Identifying odd tartan

[Downix]

I bought this, labelled as Stewart, but found a slight modification, part of the black replaced with green. Not 100% sure what I have as a result. It's a good weight, 14oz wool, but the selvage is pretty poor.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The picture is very, very dark so I think I'd be hard pressed to say what is dark green and what is black from the photo. But it certainly looks like the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan to me (similar to Royal Stewart, but with a smaller red section).

[figheadair]

Looks okay on my screen.

Based on the large differential between the red and bordering blue I'd say Royal Stewart rather than Prince Charles Edward where the combined blue was typically just about the same size as the red.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Peter,

If the photo is showing up better for you, I defer to your judgment. It appears so dark on my screen that really I can only see the red, white and yellow on an otherwise shadowy background.

[RockyR]

I tend to agree with Matt's first instinct on this one even though it's showing up a bit dark on my screen as well. The lone field of red in the upper right quandrant of the OP's picture is much smaller than the typical field of red in Royal Stewart. I'd call it PCE Stuart Modern. 2 examples of PCE Stuart from 2 different mills and the original pic:

[MacMillans son]

It's really dark here as well.

In my unqualified opinion:
It appears to be the mill used in Rocky's top photo based on the brightness of the blue that shines through, in spite of the dark photo, and all of the white lines appear to be the same width, unlike the lower photo.

[figheadair]

I tend to agree with Matt's first instinct on this one even though it's showing up a bit dark on my screen as well. The lone field of red in the upper right quandrant of the OP's picture is much smaller than the typical field of red in Royal Stewart. I'd call it PCE Stuart Modern.

This of course is where history become a casualty of commerce. Traditionally the blue bars of the PCE were half the size of the red they enclosed and so in total, i.e amount added together, they were the same volume as the centre red.

In the Royal Stewart the R/B proportion is always more pronounced with the blue bars typically anything from 10-20% the size of the red. Thus my comment that I'd consider it Royal Stewart rather than PCE. The fact the weavers name it incorrection/weave the PCE wrong doesn't alter the historical fact.

[Downix]

I tend to agree with Matt's first instinct on this one even though it's showing up a bit dark on my screen as well. The lone field of red in the upper right quandrant of the OP's picture is much smaller than the typical field of red in Royal Stewart. I'd call it PCE Stuart Modern. 2 examples of PCE Stuart from 2 different mills and the original pic:

Better sample picture:

Yes, it looks very similar to the top one. So much so I'd suspect that the slight difference has to do with dyes used.

Pity the selvage is so poor, it looks amateurish. I suppose I could hem it up to make it work.

[RockyR]

This iof course is where history become a casualty of commerce. Traditionally the blue bars of the PCE were half the size of the red they enclosed and so in total, i.e amount added together, they were the same volume as the centre red.

In the Royal Stewart the R/B proportion is always more pronounced with the blue bars typically anything from 10-20% the size of the red. Thus my comment that I'd consider it Royal Stewart rather than PCE. The fact the weavers name it incorrection/weave the PCE wrong doesn't alter the historical fact.

I was speaking in 'broader' terms and focusing on the red, not the blue... the fact that the red field was so much smaller in the OP's sample (like PCE tartan) than it is on any Royal Stewart tartan I've seen. In reality, it's neither one if we're to be technical... but then again, MANY of the tartans in swatch books from the different mills have been altered from the 'official' thread count.