Inside another company's kilt

**RockyR** · 19th February 13, 07:25 AM

Hey Guys,

While it's against our company policy to alter another company's kilt (you'll see why below), we have a pipe band in the Philadelphia area who now buys all their kilts from us who needed a favor. One of their older kilts (NOT made by us) was being passed down to a new member. As it was too long, the member came to us to have it hemmed.

We 'bent the rule' b/c this was an existing band we service, so we wanted to help them out. After hemming the kilt, I decided to take a closer inspection of the craftsmanship to see how this certain kiltmaker crafts his kilts. Their retail price on an 8 yard kilt is $375 and I had a sneaking suspicion why, but I wanted to be sure. This kilt maker makes LOTS of kilts in the Pipe Band circuit and they have been mentioned a few times up here on Xmarks as a 'quality kilt maker'.

I took the lining up in the back of the kilt and here's what I saw... notice anything missing (Hint for those who don't know kilt construction: the canvas interfacing / reinforcement of the entire pleated section)?

What you CAN'T see is that the canvas on the front apron doesn't connect to the straps either. Even though that canvas is in the kilt, it really doesn't serve any purpose as it's not put in properly. This kilt will 'stretch' over time and the wool will distort due to lack of internal construction. Steve did a wonderful thread on how he fixed another kiltmaker's kilt (showed step by step process)... while I don't have that thread link handy (anyone else care to link to it?), it shows how the internal bits SHOULD be done.

I won't post the name of the maker publicly, but if you want to see the tag, which I took in a second photo, just drop me an email.

Bottom line: you DO get what you pay for. Even when one maker is $75 or $100 less than the average price of a kilt for a pipe band, there is most likely a reason why. Above is the perfect example. In contrast, here's a kilt I made for my father in law which I took pictures of during the construction process. While it's only 2/3 finished in these photos, it shows the internal construction which is missing from the kilt above.

Here's the front apron (back side) of ours. On THIS one I used a machine (vs. hand sewing) to sew the stiff canvas to the fringe side and through the straps. This means that as tight as you pull the straps, you're pulling the ENTIRE canvas section, not the wool itself (cutting down the 'distortion').

**Tony** · 19th February 13, 08:02 AM

Wow.
If the canvas isn't attacjed to the straps or the pleats....what the heck was it for? Belly reinforcement?

**faithwalker** · 19th February 13, 08:31 AM

As I have stated before in another thread (no pun intended), there is no better advertisement than a happy customer. When you can help someone who has been wronged in a purchase from another supplier, they remember that when they come to buy again. I have seen it work several times in my own business. That said, a quality purchase in the first place makes everything so much easier. You Do get what you pay for. Thanks Rocky.

**CMcG** · 19th February 13, 08:37 AM

Thanks, Rocky. That was informative and you handled the other kilt-maker's identity in a classy way.

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th February 13, 09:15 AM

You asked for the link to the thread I did a couple of years ago.....

Here it is;

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...t=break+period

**artificer** · 19th February 13, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by RockyR

Hey Guys,

While it's against our company policy to alter another company's kilt (you'll see why below), we have a pipe band in the Philadelphia area who now buys all their kilts from us who needed a favor. One of their older kilts (NOT made by us) was being passed down to a new member. As it was too long, the member came to us to have it hemmed.

We 'bent the rule' b/c this was an existing band we service, so we wanted to help them out. After hemming the kilt, I decided to take a closer inspection of the craftsmanship to see how this certain kiltmaker crafts his kilts. Their retail price on an 8 yard kilt is $375 and I had a sneaking suspicion why, but I wanted to be sure. This kilt maker makes LOTS of kilts in the Pipe Band circuit and they have been mentioned a few times up here on Xmarks as a 'quality kilt maker'.

I took the lining up in the back of the kilt and here's what I saw... notice anything missing (Hint for those who don't know kilt construction: the canvas interfacing / reinforcement of the entire pleated section)?

What you CAN'T see is that the canvas on the front apron doesn't connect to the straps either. Even though that canvas is in the kilt, it really doesn't serve any purpose as it's not put in properly. This kilt will 'stretch' over time and the wool will distort due to lack of internal construction. Steve did a wonderful thread on how he fixed another kiltmaker's kilt (showed step by step process)... while I don't have that thread link handy (anyone else care to link to it?), it shows how the internal bits SHOULD be done.

I won't post the name of the maker publicly, but if you want to see the tag, which I took in a second photo, just drop me an email.

Wow! Good heads-up for people in the market. Rocky, is that stitch across the fell (where the bottom edge of the canvas SHOULD be) continuous and straight across the fell (as it looks to be) or is it individual stitches that all just line up in a very visible way?

I've followed a number of threads on construction and haven't seen anything like that before.

edit: nevermind- after seeing Steve's work in Tobus' thread I see that it's the steeking, it's just VERY visible on this one. I can't even see the steeking on my two wool kilts. LOL.

ith:

**RockyR** · 19th February 13, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by artificer

edit: nevermind- after seeing Steve's work in Tobus' thread I see that it's the steeking, it's just VERY visible on this one. I can't even see the steeking on my two wool kilts. LOL.

ith:

Yup... that is steeking. That's something they did correctly. I suspect it HAD to be done b/c of the lack of canvas across the back. Without it, the pleats would 'droop' even more than they already do.

**creagdhubh** · 19th February 13, 09:32 AM

WOW! Well done on the repair, Rocky!

**Kiltboy** · 19th February 13, 09:35 AM

Is it my eyes, or did they cut every other pleat at a different length above the steeking?

**Paul Henry** · 19th February 13, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Kiltboy

Is it my eyes, or did they cut every other pleat at a different length above the steeking?

It looks like they did, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it might just be to graduate the levels, I've done it myself sometimes ( but not often) when I've felt that to cut them all out to the same line would have created too much of a step.