More on the Australian Tartan

[Graham]

..not so much about tartan so I post it here.
I inquired about getting a kilt made in the new Aust. National Tartan and was told they have a good local kiltmaker.....13oz 8 yard would cost $870 (think Canadian dollars)!!

Heck, I could get a leather kilt cheaper!
I'll be looking around for another kiltmaker to make it I think, I'd never pay that for a kilt.

[Fearnest]

I'm speechless!

[Riverkilt]

Yikes! That's about $685 USD. Someone's certainly taking a large cut out of the middle there.

Ron

[Macman]

That doesn't strike me as out of line, Graham. My 13 oz. 8-yard was C$780 four years ago, and I think the local kiltmakers are in the C$800-$1,100 range right now. Maybe I live in the wrong place!

[RockyR]

It doesn't seem high to me for a kilt made in a RARE tartan (at least it's rare to me). Maybe you should try to get a 5 yarder or a 4 yard box pleated kilt made up in the A.N.T... should keep the cost at about $400 or so.

[Graham]

Rocky, I had a 13oz 8 yard kilt made two years ago by an Australian kiltmaker (Morrison Ancient...sure, it's not rare) for about $500. I guess I'm comparing with that.

[staticsan]

..not so much about tartan so I post it here.
I inquired about getting a kilt made in the new Aust. National Tartan and was told they have a good local kiltmaker.....13oz 8 yard would cost $870 (think Canadian dollars)!!

Heck, I could get a leather kilt cheaper!
I'll be looking around for another kiltmaker to make it I think, I'd never pay that for a kilt.

I think we've gotten spoilt by all the 'affordable' kilt-makers. I imagine a lot of traditional kilt-makers would be unware that someone like USA Kilts exist (for instance) and would have no idea what a Utilikilt was (for another example), and would, in fact, probably be horrified at the prospect of a non-wool, non-tartan, hip-riding kilt! I have been reminded sharply in the last month just how much I now know about kilts that the great unwashed does not: to those only with a knowledge that kilts can be purchased new tend to easily believe that $900 is a typical price for one.

Wade.

[The Wizard of BC]

Graham,

I have checked three sources for weaving 5 Meters of 15 oz. in the Australian Tartan and the best price I can come up with is 415.72aud.

Then using Barb and Matt as an average, the labour charge to hand-sew a Tank is 250.00usd or 319.61aud.

This gives a total without taxes, shipping, or duties at 735.33aud.

870.00cdn = 946.55aud. That leaves 211.22aud in shipping charges and tax?

Heck, even I can do it for a lot less than that.

If I were you, I would make a call to Rocky!!!!!!!!!

[Graham]

Wade, you are right, we have been spoiled, but I am very aware of the difference between PV casuals and lovely wool 8 yarders.

Thanks for your input Steve, but the good news is that I found that All Things Tartan can get the tartan and can make a hand sewn 8 yarder in this tartan for $AU/CA595.00, that is very reasonable.

Might get one for my birthday next June!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The availability of the tartan likely has a lot to do with it. For instance, at the Scottish Tartans Museum, we sell a 16 oz 8 yard knife pleated kilt for $537. However, the same weight and style kilt in a "rare select" tartan is $629.

The difference is simply that some tartans cost more per yard than others. It simply has to do with how popular a tartan is, and how much of it the mills produce at a time. To give an example, modern Gordon is priced standard. Weathered Red Gordon is priced "rare select." So the same style of kilt, in the same weight wool, made by the same kilt makers, in each of these two tartans would cost different.

And these are tartans readily available from stock! You want an 8 yard kilt in a tartan that has to be custom woven? Assuming we are having just a single kilt length woven for you, that will be $740 for the kilt. Again, same exact style of kilt, same weight cloth. It all depends upon the availability of the tartan.

So with an uncommon tartan like the Australian National tartan, I can see how some kiltmakers would have a much higher cost. Maybe one would have to have it custom woven just for the one job. That would be rather expensive. Maybe another kiltmaker has access to cloth from a whole bolt that has already been woven, which would keep the cost of the cloth down. That kilt would be less.

In any case, you always have to expect to pay more with these more uncommon tartans (and count yourself lucky when you get a good deal!).

Aye,
Matt

(As an aside, this is probably why I sell so many more box pleated kilts in unusual tartans than standard 8 yarders. A four yard box pleated kilt even in a custom woven tartan is $480, which still manages to be less than your average high-quality 8 yard kilt. It's an affordable way of getting that rare tartan you really want at a standard kilt price.)