# Harley of Scotland sweater quality



## ThomGault (Oct 6, 2016)

*Harley of Scotland sweater thickness quality*

I'm looking for feedback on my first new shetland sweater purchase, a Harley sweater from Bosie.com (which seems to be very related to Harley somehow.) When first opened the package, I was underwhelmed, to say the least. The wool felt paper thin and incorporeal. My wife laughed when she saw it and said it looked like a K-Mart sweater; in fact, it was less substantial than many of her lesser-quality sweaters. Having an older vintage Lands End sweater, I weighed the two, and found that the old LE was 10.5 oz, whereas the brand new Harley weighed a mere 8 oz. While the LE is a slight bit bigger and probably has more material, the Harley has roughly only 3/4 of the weight. Does that seem weird?


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## oxford cloth button down (Jan 1, 2012)

Not weird at all. I think that the core issue here is ply. Harley's standard Shetlands are 2 ply where some Shetlands are probably 4 ply. This is what I am guessing the LE sweater is. I have quite a few Shetlands from various makers and my two Harleys are on par or less than substantial than a few. Mine are also brushed if that matters. I lhave found them to warm despite them only being 2 ply and well made.

I wanted to note that Harley also offers their Shetland in 4 ply and 6 ply. I contemplated purchasing the 6 ply, but I was concerned that it would be too bulky. I thought this based on my Shaggy Dog which I find too chunky at times. 

I hope this give some perspective!


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## HOOT (Aug 19, 2012)

I can only echo what OCBD said, they have 2-ply, 4-ply and 6-ply versions. I bought the basic 2-ply Harley shetland crewneck because I needed something that was lighter weight than my Shaggy Dog's and was satisfied. My only gripe with them is that the neck opening and skirt are a little too loose. Its a shame that Spirit of Shetland is now gone otherwise I'd have given them a try next time.


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## ThomGault (Oct 6, 2016)

Thanks for the replies; as Harley also offers 1-ply sweaters, and claims that 2-ply is their standard thickness, I presumed that 2-ply would be "normal" sweater thickness. Do you have Shetlands from Anderson's, Lockie, or Jamieson's to which you can compare thickness?


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## oxford cloth button down (Jan 1, 2012)

Thom, I did not want to leave you hanging, but I don't have a good answer either. 

I do not have any of the brands that you have mentioned, but I do have some from O'Connell's, J.Crew, Brooks, PRL, Spirit of Shetland, and PRL Rugby. I am sure that a few of them were made by those listed above as Brooks, PRL, etc, do not make sweaters. In general I could not tell much of a difference and with a few there was no difference at all.


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## Chrisone (Aug 25, 2014)

The Harley sweaters are lovely! 

But it's true that they weight less and have a somewhat looser weave than many other shetlands. In my opinion it's more of an advantage and a feature than a point of critique. It makes them possible to wear during warmer months and in well heated rooms.

If you don't like it, you can always buy from O'Connell's instead. They are probably heavier (haven't checked) and with a somewhat more dense weave (have checked). Jamieson's sweaters are a whole different animal, they are much more substantial. With the brushed Harley's it's less visible btw. They feel more substantial than the unbrushed ones, although the weight is the same.

My only critique with the Harley's is the neck band. It's flimsy and it can, when worn with heavy shirts underneath, stretch a little to much.


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## rmpmcdermott (Oct 27, 2015)

Just get a Shaggy Dog and revel in its thick, brushed splendor!


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## HOOT (Aug 19, 2012)

Chrisone said:


> My only critique with the Harley's is the neck band. It's flimsy and it can, when worn with heavy shirts underneath, stretch a little to much.


Agreed, it stretches way too easily.


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## Chrisone (Aug 25, 2014)

HOOT said:


> Agreed, it stretches way too easily.


... But changed for the better some time in the last couple of years? My older shetlands from Christian Scott in Aberdeen (made by Harley) have a noticeably more flimsy collar than shetlands ordered from bosie.co this summer and autumn.


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## Mr Humphries (Apr 5, 2013)

I have a Christian Scott Shetland, it has its uses and looks good but as has been said, has flimsily constructed collar. It was a good price but I believe that has almost doubled since.


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## HOOT (Aug 19, 2012)

Chrisone said:


> ... But changed for the better some time in the last couple of years? My older shetlands from Christian Scott in Aberdeen (made by Harley) have a noticeably more flimsy collar than shetlands ordered from bosie.co this summer and autumn.


Mine is from this autumn so they're still not that great in that department in my opinion.


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## andrewdc (Oct 7, 2016)

Picking up an old thread here, but i own and wear shetlands from Jamieson and Harley. Harley sells online via Bosie, Jamieson through End Clothing. Both are 2 ply. The Harley sweater is brushed, a medium/light gray, the Jamieson is not, it’s a heathered midnight blue.

2 ply Shetland wool sweaters feel lightweight, but the wool is durable, and the sweaters are warmer than one might think from their light weight. Shetland wool does a nice job bridging seasons/temperature ranges because it is so light, relative to some other options, unless you get a thicker knit. In both, I think it’s worth going up one size from typical US sizing; i normally wear XL but in these brands, XXL fits better.

They are knit differently. Harley’s sweaters are circular knit - no side seams. Jamieson has panels knit together, with seams, but they are fairly low profile. The Harley sweater is brushed, so the wool feels softer, whereas the Jamieson sweater feels more ‘scratchy’ (typical wool).

People who want a Shetland sweater that feels more ‘substantial’ could look at Harley’s Blue Mogganer, a 4 ply sweater, J. Press’s ‘shaggy dog’ shetlands, which are soft and fairly thick, and O’Connell’s sells very nice shetlands in a good variety of colors. 

People who crave a heavier-feeling wool should look at options other than Shetland wool. Norwegian (Dale or Devold) or Icelandic wool sweaters tend to be thicker and heavier, for example. My favorite heavy wool sweater is made of oiled Welsh wool, from a sailing supply store in the UK called Arthur Beale; that sweater weighs over 3 pounds, winter weight and warmth, especially under a shell - so thick that it almost doesn’t work with the sleeves of a Barbour jacket.


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

andrewdc said:


> Picking up an old thread here, but i own and wear shetlands from Jamieson and Harley. Harley sells online via Bosie, Jamieson through End Clothing. Both are 2 ply. The Harley sweater is brushed, a medium/light gray, the Jamieson is not, it's a heathered midnight blue.
> 
> 2 ply Shetland wool sweaters feel lightweight, but the wool is durable, and the sweaters are warmer than one might think from their light weight. Shetland wool does a nice job bridging seasons/temperature ranges because it is so light, relative to some other options, unless you get a thicker knit. In both, I think it's worth going up one size from typical US sizing; i normally wear XL but in these brands, XXL fits better.
> 
> ...


FWIW I like the Shetlands from O'Connell's. They recommend sizing up. I disagree. Also they are longer than most.


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## August West (Aug 1, 2013)

TKI67 said:


> FWIW I like the Shetlands from O'Connell's. They recommend sizing up. I disagree. Also they are longer than most.


I agree about not sizing up. In my experience the cable knits are very long. I only have one cable knit from O'C's because of this, and tend to wear it more in place of a coat. I find it to be too long to wear in more "formal" settings.

The regular shetlands seem to be of average length, to my eye at least.


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## xcubbies (Jul 31, 2005)

I wonder if our different body types have a bearing on how a Shetland sweater fits?


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