Purchasing Dilemma

[Chas]

In the end, decisions like this come down to what an individual can live with.

As to a kilt - if you don't tell anyone what the tartan is, they will not know. Even if they ask, you can tell them anything you like and they won't know.

Take any tartan. Each mill has its own shade for any given colour. Add in all the permutations as to ancient, muted, modern and you get a vast range of tartans - all the same threadcount (so they are the same tartan), but all different. The vast majority of people will never know one from the other. They know their own tartan and a few of the older universal tartans. After that it is all 'by guess and by God'.

I would buy the quality kilt.

Regards

Chas

[Lyle1]

Quite a few years ago, I read that you could wear any tartan that you wanted to wear so long as you treated it with respect and did not lie about a family/clan affiliation.

[Tobus]

Quite a few years ago, I read that you could wear any tartan that you wanted to wear so long as you treated it with respect and did not lie about a family/clan affiliation.

Yes indeed you can. Nobody has the authority to stop you. The question is whether you should. Tradition being what it is, there will always be those who say that you should not.

[Zardoz]

Well, I'm a big fan of the USA Kilts PV Semi trads, so I guess that would be the way I'd go. While the semi-trad is not a hand-stitched 8 yrd wool tank, I think you'll find it nicely made option and maybe a little more versatile and easy to care for than the woolie.
If you are sold on wool, another option might be USA's "5 Yard Wool Kilt" it's basically their Semi Traditional made in wool, about 100 bucks more than the PV semi-trad. And you can select from several versions and weights of Graham tartans.

http://www.usakilts.com/store/5yardwool_kiltpage.php

[BruceBC]

I say put on any whatever you want. Most clans' association with a given tartan is somewhat bogus from a deep historical view. That been said, if I was to wear a tartan now associated with a given clan I would do so in what I consider to be a respectful manner. I wear a Douglas kilt despite not being one - yet I wear it to honour Tommy Douglas, the father of our socialized medical system. ( he was voted the greatest Canadian ever a few years ago). Some tartans I just like the colours - such as Gunn or weathered MacDonald. I have a kilt on most days of life - and being limited to just a few patterns and colours would be dull. Pick a tartan or two and wear it with pride!

(On a side note, I have always noticed that the self appointed "tartan police" I run into every now and then are never kilted. Often I ask them if they are so proud of "their" tartan why the heck are they not wearing it - nor a kilt. Shuts them up fast.

[MacMillans son]

A third option is an 8 yard, 16 oz wool, machine stitched kilt in the Graham tartan from "Tartanweb" . The material is from Marton Mills (the same provider as the PV material) and they are currently $260.00 US plus shipping. A number of Xmarks members have kilts by them and they consistently get good reviews on their products.

Just might be a good way to get it all, cost, material and clan tartan for not much more than the cost of PV. (especially if you are having to pay a premium for being larger than a 31.5 inch seat, as with the USAK semi trad)

Oh decisions decisions

[Cygnus]

I'd get the good deal on the hand-stitched wool kilt, sell it for a profit, and use that money to roll into a wool kilt in my own clan tartan. Just because you're getting a good deal on a kilt that's not your tartan doesn't mean you're stuck with it. Be an opportunist and make it work for what you really want!

I second the motion!

[MacGuffin]

Probably go with the hand stitched kilt. This kind of deal doesn't come by very often.

[biblemonkey]

A Scottish gentleman I know pointed something interesting out while I was reading your responses. The Hynde and the Muted Sutherland I'm looking at in the 8yd hand stitched are very similar tartans. Considering I have ties through family to Graham AND Hynde but the Hynde is next to impossible to find at a decent price if at all (most kilt makers do them as a one shot because they are not requested often so the price skyrockets) I could wear the Sutherland as a variation of the Hynde the way my grandmother wears the Maclean for the same reason. Take a look and let me know what you think.

The Hynde
http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=1806

The Muted Sutherland
http://www.clansutherland.org/FrTartans.htm

Not exact to be sure but the basic similarities are there. I would of course be honest about the true nature of the tartan (as dear old grandma does with the Maclean) but it is close enough, I feel to warrant consideration as a decent alternative.

[biblemonkey]

A third option is an 8 yard, 16 oz wool, machine stitched kilt in the Graham tartan from "Tartanweb" . The material is from Marton Mills (the same provider as the PV material) and they are currently $260.00 US plus shipping. A number of Xmarks members have kilts by them and they consistently get good reviews on their products.

Just might be a good way to get it all, cost, material and clan tartan for not much more than the cost of PV. (especially if you are having to pay a premium for being larger than a 31.5 inch seat, as with the USAK semi trad)

Oh decisions decisions

I looked over their Graham Tartans and while the price and the (reported) quality seem great and just what I want, the image of the Graham of Mentieth Modern tartan they have on file seems a little dull. Is that because of the lighting or camera they used? I couldn't tell. I would want the tartan to be as vibrant as the one listed by the official register. Here's where you can find what I saw on tartanweb.com. You'll have to look through the list to bring it up.

http://www.tartanweb.com/shop/highla...ura-range.html

and here's USAkilts wool Graham of Mentieth Modern which is the same as the register.
http://www.usakilts.com/tartan_galle...w&gazimage=637

I really thought you had something there. Maybe its just the lighting?