RRS tartan sett

[Woodsheal]

This may have been discussed before; if so I missed it....

Anyways, the Scottish kiltmaker who was selling the surplus Black Watch tartan on E-Bay stated in his description that the Royal Regiment of Scotland was no longer using that sett, hence his sale.

My question: if the RRS kilts are not the classic Black Watch tartan ("government sett"), what the heck tartan pattern are they wearing...?

[davidlpope]

See this thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/t...x.html?t=54754

The simple answer is that it is the government sett woven in lighter colors.

Cordially,

David

[thescot]

. . .

The simple answer is that it is the government sett woven in lighter colors.

Cordially,

David

Only a government bureaucracy would discard perfectly good kilts and then purchase new ones slightly lighter in shade.

[Lachlan09]

As I understand it, they may have got image consultants involved !

Is it not the case (on purpose) that the regiment doesn't have kilts for all ? I was told by an ex-Gordons piper with close connections to the RRS that kilts, archer-green doublets, sporrans etc are only issued to the one RRS battalion which is designated public duties battalion at a given time, similar to what the Guards do with each battalion taking turn as Public Duties Battalion and issued scarlet tunics, bearskins etc etc, while the other Guards battalions are stationed across the World. One completion of public duties assignment, the RRS battalion hands its dress uniforms back to stores.

As you know, the different battalions are differentiated at service/combat dress level by the coloured hackles in the ToS.

RSB = black (to represent the blackcock feather of Lowland regiments - possibly to remember the Cameronians but I doubt it as the Cameronians don't exist in any form at all nowadays other than as museum exhibits - pity)
RHF = white which goes back to the plume in their badged black raccoon skin cap they wore until 1914 - (since then only the D/M has worn the fur cap)
BW = scarlet - say no more
HLDRS = dark blue - inherited from the QOCH
A&SH = green, the colour associated most closely with the Argylls; green was the colour brought out on the pleats whereas the BW was the blue, green edges to the Argylls diced shoulder ID, green on the regimental tie. Yet in the late 19th-early 20th Centuries, the Argylls wore a white hackle in their pith helmets.

[longhuntr74]

Lachlan,
If I understand your comments above about the pleating correctly, you are saying that, in addition to different styles of pleating (ie. mil box pleat used by A&SH vs. knife pleats used by BW), they also varied the color/lines that they pleated to? Can you explain more? In other words...If I were looking to pleat Black Watch Tartan in the style of the Black Watch (pre-amalgamation), what element of the tartan would be visible and what colors and lines would "flash" with the swinging of the pleats?

[Woodsheal]

Ach so! Thanks, Dave....

[dfmacliam]

i found a post that Nervous Jock had made where he posted a picture of him wearing the new sett... but the picture had been taken down.. it is significantly lighter..

[Woodsheal]

What was the motivation behind lightening the sett's colors for the new regiment? Simply to help create a historical break with the old units?

[WClarkB]

What was the motivation behind lightening the sett's colors for the new regiment? Simply to help create a historical break with the old units?

No reason

Just Company policy

[acolander]

What was the motivation behind lightening the sett's colors for the new regiment? Simply to help create a historical break with the old units?

Not really a break.. as the current tartan worn (Tartan 1A) is essentially what was previously worn by officers of the A&SH for nearly the last 100yrs or so, which was essentially a higher quality (hence lighter shade) & lighter (16-18oz worsted) material than the coarser & heavier (20-22oz) material worn by OR/ Other Ranks. Which isn't to say the OR of the BW and A&SH wore the same tartan, as Tartan 1A is a slightly larger and lighter sett of the Government Tartan even for OR material.

And w/ box pleats, the new RRS kilts are essentially identical to A&SH officer's kilts (note also the black trim vs the green), but w/ Black Watch Gaelic knots/bows in lieu of the A&SH kilt panel & rosettes.

The new RRS uniform is not necessarily "new", it is bits & pieces of the previous Scottish regiments, the kilt to the A&SH, the knots and sporran cantle to the BW, tassels and spats of the Gordons, Off/SNCO blue shirt & jumper of the RHF, cock's feather & collar badges of the RS, to note a few...

More recently the uniforms of the British Army are being "standardised" w/ resepct to Officers & ORs. Traditionally officer's kit would be tailored and of a higher quality material overall, and hence there has almost always been a slight difference of shade/cut/etc between the two uniforms.

Under current uniform changes both officers & OR are wearing the same No2 dress jackets, trousers, kilts, trews, etc., with the newly introduced uniforms essentially being same/similar materials previously tailored for officers, but now mass produced for all.

Cheers,
Christian