Pleat problem with my new leather Utilikilt

**tundramanq** · 9th August 12, 08:37 PM

This new Utilikilt looks an fits great - all except this one pleat on the right of the apron. It wants to stand almost straight out. It has defied the steaming pinning and drying game. Jenneviere at Utilikilt tells me I don't have a problem and I disagree. This is the is way more than the normal Utilikilt pleat curl. it seems caused from high in the kilt and is not caused by being pulled up from the outer part, but is being pushed up and out by the under part trying to curl.

This is the result of laying the whole kilt out on the table with all the pleats laying flat at the hem. I then patted the top 6 inches of the kilt from one end to the other. I tried it from both directions and get the same result. The only pleat that "pops up" is this one on the whole kilt. Once again it isn't being pulled up from the top.

Am hoping someone here that has dealt with leather kilts has an idea as to what's amiss here. I have poked and prodded. The only thing that lays it down while wearing is sideways finger pressure on the underpleat at the upper attachment below the pocket.

**McElmurry** · 9th August 12, 09:18 PM

It looks to me as if there is a piece cut at the wrong angle lengthwise or sewn at the wrong angle at the waist. Based on the photo I don't see how it will ever lay flat as is. I have never made a kilt so I am just an engineer opining outside my area of expertise. I hope the State doesn't find out and take my license away.

**Riverkilt** · 9th August 12, 09:48 PM

One of the things I've done to straighten leather pleats it to use weighted clips like I use when drying Utilikilts. I clip it to the wayward pleat AND the pleat behind it, make sure the weighted clip is pulling on the leather, and let it hang out over time. May be like a new baseball mitt or leather holster (hope I can say holster) that takes some break in and persuasion time.

Other suggestion comes from breaking in leather, just wiggling it a lot to loosen it, being careful not to crease it. Sort of like you'd pull and wiggle the retaining strap on a new leather holster. You might try googling about breaking in new leather...lots of how to videos about it. Might work...leather is leather.

I've been very pleased with how my weighted clips "train" the pleats on my leather kilt...

Might work...

**McElmurry** · 9th August 12, 09:56 PM

I am very inexperienced on this issue but if it was my kilt I would send it back before the manufacturer could claim I had damaged it by trying to straighten it. That curl in your second picture just looks too out of shape to me. Again it may just be my inexperience with leather kilts speaking.

**seanachie** · 9th August 12, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

Jenneviere at Utilikilt tells me I don't have a problem and I disagree. This is the is way more than the normal Utilikilt pleat curl. it seems caused from high in the kilt and is not caused by being pulled up from the outer part, but is being pushed up and out by the under part trying to curl.

I will be frank I am not fond of UKs, that said I did own one (not leather) early in my kilting days. I have dealt with the representative you have named. Suffice to say I would aim for someone higher in management. For what you paid for the kilt you deserve a lot better attention and I would demand it.

**tundramanq** · 10th August 12, 03:04 PM

Got through the minions to Krash (Steven Villegas - owner) at Utilikilt, they are going to make me another kilt and we will swap.

**McElmurry** · 10th August 12, 06:17 PM

Good news for you and good PR for Utilikilt.

**tundramanq** · 10th August 12, 07:11 PM

I like win wins. I get the kilt I wanted and they can figure out what happened so it doesn't happen again. My current theory is the sewing got a skew in it. Each pleat is a seperate leather panel. The panels are sewn together forming the back pleats. I think that this one pleats panel and the one outside of it got offset a little ( doesn't take much ) and created the forced curl. Not sure because this pleat is sewn to the pocket and under one of the apron snaps. A whole lot of elements come together in the frontal area of a Utilikilt to make it work. Part of the reason the Utilikilts are pricey is their complexity. I would consider making a traditional but never a Utilikilt or even a traditional with internal slash pockets. The dog ear pockets ( cargos) anyone can do. Ask any kilt maker. Many are copying he original Utilikilt with cargo pockets. I don't think anyone has made a decent copy of the Mocker or Survival with the slash front pockets.

**seanachie** · 11th August 12, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

A whole lot of elements come together in the frontal area of a Utilikilt to make it work. Part of the reason the Utilikilts are pricey is their complexity. I would consider making a traditional but never a Utilikilt or even a traditional with internal slash pockets. The dog ear pockets ( cargos) anyone can do. Ask any kilt maker. Many are copying he original Utilikilt with cargo pockets. I don't think anyone has made a decent copy of the Mocker or Survival with the slash front pockets.

Since things have gone in your favor, I feel freer to make this comment now so it does not come across as salt in the wound. The complexity and skill is one reason I would recommend if you look at leather again you might correspond with Robert Pel at Rkilts. Each of his kilts is made individually and personalized to your individual measurements. I don't have a leather but I do have hemp Rkilt. I can also tell you that Robert's service is first rate. I had a small issue with belt loops that he jumped all over and corrected. He is also a gentleman in the true sense of the word. I do not know about slash pockets for a leather kilt, but he would be the man to ask.

**tundramanq** · 11th August 12, 09:18 PM

I'll second that, Robert is great to work with - I have a British Tan R Kilt. There is a whole lot I like about his kilts. But it is a lot to ask to make a beltless reverse kinguesse pleat kilt with slash side pockets ( jean pockets ). It would be a pretty drastic redesign from the ground up. The pockets, in order to work well, are a lot more difficult to do than you would think. The apron side pockets option on the SportKilts trainwreaks the whole fit and lay of these velcro waist closure kilts. I asked Rocky at USAK about side pockets for the casual and he politely declined. I don't blame him it pretty much requires the narrower apron style. Not having cargo pockets makes for a much cleaner looking kilt, but without the slash pockets we are pretty much stuck with the sporrans again.