"Hard" tartan

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 20th March 12, 01:32 PM

I received my first couple of lengths of hard tartan yesterday. This is actually tartan cloth woven the usual way (worsted wool) but shipped straight off the loom instead of the usual practice of having the cloth "finished" before sending it out. The finishing process (generally done at an off-site location from the weaving mill) cleans and softens the cloth. This unfinished tartan is generally referred to as "in the grease" by those at the mills. What is interesting to you and me (well, me anyway) about it, is that it comes pretty darned close to the look and feel of the old "hard tartan" cloth of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

I have started offering it as an option (along with the teasle raised finish) on my heirloom kilts.

I am extremely pleased with how these two lengths came out. One is for a client, in the reproduction (weathered) Forbes tartan. The other is for myself, in the Armstrong tartan. I had the Armstrong tartan woven in the historic Wilsons of Bannockburn colors. I also had them enlarge the sett (it's 11"!!!) and changed the portions a bit to suit my personal taste.

Okay, okay, enough talk -- pictures!

Visually, there is not that much difference between how this cloth looks and the standard finished tartan. Here is a close up of my new Armstrong tartan on the left, with my New House Highland tartan treated with the standard finish on the right. (The green color is the same for both, so I thought it would make a good comparison).

As you can see, not much visual difference. But there is a HUGE difference in the feel. The hard tartan is, well... harder. It's more "crisp" is the best way I can describe it. The tartan has a more firm and stiff hand to it. I will be very interested in seeing how it pleats up when I make these into kilts.

I will also say that the fabric has a more hand woven feel to it. I think that anyone interested in historic reenactment will definitely appreciate this option. Also anyone who wants a more historic themed kilt, or who just would appreciate a stiffer, more coarse cloth.

The flip side of this would be teasle-raised finish I mentioned in another thread, which would be a good option for anyone wanting a softer cloth for their kilt.

**Chirs** · 20th March 12, 01:37 PM

I would wonder about the swing. Being a 'harder' cloth, would it have the swish to which we are accustomed? Otherwise it, of course, looks great.

**tulloch** · 20th March 12, 01:41 PM

Matt, how does this relate to waulking the cloth? I was under the impression that waulking was necessary in the process making wool cloth. Without it the cloth would still change size and would not have the tightness of weave that we are accustomed to. I once worked in a wool mill and I cut a piece of fabric off the end of a run. I worked it a little on a washing board to tighten it up but it remained pretty loose weave. Thoughts and wisdom please.

**Paul Henry** · 20th March 12, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by tulloch

Matt, how does this relate to waulking the cloth? I was under the impression that waulking was necessary in the process making wool cloth. Without it the cloth would still change size and would not have the tightness of weave that we are accustomed to. I once worked in a wool mill and I cut a piece of fabric off the end of a run. I worked it a little on a washing board to tighten it up but it remained pretty loose weave. Thoughts and wisdom please.

Waulking is generally for tweed type cloth rather than worsted cloth, such as a typical woollen tartan cloth
Waulking isn't the same as simply washing/finishing the cloth which might slighly shrink the cloth , but the finishing of the worsted does usually help to make the cloth a little more even and perfect, and of course removing some manufacturing dirt and grease.
Waulking tweed style cloth does actually causes the fibres to bind together and helps to fill the interstices which help to make a firmer final product.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 20th March 12, 02:05 PM

Thanks for sharing that information, Paul.

**tulloch** · 20th March 12, 02:08 PM

Ahh. Thank you gentlemen. There is no end of useful information here on this site.

So how about the swish? Affected?

**cruiser348** · 20th March 12, 02:51 PM

Is "hard tartan" something the mills are starting to do as a stock option or is this something specifically for custom weaves?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 20th March 12, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by cruiser348

Is "hard tartan" something the mills are starting to do as a stock option or is this something specifically for custom weaves?

Like the teasle raised finish, it's an option for the custom weaves only.

The great majority of people will want the tartan for their kilt woven and finished as standard. The "hard tartan" option, and the softer, teasle raised option, would be for that minority of people who want a little something different, either a crisp, hard hand, or a softer hand to their cloth.