Personal tartan cost?

[Derekc5555]

I want to get a personal tartan I've been designing registered and woven. Can someone tell me how long both processes will take and how much both will cost, and where is the best place to get it woven? Please and thank you

[The Wizard of BC]

OK, first off registration would more accurately be called listing. Having a design listed does not convey any more authority nor does it lend any more meaning or official status.

What listing does is say that your design is unique. It is not the same as another design. Where this falls apart is that it is quite common for the same design to be known by many other names.

Black Watch is an example. The modern color version is what most know. The exact same pattern of lines but dyed in what are called the ancient colors is named Campbell.
The exact same pattern is also known by about 6 other names.

Listing also means that the name you pick for your design adheres to the naming conventions currently in use. These conventions today are quite different from the conventions used just seven years ago.

Now on to having your design become real by having fabric woven. There are only a handful of Tartan weavers in the Western world. Of them most require a significant amount of fabric for a minimum order. One weaver I know of requires 60 meters as a minimum. (That's enough for 15 kilts). A couple have as little as 11 or 12 meters as their minimum. (3 kilts)

I would strongly suggest that you contact the weavers personally. Get quotes that include the cost for the weaving, the finishing, shipping and any final costs like duty and import fees.

Whoever you decide to go with I would strongly suggest that you ask for yarn samples of the colors. Most weavers will provide these but not all.

And make sure you contact the actual weaving mills. Many websites say that they can provide any design in any amount but in fact do not actually do the weaving themselves. At least one says they are a weaver but you will often end up with fabric woven by someone else and re-labeled.

[Derekc5555]

Thank you, Wizard of BC, that was extremely informitive. After learning that I am more concerned with getting it woven then listed. Getting it listed is more or less having it on paper that the tartan I designed is mine, which is cool, but I would say that's not so important. Finding a good and honest weaver is going to be my first priority. Getting it listed can come later.

[Todd Bradshaw]

I figure about 450 GBP for the fabric and maybe 40 more to ship it (equals around $600 US). This would be either 13 oz. or 16 oz. wool kilting fabric (Bute or Jura) from Marton Mills. It is double width and the minimum you can order is 11-12 meters, so you would have enough on hand to make 2-3 kilts. In my case, I chop off 4 yards to send to Barb for a kilt and my wife makes herself dresses and suits from most of the rest.

I've had two tartans woven by Dalgliesh (which tends to be somewhat more expensive) and two by Marton Mills. They are all beautifully made. The gals who run the custom department at Marton Mills in particular are very patient, sending yarn samples and print outs back and forth, and a real pleasure to work with.



I didn't register them as it's not all that important to me and it's fairly expensive to do.

Timewise - usually 4-8 weeks once the details are all figured out.

[figheadair]

The other weaver to consider is Andrew Elliot Ltd, Selkirk. They will weave as little as 12 yds single width. Not only is cloth of the highest quality it has a selvedge whereas that woven by Marton Mills, also great quality, has a tuck edge.

If you want you cloth woven in Scotland then Elliots is your only choice for a short run.

[Derekc5555]

I figure about 450 GBP for the fabric and maybe 40 more to ship it (equals around $600 US). This would be either 13 oz. or 16 oz. wool kilting fabric (Bute or Jura) from Marton Mills. It is double width and the minimum you can order is 11-12 meters, so you would have enough on hand to make 2-3 kilts. In my case, I chop off 4 yards to send to Barb for a kilt and my wife makes herself dresses and suits from most of the rest.

I've had two tartans woven by Dalgliesh (which tends to be somewhat more expensive) and two by Marton Mills. They are all beautifully made. The gals who run the custom department at Marton Mills in particular are very patient, sending yarn samples and print outs back and forth, and a real pleasure to work with.



I didn't register them as it's not all that important to me and it's fairly expensive to do.

Timewise - usually 4-8 weeks once the details are all figured out.

Nice tartans. I really like the T-6 Grey from Marton Mills.

That is good to know. I was expecting it to be about double that price, but $600 is definitely doable.

[McMurdo]

I would second the recommendation for Andrew Elliott weavers, when we did the Scottish Wildcat Tartan our first weave was with DC Dalgliesh, though this may have been outsourced. Our second and third runs were with Andrew Elliott and I could not be happier with both the product and the service. When we were getting this together we had sample threads from different weavers sent out for our approval, you really need to do this, one weaver sent heavyweight and medium weight threads together, as you can imagine that just would not work for making tartan and we went with Dalgliesh as the colours were the closest to the original design, I am happy to say that Andrew Elliott were able to match the original weave.

[Taskr]

I've used House of Edgar and pleased with result. Arranged for the kilts to be made through them also

[Adrian]

Another mill that might be worth trying is Bute fabrics, I think they do some for Houstons Kiltmakers (Paisley). No Idea of costs or minimum quantities, but like the quality..