Determining vintage of kilt hose

[MenOfTheNorth]

Hello and hope this is the best forum for my question.

I recently acquired the red/green diced kilt hose pictured below, as I am interested in Cameron Highlanders kit. The hose came from a dealer also selling several Great War-vintage Cameron items, including an O/R sporran to the 79th Cameron Highlanders of Canada (which I also acquired).

In looking at these hose, and I hope the (admittedly not stellar) photo can perhaps illustrate what I'm saying, the wool material between the red and green diamonds seems a bit darker (fewer red threads cutting through) than current production examples. I've not seen any current production diced hose in person, however, so can only compare to photos online.

Does anything in the colour, or construction, provide a clue as to the vintage of these hose? Or have these remained pretty much standard across the years. Just curious. Thanks.

[Steve Ashton]

Modern diced hose for comparison.

[MenOfTheNorth]

Thanks for the comparison photo. That reinforces the colouration difference I have been seeing in other photos online.

[OC Richard]

There are many things, hose included, which have changed little or not at all, from the mid-19th century to today.

It would take someone far more expert than myself to know when the various knitting looms and machines came and went, and to be able to identify at a glance which device was used to make a particular pair of hose.

EDIT: I just looked up this Wiki article, it seems that hosiery-knitting machines were well established by the late 18th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stocking_frame

This implies that traditionally made hose wouldn't look much different from the 19th century to modern times.

In any case your hose there look to me exactly like Victorian military hose and 20th century military hose.

BTW The Cameron Highlanders weren't the only military unit to wear red & green hose- they're worn by the pipers and Highland dancers of The Scots Guards.

[MenOfTheNorth]

Thanks for this.

Having seen only the brighter examples, as shown in Steve Ashton's photo, I just wondered if there was a hard break in colour at some point. It would appear not.