Airmen - Beware of Sportkilt!

[Colonel MacNeal]

Imagine the scene - a USAF veteran buys what he thinks is a USAF kilt from Sportkilt to attend an Air Force event. After he arrives he discovers his kilt is the wrong tartan! Imagine the embarrassment.

Sportkilt is selling "US Forces Thurso" tartan and calling it "US Air Force" tartan. The real tartan is "US Air Force Reserve Pipe Band" tartan. Attached is a link to Sir Sean with the USAF Reserve Pipe Band, a link to the genuine Air Force Res PB tartan, and a pic of what Sportkilt is pushing. I called Sportkilt and verified that they were pushing the wrong tartan - Shame Sportkilt Shame.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...onneryKilt.jpg

http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland....usairforce.jpg

[Riverkilt]

I have often believed that there are two types of suppliers of things Scottish. Those who market to the unknowing newbies and play fast and loose with things like proper tartans (you can probably make your own list of such vendors if you're experienced) and those vendors who market to experienced customers.

Even L.L. Bean got the Air Force tartan right for their tartan shirts. If a shirtmaker can get it right you'd think a kiltmaker could...

Ron

[csbdr]

wow. That's inexcusable. That will probably make me defer from ever purchasing from them. I don't appreciate retailers who do things like that, counting on their customers ignorance to make a sale.....

[Colonel MacNeal]

I have often believed that there are two types of suppliers of things Scottish. Those who market to the unknowing newbies and play fast and loose with things like proper tartans (you can probably make your own list of such vendors if you're experienced) and those vendors who market to experienced customers.

Even L.L. Bean got the Air Force tartan right for their tartan shirts. If a shirtmaker can get it right you'd think a kiltmaker could...

Ron

An LL Bean shirt? Man - you gotta hook me UP!

[Barb T]

For quite awhile, the US AIr Force Tartan was listed as "unofficial" (and was actually known as the Lady Jane tartan). But it's now listed on the STA as "U.S. Air Force Reserve Pipe Band Tartan" - don't know when that changed. In fact, Strathmore (the only mill that currently weaves it, and only in 10 oz) still lists it as unofficial. So, maybe that's part of the source of the confusion. There's also another tartan listed in STA as "U.S. 2001 Air Force", which is similar but has a green stripe instead of gold.

Anyway, here's a close-up of our daughter's kilt in US Air Force tartan. It's a beautiful tartan! The kilt in the pics is in 16 oz (Dalgliesh custom weave).



and how it looks pleated to the stripe:

[Dan R Porter]

Sad Story. I hope you sent them a nice long letter about their mistake.

[Riverkilt]

Don't know if they still have them. Was a last year deal for various service tartans. Try their website - especially the close outs. maybe search for "tartan."

Ron

[Colonel MacNeal]

Sad Story. I hope you sent them a nice long letter about their mistake.

Luckily, I realized the truth before I made the mistake.

[macwilkin]

Several years ago I researched the subject of the tartans of the USAF & USAFR Pipe Bands; the article is posted on the STM's web site:

http://www.scottishtartans.org/USAF.htm

I was never able to establish that the tartan was officially adopted by the USAFR, but one can certainly argue that is the de facto tartan, as not only the band, but many current and former members of the USAF and USAFR wear it.

Regards,

Todd

[billmcc]

I realized Sportkilt wasn't selling the correct USAF tartan, though I didn't know it was the Thurso tartan. I assumed it was a fashion tartan produced for Sportkilt.