawstring which was the forerunner of the modern Wooly Pully. You can see Daniel Craig sporting one in "Sword of Honour".

I haven't seen one of these in years, since I was active in the 90's. With the issue of the ACU brown isn't issued anymore for "field use" undergarments. As far as the dress uniform the "class A" is going the way of the dodo and being replaced with the ASU, similar to the dress blues. As such I don't know if the sweater is sold by clothing sales any longer. Good news for surplus purchasers.

 

[Carnage]

www.outdoorknitwear.com is owned by the original manufacturer of the woolly pulley they supplied brigade quartermasters with them for years, this i know as i used to work for them in their warehouse in leicester until i retired.

They are still made in leicester by them as i have family still working for them, but they dont supply the british army who now buy them cheap from china.

Keith you will be happy to know that I have several of their NATO jumpers and I still wear them when in uniform. And also I shall be getting my other half to get me a couple of items from there for Christmas.

 

[Harp]

They also made and still make the Submariners sweater, but i dont think its on the website.

OKW email this morn regarding Submariner inquiry said the sweater will be online next year.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Good to know! Thank you!

They are a very good firm. I highly recommend them.

 

[redavis001]

OKW makes a good sweater.

 

[jaymag_87]

As best as I can determine, US Army Officers and Soldiers are still authorized to wear the black, pullover sweater, with the Class "B" Army Service Uniform. Currently, there is no "Wearout Date" for the sweater. However, seeing as the duty uniform for the vast majority of soldiers is the ACU, you won't see it worn very often. I still have mine (somewhere) but I don't remember wearing it more than one or two times in 9 years I was in the Army. I wore the BDU, almost exclusively.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

www.outdoorknitwear.com is owned by the original manufacturer of the woolly pulley they supplied brigade quartermasters with them for years, this i know as i used to work for them in their warehouse in leicester until i retired.

They are still made in leicester by them as i have family still working for them, but they dont supply the british army who now buy them cheap from china.

Good afternoon, yes I have bought sweaters from this company who I first heard about when they were interviewed a few years ago on the BBC Radio, very good pullovers and very good service, pleased to see they are still in business..Rgds Steve