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WHO IS THAT / RAY BOWEN
Kilt gives blacksmith memorable edge
By A. SCOTT WALTON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/05/06

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/livi...whoisthat.html




Encountering a professional blacksmith is rare in this day and age.

It's rarer still to meet a blacksmith who customarily wears kilts — to work and social outings.

But Ray Bowen of Avondale Estates is one of those seldom-seen entities.

Bowen, 40, began wearing kilts two years ago, after making the impulse buy at the Stone Mountain Highland Games festival. For him, switching to kilts wasn't as radical a decision as it might be for other men.

"I'm from Scotland County [N.C.], where wearing kilts was a matter of pride for my high school's marching band, and where half of the families are of Scottish descent," he said. "Growing up, it was never odd to see someone wearing one. And I'd always thought about wearing them before. I just never did because real ones are so expensive."

Style initially spotted Bowen near the Five Points MARTA station downtown. In a phone interview from his Hammerdown studio near the Carter Center, the artist explained his unique fashion philosophy:

Q: Who even knew that blacksmithing was still a viable profession?

A: I actually started in '94. I'm a sixth-generation blacksmith. I studied the craft in France, and my specialty is wrought iron gates and railings for private residences.

Q: Was making the switch from wearing pants to kilts easy to do?

A: I started wearing them almost exclusively about three months ago. I hardly ever wear pants anymore. I even have an authentic "nine yard" kilt, which is where the expression "the whole nine yards" comes from. But I don't wear that one to work. It would be too hot wearing all that wool while working the forge.

I have five kilts right now, and I've only held on to a couple pairs of jeans and some dress pants, just in case I really need them. I wear [canvas] Utilikilts brand kilts for work, and the other [wool] one if I'm going out to a restaurant or something.

Q:What sort of reactions do you get from people who spot you on the street?

A: It's always positive. Women tend to like it. And they always ask the question: What do you wear underneath it?

Q: And your answer is?

A: Nothing. Kilts are so comfortable that I can't imagine going back to wearing pants every day. They're warmer than you would think. It's kind of like a greenhouse effect. It holds the heat in, unless you're walking up some stairs and a stiff breeze hits you.

Q: Where does one go to buy a kilt?

A: You can find them on the Web. The two kinds I know best are by Utilikilt and Practikilt. The Practikilts are much thinner, and they're not really made for taller people like me. I'm 6-foot-3 and I find that they're too short. I don't want to look feminine.

I plan on buying many more, but they're not cheap. With Utilikilts, you pay according to how big you are, or how much material is required. For me, that adds up to about $200.

Q: What are you supposed to wear with a kilt?

A:Whatever you want. What you first saw me in is what I usually wear to work: boots, socks and a T-shirt.

Q: Besides comfort, are there any other advantages to wearing kilts?

A: With the economy in the shape it's in, business can be tough. But I've found that wearing a kilt generates an initial interest in me and helps me to stand out. It gives me a reason to show my portfolio to strangers I happen to meet. It's an "in" I wouldn't have otherwise.


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