In the ever-evolving waves of textile innovation, Loopwheel knitting stands as a “reverse traveler.” Born at the end of the 19th century, this tubular knitting technique has survived more than a century of industrial shifts by embracing what seems almost unreasonable today—slowness. While fast fashion dominates, Loopwheel has become a craft totem cherished by heritage wear enthusiasts. Hidden within its history and details lies the very essence of vintage aesthetics: what does it mean to live in harmony with time?
I. A Century of Loopwheel: From Industrial Breakthrough to Cultural Legacy
The story of Loopwheel knitting begins in the late 19th century, when textile engineers first experimented with circular knitting in pursuit of garments that could be worn comfortably without irritating side seams. At the time, most knitwear was flat-woven and stitched together, leaving seams that often rubbed against the body. The true breakthrough came in 1902, when the Tompkins Upright Rotary Knitting Machine was introduced in the United States. With its vertical, gravity-fed design, yarn was allowed to fall naturally into loops, creating a tubular knit fabric free of tension and side seams. By the 1920s through the 1950s, Loopwheel machines had entered their golden age. They became the backbone of sweatshirts and T-shirts for sportswear and military use. The U.S. Navy, for example, issued cotton undershirts knitted on these machines, prized for their comfort and durability.
But progress came at a cost. In the 1950s and 60s, the rise of high-speed sinker knitting machines changed the industry. These new machines could knit fabric up to 30 times faster than Loopwheel machines, producing thousands of tees a day compared to Loopwheel’s mere 8–10. By the 1970s, most Loopwheel machines had been decommissioned, scrapped, or left to rust in forgotten factory corners. The once-celebrated method seemed destined for extinction.
By the early 2000s, as heritage wear and vintage aesthetics gained popularity, Loopwheel knitting was rediscovered not just as a manufacturing method but as a cultural artifact. Its rarity—only about 200–300 working machines exist worldwide today—along with its unmistakable feel and durability, turned Loopwheel garments into collector’s pieces. A vintage Loopwheel sweatshirt from the 1950s can fetch thousands at auction, not just for its style but for the story woven into its fibers.
Today, Loopwheel is more than a technique—it is a symbol of resistance against disposable fashion. It represents a time when clothes were made to last, when comfort and durability outweighed efficiency, and when garments carried the weight of both craft and culture.
II. The Craft of Slowness: Three Steps to “Breathing Fabric”
Raw cotton with restraint
Only mid- to heavy-weight ring-spun cotton (8–14 oz) is used. No chemical softeners, no stretching. Natural air-drying preserves fiber resilience—essential for Loopwheel’s unique firmness without stiffness.
The vertical “slow magic”
Unlike modern machines, Loopwheel runs at just 12–15 rotations per minute. One hour yields barely a meter of fabric. The yarn falls freely without forced tension, creating seamless tubular knits that conform to the body yet feel unrestricted.
Hand-finished warmth
Necklines and cuffs are stitched with the same cotton yarn by hand, not synthetic elastic threads. Inside, irregular “slub textures” reveal the antique machine’s quirks—marks of authenticity no modern factory can reproduce.
III. Bronson’s Fourteen-Year Commitment
When Loopwheel shifted from forgotten industrial relic to cultural icon, Bronson Mfg. Co. chose to stand with the craft. Since its founding 14 years ago, Bronson has worked alongside antique Tompkins machines, embedding this century-old technique into everyday wear. Over half a million tubular T-shirts have been produced—garments built not just to be worn, but to be lived in for a decade or more.
At our anniversary, we look back and forward: the story of Loopwheel at Bronson is proof that classics are never about repeating the past. They endure because time itself affirms their worth.
