Plate No. 002pattern
Red & Black
Charcoal
Forest
First documented
c. 1850
Origin
Woolrich, Pennsylvania, United States
Fiber
wool, cotton
Weave
plain weave
Family
checks

Plate No. 002 · pattern

Buffalo Check

Buffalo check is a large two-color check, classically red and black, woven in equal blocks. It became a North American workwear staple through heavy woolen overshirts in the nineteenth century. Unlike gingham, the two colors are of similar weight, so the blended intersection reads as a distinct third tone rather than a deepening of one color.

Named for

Commonly attributed to a mill designer's herd of buffalo. The account is traditional and not firmly documented.

Often confused with

Sources & References

  1. 1.Check (pattern), Wikipedia
  2. 2.Mackinaw cloth, Wikipedia

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