Dusted Off My Old Brown Leather Utilikilt

[Riverkilt]

They don't make these anymore...It still fits. Was one of my first kilts...bought it a weak moment back in 2004.



Wore it to work today with a Filson travel vest and a Prairie Ghost camo shirt. Asked a coworker to snap a pic and didn't pay attention to the sun so its a crummy picture.

Building is where I work - an old government clapboard built about 1958.

No one remarked about my leather kilt or being kilted all day. Guess seeing me in a kilt has become a real yawner. If it can happen in my little town it can happen anywhere.

[Matty Ross]

Here Ron allow me to move the sun for you.

[Riverkilt]

Whoa!!! That's powerful, AND scary.....yikes!! And...thanks....I think....

[Steve of Lansing]

Hey, that looks pretty cool, Riverkilt!

Just curious, why do you think it was a weak moment, when you bought it?

Also, good job on the photo edit, Matty.

[Riverkilt]

That's easy. It was a weak moment since I paid $715 U.S. plus $50 shipping in 2004 dollars.....$765 total....and it only has one pocket - a hip pocket on the right side.

Good things that happened - I ordered it in black but a radio button on the website slipped and it arrived in brown. Indignant at first that I spent so much and got the wrong color I've grown grateful that it came in brown. Like it much better and still don't own a black leather kilt.

And thank God for the corset adjustments on either side. I've about maxed them out, but I can still wrap it around my massive girth.

[Steve of Lansing]

Hoo-rah! I don't think my entire wardrobe cost that much!

[piperdbh]

Does the leather require any special care? Oiling? feeding? Going for walks in the park?

[Riverkilt]

Haven't given any of my kilts any special treatment. Use Buffalo Butter on all my other leather. The old U.K. Utilikilts board used to have some suggestions but they were elaborate. So far, so good after 8 years of being exposed to the elements. Leather seems much like the leather on a quality baseball mitt.

They are great kilts for long distance driving and for foul weather. Heat rises and they hold the heat well.

You may think they'd be heavy and stay down in the wind - they do - but if you get wind under them somehow then leather is one of the best sails there is and they'll do a leather Marilyn Monroe on you.... Common sense around updrafts prevents that.

[opositive]

i looked it up, and buffalo butter sounds like good stuff. i use dr matrens wonder balsam on my boots. how does buffalo butter compare, if you know?

[Riverkilt]

No clue on Doc Martin's stuff.

Found an old 2004 post from the UK& Ireland Yahoo kilt group - now defunct but printed out the info from a lady who's a professional bootblack and who wore leather kilts when she worked.

She said she had friends who used Lexol and liked it, or hated it, depending but she'd neve used it so couldn't say.

She said she uses Fiebing's saddle soap and Huberd's boot oil. She also sometimes uses Pecard's and Dubbin conditoners.

She said Huberd's is a mix of beeswax and pine tar. She also said that Wesco's Bee Oil is good.

So...maybe some of them are good too.