Interesting specimen

[Morris at Heathfield]

Can anyone identify this tartan?

[Chas]

I know that you want to know what it is, rather than what it isn't.

To my (untrained) eye it looks to be a plain weave and not a twill weave. I do not know whether that discounts it from being a 'real' tartan or not.

It does look like the weathered version of a tartan that I should know - but for the life of me, every time I think it might be something, it turns out not to be.

Do you have any more info?

Regards

Chas

[Tobus]

The sett pattern is different in the warp and weft. My guess is that it's just a fashion 'plaid' pattern.

[Chas]

The sett pattern is different in the warp and weft. My guess is that it's just a fashion 'plaid' pattern.

I thought that at first, but I think that it is a trick of the light because it is a plain weave rather than a twill weave. If the original cloth was rotated round by 90 degrees, I think we would see it looking differently.

I once saw a badly woven Black Watch, where the sett was wider than it was long. But it turned out to be so loosely woven that it gave the impression of being a different warp and weft. It was at a craft fair and the hand weaver had taken the cloth from the loom and was pushing each thread back towards the start (or whatever the terminology is). After just three rows pushed there was a very discernible light-gap between the pushed and the unpushed rows.

The fact that the OP is giving his address as China might be giving as a clue - but that might mean nothing!

Regards

Chas

[figheadair]

The sett pattern is different in the warp and weft. My guess is that it's just a fashion 'plaid' pattern.

I agree. The material is plain weave but it could still be woven that way and be a recognisable tartan however in this case it's not. The colour differences are more than just the result of it being a warp-faced (denser in the warp) cloth. The pivot stripe on the blue has an additional yellow (the pivot) in the warp. No, a Bumbee tartan IMHO.

[Dale-of-Cedars]

...a Bumbee tartan IMHO.

Thanks. I've learned a new Scottish word!

[creagdhubh]

Thanks. I've learned a new Scottish word!

I first heard this term in J. "Scotty" Thompson's book.

[Morris at Heathfield]

To my (untrained) eye it looks to be a plain weave and not a twill weave. I do not know whether that discounts it from being a 'real' tartan or not.

No, sort of yes, and I don't imagine it would; otherwise Ingles Buchan ought to be in trouble for false advertising.

It does look like the weathered version of a tartan that I should know - but for the life of me, every time I think it might be something, it turns out not to be.

Those look more like ancient than weathered colors to me. Not that it matters too much in this case.

Do you have any more info?

Yes.

The sett pattern is different in the warp and weft.

Sort of. What caught my notice was the fact that, as with a traditional Scottish tartan, they're practically the same.

My guess is that it's just a fashion 'plaid' pattern.

A safe guess.

I thought that at first, but I think that it is a trick of the light because it is a plain weave rather than a twill weave. If the original cloth was rotated round by 90 degrees, I think we would see it looking differently.

It's not just a trick of the light, but it does have something to do with the weave.

The fact that the OP is giving his address as China might be giving as a clue

It might.

The material is plain weave.... The pivot stripe on the blue has an additional yellow (the pivot) in the warp.

Oh dear. Unfortunately the image host I'm using only allows images up to 1 MB in size (for a free account), and the originals are about 2 MB, but here's an 800+ KB image with better detail:



(Click on the picture above to see it full size.)

No, a Bumbee tartan IMHO.

I'm not familiar with that term. Anyway, it's not a traditional Scottish tartan, at any rate.

MacTablecloth

Among the many things I don't know about it is what specific use, if any, it was intended for.

Any more comments about the weave, now that you have a better view of it?

[David Thorpe]

Herringbone?

[sydnie7]

OOooooooo, I like that overall herringbone weave! Not at all trad but a great look, to my eyes.