One less well known side of Corgi is the manufacture of socks for various regiments of the British Army. These socks, or hose, can only be made using traditional methods, and are mainly used on ceremonial occasions. They are made to very precise specifications, as each regiment has its own individual requirements. In fact, Corgi has been making socks for the Ministry of Defence since at least the 1940’s, using hand circular Grizwald machines, which are still used for this purpose today.
We can trace the origins of the company back to 1893, and it is quite possible that Corgi was manufacturing for the MOD, on hand knitting machines, during the Great War. Corgi’s long association with the MOD was recognized in the 1980s, when Huw Jones (the current Managing Director’s father), was consulted by the Pattern Keeping and Quality Control Department of the MOD, and helped them rewrite the master patterns on many of the basic plain and Highland Regiment Diced / Argyle stockings, and footless hose. Most of them had not been reviewed for over 80 years.
This long tradition is still reflected in the company’s full name, Corgi Hosiery Limited.
These socks are now available on our website. Made from pure washable wool with cotton added into the foot for added strength, they make a great outdoor sock. Currently they’re only available in lovat, a regimental grey green, but we’ll be making more regimental sock styles (and colours) available soon.
