U Boat Rollkragen Virgin Wool - Rescue Orange

Heimat Textil knits in Germany, and the work shows its age in the best possible way. The name means homeland, and the brand builds from the knitwear that came out of German working life: sweaters made for fishermen, submarine crews, and anyone else who needed a garment to stand between them and the weather. The patterns come from vintage pieces, the wool is virgin and left with its natural oils intact, and the finishing is done by hand in a way almost nobody bothers with anymore. Pick one up and the craft registers immediately, before you have read a single tag. These are built to outlast you, and they happen to be beautiful while doing it.

A full kilogram of wool goes into this sweater, which is the number that explains everything else about it. Heimat knits the U Boat at 5 gauge, a heavy, open gauge that takes thick yarn and builds a dense fabric with real depth to its surface, the texture the brand is known for on sight. That weight holds heat the way a sweater built for the North Sea has to, and the wool is left with its natural oils in place, so the lanolin still does its original job: shedding water and resisting dirt rather than absorbing either. The shape comes from vintage pieces the brand has turned up over the years, with the high rolled collar that gave the style its name and once kept the wind off the necks of submarine crews.

The finishing is where it separates itself. The collar and the sleeves are sewn on by hand, which takes time and leaves a join that machine assembly cannot match, and the signature knitted stripes run at the cuffs and the hem. These are the details you notice before anyone tells you anything about the sweater. They read as old-world craft because that is what they are, and they happen to be lovely to look at while holding the whole piece together for the long haul.

• 100% virgin wool
• Heavy 5-gauge knit
• Handsewn collar and sleeves
• Signature knitted stripes at cuffs and hem
• Natural self-cleaning and water-resistant properties
• Knitted in Germany

A variance of +/-.5" is within tolerance. 

Fit Notes: Shop owner Tommy is wearing a size L/48 across the board. Things are always a little tricky with a new brand, especially one with traditional fits like these. We would strongly recommend sizing up once on your first round, unless you know your Heimat Size. They're built to be close to the body for warmth and will likely give you some natural stretch over time. Tommy is our standard fit model at 5'9", 160 lbs, with a 40" chest.