Custom Made Tartans

[Offline]

As much as I would love to by one of the $100 a yard custom tartans, it is a bit out of my price range.

Anyone have any good places that are not nearly as expensive?

Thanks all!

Kraig

[unixken]

You can have custom, or you can have cheap (a relative term), but not both, I'm thinking.

[OC Richard]

There are people who know a lot more than I do about this kind of thing, but several years ago when I was ordering a heavyweight kilt from a certain Scottish firm it pretty much cost the same whether it was a traditional tartan or a custom tartan. They said that either way they had to set up a loom and weave it.

Likewise back years ago when our pipe band was going to purchase a bolt of tartan to have all our kilts made, from Lochcarron, it was the same price either way, so we had them weave kilt-weight cloth of a tartan that they had hitherto only woven in necktie-weight.

[David Thorpe]

The amount (yardage) of tartan makes all the difference in the price of a commissioned run. For just enough for a single kilt, it is as you say, very expensive. If however you can pool with a few friends and/or kinfolk for a larger order, the price can be dramatically lower. One mill with which I have dealt does fine commissioned runs very reasonably if the total yardage of the order is sufficient to offset setup costs.

[Offline]

How much material is usually needed for a kilt and is $100 a yard about the going rate per yard or has anyone found different prices?

Thanks all

Kraig

[Jock Scot]

Offline.

Depending on your size and style of kilt required, then anything up to 9 yards of single width tartan could be a possibility. More perhaps in exceptional circumstances.