What is single vs double cylinder?
Single-cylinder sock machines knit plain, terry, and jacquard fabric on one needle bed. Double-cylinder machines add a second bed for true rib.
Single cylinder
A single-cylinder machine has one set of needles around one cylinder. It is the workhorse of modern sock production: fast, versatile, and able to knit plain fabric, terry cushioning, mesh zones, and multicolor jacquard patterns. Most athletic, casual, and everyday socks come off single-cylinder machines.
The machines we use in Istanbul are computerized Lonati single-cylinder machines, many of them with automatic toe linking built in.
Double cylinder
A double-cylinder machine stacks a second cylinder on top of the first, so needles can transfer between them. That makes true purl stitches and classic rib structures possible, the look of traditional ribbed dress socks.
Which one your line needs
For athletic socks, crew socks, and logo programs, single cylinder is the norm. Double cylinder matters when the design calls for a true purl texture or a traditional full-length rib. Single-cylinder machines can still knit a rib-look cuff, which covers most everyday programs.