Sock WholesalersA sock quality control checklist for bulk orders
Most sock defects are small, and they repeat across thousands of pairs. A checklist works when every line names where in the run it happens and what it is compared against.
The sock quality control checklist below is the one the floor runs, written out so you can run the same one on a shipment.
On this page
The signed sample is the pass mark
We publish no universal tolerance for stitch density or cuff tension, because that number belongs to your construction rather than to a general standard.
First off the machine is the only check that catches a setting before it repeats across a whole run.
One signed copy stays on file against your order number. Bulk is measured against that copy, so a check has a reference both sides have already touched.
A deviation from that copy is a conversation, and the desk answers it in writing before anything ships. A disagreement about a written number differs from a disagreement about a memory.
Check during the run, not after it
Three points matter: first off the machine, mid run, and before the carton is sealed. A defect found at the third point has already been packed.
Record the yarn lot at the start. A shade shift between lots shows up in a packed carton rather than on the machine, which is why the lot is written down first.
Colour is checked against the approved standard, not against the previous carton. That check is the one most often skipped under time pressure, and it is the one that produces a mixed shipment.
Check, where, and against what
Nine checks, where each one happens in the run, and what it is measured against.
| Check | Where in the run | Measured against |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn lot and shade | Before the first course | The lot set aside for the order |
| Stitch density | First off the machine | The signed sample |
| Foot length | First off, then mid run | The size chart band |
| Cuff tension | First off, then mid run | The signed sample |
| Toe linking | First off, then mid run | No ridge and no loose end |
| Heel position | First off | The signed sample |
| Grip dot adhesion | First off | The signed sample |
| Colour against standard | Mid run | The approved colour standard |
| Pair count and size split | Before the carton is sealed | The packing list |
Nine lines, one reference each. A check with no reference is an opinion, and an opinion does not settle a claim.
Take it to the floor
Print the list, or ask for the record
The nine lines above are set to print on one sheet. Use your browser’s print command and the navigation, the contents list and the buttons drop out, leaving the table with the note beside it and the desk contact in the footer. That printed copy is the one to hand to an inspector or to your own quality team.
If you would rather have a live order checked against the same nine lines, send the order number and the line you care about most. The desk answers in writing, and the inspection record that belongs to the order goes out with that answer.
Questions buyers ask
Who runs the inspection?
The floor runs the nine checks during the run. A third-party inspection is booked by you, and the desk holds the carton for it. Both can happen on one order, and they answer different questions.
Do you share the inspection record?
Yes, on request against your order number. The desk sends the record itself rather than a summary, so your own quality team reads the entries. Ask for it with the order, while the run still has time to change.
What if a check fails mid run?
The run stops at that point. Write to the desk with the order number and the line that failed, and the deviation plus the re-knit plan come back in writing before packing resumes.
Can I set my own tolerance?
Yes. Write it on the specification sheet and it replaces the sample as the pass mark for that line. It has to be a figure the floor can measure, so a value in cm beats a description.
The styles this guide applies to
Every style on this site is quoted on the terms this page sets out. Both cards open the style’s own page — photographs, specification sheet and terms, without an email first.
Who wrote this guide
This guide was written by Michelle Zhang, Export sales manager at Sock Wholesalers. She sits on the export desk that answers buyer briefs, quotes orders and books freight, which is where the questions in this guide come from.
Three points in the run
First off, mid run, and sealed. Put the same three into a purchase order and the checklist has something to enforce.
Send the construction and the quantity band. The desk replies within one working day with the costing and the check plan.