What's a Loopwheeler?
Our GOOD ORIGINALS: Made with patience, peace, and a lot of experience.
This is what you need if you work with original loopwheelers. These machines revolve at a very slow speed and require artisan craftsmanship and experience.
When, over 100 years ago, the garment industry was modernized, amazing machines were developed: the invention of loopwheelers made it possible to produce innovative and very comfortable warped fabrics, which today are known as jerseys.
Sustainable, Exceptional & Unique
The fabrics that are made on these old machines look and feel quite different in comparison to the ones we know from modern machines. They are also very durable as well as labor and time-intensive. But this is precisely what makes them exceptional and unique.
Back again
The very few remaining original loopwheelers, built and used between 1889 and the 1960s, are now back in operation in our production site in Southern Germany.
The result is fabrics with very little tension and an incredibly vintage touch and looks.
DISCOVER OUR SUSTAINABLE APPROACH DISCOVER OUR GOOD ORIGINALS
WE ARE PROUD
We are the only company that still manufactures the authentic and traditional way
on original loopwheelers in Germany.
We are specialists in making unique fabrics on rare warping machines.
A good second chance...
The production floor measures 130 square meters. A few floorboards squeak. There is a gentle hum in the air, almost like a simple melody.
On the ceiling, old wooden discs are spinning, connected with each other by five-centimeter wide leather straps. The straps lead to a single transmission engine keeping everything on the floor in motion.
Light shines through the windows, and the metal patina of the machines is glowing warmly.
There they are – 32 original loopwheelers.
Perfectly conserved and functional. The newest one was built in the 1960s, the oldest machine in 1889.
Almost forgotten by the rest of the world:
it seems like these gentle giants have been waiting patiently for a second chance since the 1960s.
Original loopwheelers
Every machine is fitted with over a thousand needles. In the old days, every needle was made by hand. They are assembled in a row, knitting the thread row for
The machines are reliable, but not perfect. The small irregularities within the fabric are an essential part of the
The unique comfort such a rare production process provides is evident from the very second when you first slip into one of the garments.
Manufactured in Germany
Merz b. Schwanen adheres to the region and still produces the entire vintage GOOD ORIGINALS line on the Swabian Alb with authentic production methods on original loopwheelers.
Made with good materials
All of our fabrics have one thing in common: they are all made of high-quality materials such as organic cotton all grown under controlled organic farming conditions, super-fine pure merino wool, or the natural product of viscose.
These naturally finished materials assure the best feel and comfort while wearing!
Pure textiles
The
This makes each fabric an eco-friendly textile that is very gentle to the skin.
Discover more about our sustainable approach
Authentic packaging
When it comes to protecting and packing our vintage garments of the GOOD ORIGINALS line, we think outside of the box. Special textiles deserve special packaging. This is made by a family business following the original design.
Made by one of the last producers being able to fabricate lateral clips, the boxes carry some history themselves.
Of course, you can store whatever you like inside of the useful cartons, but your Merz b. Schwanen garment might fit best.
Designs inspired by all-time classics
Classic cuts that show the origins of Merz b. Schwanen now
The GOOD ORIGINALS span all decades from the vintage
These garments are directly inspired by a traditional way of crafting authentic vintage garments, honest craftsmanship, and passion.