Quote Originally Posted by Macman View Post
These puttees (at least, that's what we called them) were the same as or similar to the British pattern in the Second World War as worn with battledress trousers. My memory could be wrong, but I recall them being roughly three feet long and around 4-5" wide, with a little bit of elasticity.
From the description it seems that they were a kind of puttee. Interesting!

Perhaps one could, my mind drifting, do a variation on these.. (still hoping for a scan of the Boer era kit). Inspiration..

Lets face it.. even the best hose do demand maintenance. While these skills were once widespread (alongside knitting) they are now niche talents. Today most people's socks are cheap, made in some Chinese factory, reasonably strong (nylon reinforced) and disposable (the use of elastics anyway limit their lifespan).