Are HoC Glenmore socks not meant for the full-time wearer?

**Thekiltedmohawk** · 11th August 15, 03:11 PM

I ordered HoC Glenmore hoses from New Highland House VIA the Amazon. One of them are brick red which is one of my favorite colored hoses to wear. I ordered them in March '15, and I wore the brick red hoses once or twice weekly as I rotate them with the other colored hoses. I was shocked it have the holes on the heel area already, and it wasn't even 6 months yet. Are Glenmore hoses meant for the occasional wear, not for the full-timers? Should I upgrade to the Harris hoses? Are they better for the full-timers? What's the advice?

Frankly, for $30 per pair.. I do expect them to last longer than 5 months with a weekly wear.

**GrainReaper** · 11th August 15, 03:47 PM

I'm damn hard on my footwear in general, I wear kilt hose with my work pants in the winter as they keep my feet comfortable in the harshest of winters, mine last me one winter but I buy the cheapie wool hose for daily wear, my Lewis hose I wear for more formal (read flashier than a t-shirt) events, the Lewis are perfect, my crappo hose last 3-6 months...

**pbutts** · 11th August 15, 06:59 PM

How are you washing them? The hose I wear most are the HOC pipers hose that I wear with my band gig and they're in great shape (some stains though)....I hand wash with woolite (several threads on here with washing tips).

**Mathew MacKillop** · 11th August 15, 07:03 PM

This thread is one I will be following closely as adding more hose to my inventory is my number one priority once I can afford to do so. When I purchased my kilt in mid-May I got a single pair of cheapo black hose from Stillwater, and with intermittent wear (2-3 times a week) the foot of those hose are quite well ventilated with holes.

The Glenmores from HoC seemed to me to be the next step up; if they will wear out within a few months as well, I may need to change my mind. Obviously the Lewis hose receive good reviews across the board here, but at $50 a pair, we're talking about some rather expensive socks. There also seems to be an availability issue with many of the colours for the Lewis hose, too, so the situation becomes even more complicated.

With a hope of adding to this thread rather than hijack it, can the rabble give us the lowdown on which hose are a good balance between durability and cost? I know that HoC have other models as well, but the prices rise quite rapidly, and paying $62 or $75 for a pair of kilt hose seems a little much, unless they are made to last a VERY long time.

I am open to the concept of ordering from other than HoC, of course, but the quality appearance of their hose is what I am aiming for.

**Thekiltedmohawk** · 11th August 15, 07:03 PM

Good question. I did hand wash them gently for the months till the last one was thru machine gentle cycle with cold water as instructed by HoC. Is it the culprit?

**pbutts** · 11th August 15, 07:10 PM

I just checked Matt Newsome's HOC page to see if the wool blend was the same in the Glenmore as the Pipeband hose. While they are both the same merino wool blend, it sounds like the pipeband hose might have a bit of extra reinforcement. I also have a pair of Bowmore and a pair of Ranoch which seem to be basically the same.

**Thekiltedmohawk** · 11th August 15, 07:22 PM

That's what I suspect. It looks like the pipers, the Lewis, the Harris, and the expensive socks are designed for the "heavy duty" wear such as for the full-timers while the Glenmore is for those who would wear a kilt once or so for the highland games?

I'm not doubting the HoC's quality, but to contribute to my lack of knowledge on the which correct socks to buy and to wear on the regular basis. I just started wearing kilts 5 months ago.

I pull this off from the internet.

HoC Lewis:
Contemporary style Scottish kilt hose, featuring Celtic Cables on the cuff. Made from a 3ply Merino wool/acrylic blend. They are made with a fully reinforced foot, which not only adds to the comfort when wearing, but signifigantly extends the life of the hose. Most socks wear out first in the heel and toe; the nylon reinforced foot helps keep wear and tear at bay, making these hose a smart investment. Machine washable in cool water on the gentle/delicate cycle. Allow to air dry.

HoC Rannoch:
Knee high county socks (shooting socks) made in Scotland from a high quality (and super comfy!) 3ply Merino wool/acrylic blend. They are made with a fully reinforced foot, which not only adds to the comfort when wearing, but signifigantly extends the life of the socks. Most socks wear out first in the heel and toe; the reinforced foot helps keep wear and tear at bay, making these socks a smart investment. Machine washable on the delicate/gentle cycle in cool water. Air dry.

HoC Glenmore:
Looking for light weight, inexpensive kilt hose? Why sacrifice quality for economy? Glenmore kilt hose are affordable, comfortable, and exhibit the quality you expect from the House of Cheviot. Made with a 3ply Merino wool blend, they have a slightly looser knit than our other hose, making them cooler to wear. They feature a subtle mock-cable moss stitch top. Machine washable in cool water on the gentle/delicate cycle. Allow to air dry.

Please be noted the Glenmore is missing something in its description that the Lewis and the Rannoch have.. The nylon-reinforced foot to extend the socks' life in bold.

**Thekiltedmohawk** · 11th August 15, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mathew MacKillop

This thread is one I will be following closely as adding more hose to my inventory is my number one priority once I can afford to do so. When I purchased my kilt in mid-May I got a single pair of cheapo black hose from Stillwater, and with intermittent wear (2-3 times a week) the foot of those hose are quite well ventilated with holes.

The Glenmores from HoC seemed to me to be the next step up; if they will wear out within a few months as well, I may need to change my mind. Obviously the Lewis hose receive good reviews across the board here, but at $50 a pair, we're talking about some rather expensive socks. There also seems to be an availability issue with many of the colours for the Lewis hose, too, so the situation becomes even more complicated.

With a hope of adding to this thread rather than hijack it, can the rabble give us the lowdown on which hose are a good balance between durability and cost? I know that HoC have other models as well, but the prices rise quite rapidly, and paying $62 or $75 for a pair of kilt hose seems a little much, unless they are made to last a VERY long time.

I am open to the concept of ordering from other than HoC, of course, but the quality appearance of their hose is what I am aiming for.

I don't know if this is helpful, but here's the link to Lewis socks and their colors.

http://www.amazon.com/House-of-Chevi...Y9WCNX1PRN7EBF

**Mathew MacKillop** · 11th August 15, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Thekiltedmohawk

I don't know if this is helpful, but here's the link to Lewis socks and their colors.

http://www.amazon.com/House-of-Chevi...Y9WCNX1PRN7EBF

Many Thanks!

I had originally found those through New House Highland on Amazon, too, and also through Freedom Kilts (I'm in Canada, so getting them without the package having to cross a border would have been nice), but I must have found an old link for the Amazon page at the time since only a handful of colours were available, and Freedom Kilts have relatively few colours on offer to start with, and many of those are out of stock. The link you provided solves that problem for me!

From the research I have done, it seems like the Lewis will be a good place to start. Does anyone have experience of the Rannoch or Sandringham models? These are even pricier, but if they'll last even longer, there are some nice colours available in those, too!

Some threads also report that the more saturated colours of hose tend to fade rather quickly; I really want a pair in claret and mustard, along with more or less all the darker browns, charcoal, etc. Do the HoC hose tend to keep their colours longer than other brands or am I doomed to have pale hose?

Edit: Ouch! For the fun of it, I added all the colours of Lewis hose I want, a couple pairs of Sandringham hose, and a half-dozen pairs of garter ties to an amazon cart, and I'm looking at just short of US$ 900 for the whole lot! For that price, I sure hope I wouldn't have to replace too many pairs too often!

**Thekiltedmohawk** · 11th August 15, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Mathew MacKillop

Ouch! For the fun of it, I added all the colours of Lewis hose, a couple pairs of Sandringham hose, and a half-dozen pairs of garter ties to an amazon cart, and I'm looking at just short if US$ 900 for the whole lot! For that price, I sure hope I wouldn't have to replace too many pairs too often!

Now you have me convinced to investigate more on this before I get myself some Lewis hoses!!