Black Watch? Yay or Nay

[Nerts]

A coworker got this kilt for a real deal and was wondering if the tartan is indeed Black Watch as he was told. I'm pretty sure it is based on the (limited) searching I've done, but I thought I'd put it out to the masses for confirmation.

Also, just curious what this might be worth? Apparently it's quite old.

Thanks!

E.

Piers' Kilt.jpg
Piers' Kilt 2.jpg

[MacGumerait]

Well , I think that it is the Black Watch " Ancient " tartan , but I don't think it's an old kilt . TartantownLTD is a modern day company .

Cheers , Mike

[CDNSushi]

I'm not the tartan expert on the site... But I'm willing to try to expand my horizons... I found two sources for thread counts for Black Watch... But neither seems to be what you have in the photo....

b24 k4 b4 k4 b4 k20 g24 k6 g24 k20 b22 k4 b4. <- random Google search for Black Watch thread count

B44 K4 B4 K4 B4 K32 G32 K4 G32 K32 B32 K4 B4 (STA 207) <- according to tartanregister.gov.uk

B28 K6 B6 K6 B6 K32 G32 K6 G32 K32 B32 K6 B6 (STA 1) <- (thread count for Campbell tartan according tartanregister.gov.uk)

The tartan in your photo looks similar, but not quite right.

EDIT. Nvmd. Maybe it IS correct after all... I was just looking at it a bit wrong. Lol. Yeah. Now I think it IS Black Watch.

[MacGumerait]

CDNSushi , I understand where you are coming from .

When it comes to the Black Watch Tartan , there are way more variations than one would think .

Comparing thread counts on the variations of this tartan can drive one a bit batty .


Cheers , Mike

[PEEDYC]

I am no expert or even close but I think this is the Campbell (family) tartan which the Black Watch was originally based on.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Yes, that is Black Watch, ancient colors - which is the same tartan as Campbell, ancient colors. And no, it does not appear to be an old kilt.

[MacLowlife]

I am getting to be an old man, but I remember the introduction of ZIP codes - in 1963. The label has a zip code, therefore it can't be any older than 50 years old. I use that as a handy check. Of course, it could be a lot newer.

AFTER FURTHER CHECKING, it is not actually a USPS Zip Code. I can't find any place in the US with the zip code 14262. However, there appears to be a place called TARTANTOWN in Port Coquitlam, BC, where the OP lives. Perhaps the proprietors could explain the significance of the 5 digit sequence. Any help from North of the Border?

Finally, "old" is a relative term. I believe we can agree the kilt was probably made after WWII, but probably before the beginning of the 21st century. To most of us, that means it is "modern" if not quite new. But to a person born in 1986, when I last darkened the door of an institution of higher learning, something made in 1960 might well be "old".

[Tobus]

I could be way off base, but it looks like a new kilt to me. Older kilts usually show some yellowing on the label from age, use, and sweat. That label looks brand-new to me. That, plus the condition of the lining looks like it's never been worn. So if it's an old kilt, it appears to be one that was never worn. Hard to say with only those two photos to go by.

[OC Richard]

Here's the Tartantown site, specifically the kilt page

http://www.tartantown.com/dress_kilts_plaids.html

I don't see anywhere on that site where they give the history of the company.

About value, you can see by Tartantown's kilt page that the new price varies with how much yardage there is in the kilt, the weight of fabric used, etc. You would have to determine if that kilt has handsewn or machine-sewn pleats, how much yardage is in it, and what the weight of the fabric is (9oz, 11oz, 13oz, 16oz).

Values of used kilts are all over the place, as you can see by tracking used kilts on Ebay. Sometimes handsewn 8-yard kilts in perfect condition go for little, between $100 and $300, a fraction of what they cost new.

A distinctive feature of Black Watch (and its derivatives) is the way the pairs of black lines alternate in the blue areas, a single centred pair alternating with two pairs at the edges.

Yes that's "ancient" Black Watch.

[Couper]

The web domain (tartantown.com) was registered in the wee days of the Internet (26-jul-1996) and they have had a site online for nearly that long. An early version (January, 1998) of the site has this statement:

"Tartantown was established in 1976 and has continuously provided quality products at realistic prices."