Quote Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome View Post
This, I think, is where the confusion lies. Because when I make a box pleat, no matter the yardage used, I always start out sewing the pleat just as I would a knife pleat. Making it into a "box" pleat always involves an additional step in the construction process, no matter if the kilt contains four yard, six yards, what have you.
(emphasis added)
That is one way to do it. I don't dispute that it may be the best way and the historically correct way to do it. But it is not the only way to do it. It could be done in one step, stitching a left and right pleat edge together, running the stitches through the center of the underlying pleat. There may be a reason for not doing it this way of which I am unaware. I have done three inverted pleats that way with satisfactory results.

Someone not familiar with the construction process may look at the kilt described by the first drawing, and the kilt described by the third drawing, and think these two entirely different styles of kilt.
And they would be right. When the box becomes considerably smaller than the underlying knife pleat, it tales on an entirely different look as well as structure. The "military box pleat" is in fact a small box pleat superimposed upon a larger knife pleat. "Military knife pleat" wold be just as accurate a description, since the knife pleat, being larger, is the dominant factor in the structure. No one would understand that description, but that is because of common usage rather than structure.

I t could be argued that since the outer box pleat is what you see, at least while the wearer and the wind are still, "box pleat" is a more fitting description. But common usage of "box pleat" again brings to mind an entirely different style -- considerably larger pleats with no larger underlying knife pleat.

I don't have a dog in this hunt and I am certainly no expert. My interest is as a rank amateur, but very enthusiastic student of kilts and kilt making. I am also a big fan of terms that accurately describe objects and processes. TCHD and kilts are areas sometimes lacking in clear definitions. Trying to lump "military box pleat" in as a minor variation of "box pleat" doesn't help. They have much in common, but are different enough to deserve two separate definitions, in my very humble opinion.