Highland Wear from Pakistan

[Allum Aye]

Dear Friends:

Prior to becoming a member of this forum, I browsed the site and believe that there had been some discussion about Highland Wear from a company known as Imperial Highland Supplies, which is based in Pakistan.

Although there appeared to be considerable discussion about the company's use of certain photographs on their website, there was little discussion about the quality of products and services dispensed by this company. As a true Scot, I am all in favor of making acquisitions at bargain prices. Nevertheless, I am not prepared to sacrifice quality and/or service to save money.

Has any forum member made a purchase from Imperial Highland Supplies in Pakistan and willing to comment on their experience.

Sincerely,

Allum Aye
Don, Manitoba, Canada

[Andrews Son]

ive never brought any stuff of the traders who sell it. On the royal mile plenty of shops offering bargains, i saw a scotsman news article of a scottish kiltmaker complaining about these dealers saying there taking custom away from real scottish regalia. I think they kiltmaker is right in saying so, but who doesnt love a bargain. I found where these dealers get there merchandise from try kowii or greenland pipe co on this link
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=si...sm=93&ie=UTF-8
I cant however guarentee the quality of what they sell but ive been warned not to waste money on pakistani bagpipes. Im not sure if you have to buy in bulk but i was thinking of a full number 1 outfit and contemplated a full horse hair sporran and doublet. But would like to know the quality before purchase.
Good luck mate
Gavin

[Allum Aye]

Thank you, Gavin. I appreciate your comments.

Don
Allum Aye

[Hopper250]

I can't speak to the company you asked about, but I would say try Stillwater Kilts they are good and have a solid reputation here, as well as being an advertiser.

[Mikilt]

The old saying hold true. You get what you pay for. Cheap goods are just that, cheap. It's a far better value to invest in goods that, when properly cared for, will look good and last a lifetime.

[Andrews Son]

i lied when i said i havent brought anything cheap i have 3 polyviscose kilts from buyakilt.com there ok but i really want good quality kilts. it depends what route you want to go down ie. funds

[Downunder Kilt]

There is nothing wrong with purchasing cheaper products as long as you are aware of their limitations. I have purchased a couple of cheaper kilts, one wool, the other PV (both from merchants on this site). I wanted them for specific uses and they suited my requirements. As long as you are not expecting high quality merchandise and go into a purchase with your eyes open, then buy whatever you like. It is just like anything you purchase, not just kilting attire.

[JohntheBiker]

One should always remember that if the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. Folks on this site have had mixed results with Pakistani vendors and there are lots of cases of misrepresentation (including using photos of other people's products).

It's all about value. If the price and the quality are right for you, then you have achieved value. If not, you may have problems with recourse.

I have used Pakistani manufacturers of apparel and had quite satisfactory results. But I got to see samples and as a large purchaser, I had recourse insofar as they didn't get fully paid until I was satisfied.

For myself, I prefer to shop with local vendors and support my neighbours, including those that are partners on this site. I am assured of quality, service and value.

[artificer]

My question to the OP is this-

If the vendor doesn't feel compelled to use actual photos of their product (a fairly unethical practice, as it amounts to both IP theft and false advertising)
why do YOU as a buyer think that they'll treat you any more ethically?

Shady business practices rarely stop with just one area. Just my $00.02.

ith:

[Steve Ashton]

I'm going to post this under this signature because it is an issue that the entire forum has discussed many times and will discuss many time more.

But, please understand that most of what I say comes from my experience owning and running a kilt shop.

Sailkot Pakistan has been a major manufacturing center since the mid 1800's. They are currently one of the worlds largest manufacturing centers for things such as sporting goods and surgical & dental instruments.

Pakistan is now one of the largest producers of woven goods in the world. If you own a pair of blue jeans the chance that the fabric was woven in Pakistan approaches 100%. Some of these weaving companies are huge with hundreds of employees and state of the art computer controlled looms. You can order 1 million yards and they won't even break a sweat.

The history of their production of Highland Wear goes back to the days of the British military's presence in that part of the world.

Currently Pakistan is producing more highland wear that anywhere else. I get between three and ten emails a week from established and new companies offering their goods. At my last, very random and unofficial count, I have been contacted by 123 companies, operating out of Pakistan, offering highland wear items.

Having been to that part of the world I can tell you from personal experience that some of these companies are located in one small room with under 5 workers, and some are very large with their own pipe band. (In fact the city of Sailkot holds an annual Pipe band competition each year, made up of company bands.)

In the 1990's some Scottish born brothers of Pakistani descent opened a sidewalk stall in Edinburgh. They are now the main and major presence on the Royal Mile.

The one thing that seems to be brought up more than any other about the highland wear manufacturers is their business practices. Well, it is a fact that the way business is conducted in Pakistan is different than the way it is done in the West.

For example - It is common for the websites of many Pakistani companies to look similar. This is because the manufacturers are not web designers. They contract out their websites to those who can produce an English language site and get it up and running quickly and efficiently. This had led to some cases where photos of Western looking models are found on the web and used.
It is common to see the same images on upwards of a dozen different sites.

While I'm on websites let me add -
It is also not uncommon for these websites to require payment via wire transfer instead of credit card.
Some of these websites do not offer the level of information security and customer service guarantees that we take for granted in the West.
Most of this is changing. The 21st century is upon us and people all over the world are much more computer savvy that they were even 5 years ago. I have recently seen some very good looking websites coming out of Pakistan.

Intellectual property issues are another topic that we discuss a lot here. Well, in Pakistan, it is common, and actually expected, that when you want to make something and sell it you start with an item from someone else. As an example only - lets say you have been making knives for a few generations and you get the idea to make a sgian dubh. You don't have a lot of people in your town who have ever seen a sgian dubh so you may buy one from another company or you may photograph one on a visit to the west. This becomes your pattern, your starting point. You may choose to make an exact copy or you may choose to change or improve it. Would this example be a case of intellectual property theft? Perhaps to us in the West, but it is the norm in other parts of the world.

Here is another example closer to home. When I started making kilts I had little idea of how a kilt was made. I had seen a Utilikilt and thought it was neat concept. I could have chosen to make an exact copy of a Utilikilt. I knew they would sell, all I would need to do is be able to sell them cheaper than the Utilikilt company and I could make some money. I chose to go in a different direction but there was nothing stopping me from making that exact copy. Not even Steven Villegas's patent was applicable to me here in Canada. I would not be breaking any laws.
This is in fact how almost 20 companies in N. America started. Ask yourself how many narrow apron/reverse kingussie pleated, kilt makers you can think of right here in the West.


So what is driving all of this production? Well, frankly it is money. Products, of any kind, can be produced in Pakistan far cheaper than here in the west. Worker's wages is just one factor. Manufacturing regulations concerning environmental impact of waste and quality control are others. Taxes and business operating expenses like utilities are also a big factor.
For many years Pakistan was like "the wild, wild west" when it came to manufacturing. There was little in the way of regulation and control so if you could get a couple of people together you could sell anything you could make.

This is changing too. Recent events such as industrial accidents have made the international news and brought some issues to the forefront.



Now let's get back to the OP's original question. How about the quality and service of one particular company in Pakistan. I'm afraid that that question is currently not able to be answered. There are so many companies operating today that no one can know about them all. Some have really slick and modern looking websites but you simply cannot tell from a website what the company behind the site is like. Imperial Highland Supplies is one I know almost nothing about except from the emails I have gotten. I can tell you from looking at their website that the photos are not of the actual products they sell. They are using photos of products from Lochcarron, Gaelic Themes, Glengarryhats and at least three other Western manufacturers.
I can tell you that the photos of the kilts on the site are the exact same photos of about five other sites.
You really have no idea from the site and no guarantee from the company that the product you get it the one you thought you had ordered.

I can also tell from reading the text on the website that it was not written by a person whose native tongue is English. They did not proof read the words on the site either.

All of this and more would lead me to give this company a pass. It would not matter how low their prices are. There are just too many alarm bells to make me comfortable sending them my hard earned money.

And this is the point this long post is trying to get across. There are some really good companies in Pakistan. And there are some questionable ones. Do your research and take your time. It is your money and you should at least feel when your product arrives that you got good value for your money.

We see this all the time here on X Marks. A new member posts that he has found a really low price on a product. They ask for our advice. But it is plain that very little other than a quick Google search is all that was done for research. If all you are basing your purchasing decision on is what you see on a website and the listed price you may end up with a good experience and you may also end up back here posting how disappointed you are with your purchase.

Again - It is your money. You can spend it anyway you want. But the one, single, most powerful tool is the research you do before you send off your credit card number.

And that is where X Marks comes in. This site is full of experience. Read some of the stories and learn what to look for. What should set alarm bells ringing and what should make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

The old phrase "Buy in haste - Repent in leisure" is actually true.