Amerikilt Improvments

[RockyR]

Thanks guys. JohnAllen, I too have decided that the best thing to do with my ak is to sew the inside of the pleats, but have not yet started on it. I have spent time spreading it out on the floor and repressing the pleats so its all straight etc I now plan on pinig the pleats and sewing them. have been busy at work so not had a real weekend in a while o had to put it on hold.
Cheers Andrew

Hey Aussie better put it on and have it hanging to pin it with your wifes help. I think I hope some Kilt maker jumps in on this post and helps here but it seems from my experience that I can press it based on how it lays and it aint the same as when it hangs and I had to re-press it.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

[quote="JohnAllen"]

Thanks guys. JohnAllen, I too have decided that the best thing to do with my ak is to sew the inside of the pleats, but have not yet started on it. I have spent time spreading it out on the floor and repressing the pleats so its all straight etc I now plan on pinig the pleats and sewing them. have been busy at work so not had a real weekend in a while o had to put it on hold.
Cheers Andrew

It's a REAL good idea to sew the over and under of the pleats with the AmeriKilts. The material is thinner than some, so it tends to "wander" as it pleases. You may also need to sew the hips a few inches to "train" the pleats to go where you want them to. I did it on mine with ease, and good success.

Remember that AmeriKilts are pre-made. If you're looking for an alternative, the Freedom Kilts, Pittsburgh Kilts, and the Victory Kilts at USAKilts were designed to alleviate many of the inherant problems with the AKs. Pittsburgh Kilts even have a very similar sporran/pocket standard, and they're optional on the Victory. They're also custom-made to your specs on much sturdier material.

[Dreadbelly]

I don't remember what the site addy is, it's a geocities or a tripod or something like that sort of site... It comes and goes. If you google kilt reviews, I think it's about 4 to 7 pages in.

Anyhow, this fellow has a Utilikilt, an Amerikilt, and a Pittsburg Kilt.

He has a very good review. He lists the common problems to both the UK and the AK. UK has curling issues, thread problems, and it seems their quality has slipped a bit as of late. AK has several problems, most of which you have mentioned. They both share one thing in common, the thread shrinks faster then the fabric, causing curl, wandering pleats, and warping. The thread stresses, and, on occasion, will unravel a bit, or come undone completely.

The reviewer claims that the UK and the AK are poor second cousins to the PK. The PK is what the UK, AK, and many neo-traditional kilts should have been. It has a few of it's own issues, but from what the reviewer (And many other folks I have read) has said, it's built like a tank. It's a much better garmet. Better pleats, stronger seams, sits better on the hips, better swing, fuller cut, proper aprons, and it's made to sit above the hips.

After getting a philabeg or two from Rocky, I have a mind to get a PK. In camo. I dislike solid prints.

There are a lot of folks out on the web that have made comparisons and reviews of different types of kilts, it's just hard to find the pages at times.

[RockyR]

[quote="Jimmy Carbomb"]

Thanks guys. JohnAllen, I too have decided that the best thing to do with my ak is to sew the inside of the pleats, but have not yet started on it. I have spent time spreading it out on the floor and repressing the pleats so its all straight etc I now plan on pinig the pleats and sewing them. have been busy at work so not had a real weekend in a while o had to put it on hold.
Cheers Andrew

It's a REAL good idea to sew the over and under of the pleats with the AmeriKilts. The material is thinner than some, so it tends to "wander" as it pleases. You may also need to sew the hips a few inches to "train" the pleats to go where you want them to. I did it on mine with ease, and good success.

Remember that AmeriKilts are pre-made. If you're looking for an alternative, the Freedom Kilts, Pittsburgh Kilts, and the Victory Kilts at USAKilts were designed to alleviate many of the inherant problems with the AKs. Pittsburgh Kilts even have a very similar sporran/pocket standard, and they're optional on the Victory. They're also custom-made to your specs on much sturdier material.

Jimmy what about what I said about pining it while wearing insted of on the floor to make sure it is getting sewn down right. Does that matter? is it an issue? or should we just do it where it should be based on each pleats fold.. Make sense?????

Dr. Dougy it's not the thread shrinking causing curling I don't think. it does it out of the box and seems to have something to do with the angle the top of the pleat is sewed at.

[Dreadbelly]

But thread shrinking is a well known and documented problem. In several kilt types. Yours might have other issues as well contributing and making it worse.

UK it seems, after subcontracting their work out to other sewing shops has really suffered some serious quality control issues.

I don't even own a kilt yet and I am already becoming a slight kilt snob after all the reading and studying I have done. Sheesh. Jimmy, man, you are a bad influence.

[Mychael Sporrano]

The reviewer claims that the UK and the AK are poor second cousins to the PK. The PK is what the UK, AK, and many neo-traditional kilts should have been. It has a few of it's own issues, but from what the reviewer (And many other folks I have read) has said, it's built like a tank.

While I do not own a Utilikilt or Amerikilt and therefore cannot give a first hand opinion on either, I can offer that neither look as well built as my PKs. One thing that I bring up from time to time is that PK has the advantage of being a custom made garment. Since you supply waist, seat, and length dimensions, you can expect a garment that will fit you well instead of something that is a compromise of those three dimensions. This in itself is a wonderful reason to order from skilled kilt makers such as PK, Bear, and USA Kilt [among others], who are not selling you a kilt off-the-peg.

After getting a philabeg or two from Rocky, I have a mind to get a PK. In camo. I dislike solid prints.

I find that one of the best things about solid kilts as compared to tartan or camo print kilts is that solids afford the wearer the ability to more easily pair busy or patterned shirts with them.

Mychael

[RockyR]

Thanks Mychael

I have seen the wisdom in those observations and AK won't be my next kilt for those reasons. Perhaps AK will start doing that as well. I guess what torks me most is everyone I know that has one has said it came in at least 1/2 inch and usually at least 1 inch larger then the size oredered and mine 2 inches! We are told to just bunch it under the belt.. Not good They need a new tape measure. I can clearly see that other klit makers kilts will hang better.

Nevertheless, I am enjoying my AK now that it has been altered to fit better.

[Riverkilt]

You guys scare me

I have three Amerikilts due to arrive any day now.

Already have the black one, I like it. Does have a tendency to sort of curl up at the bottom, kind of like a lady's old 60's hair do.

Not sure what you call them, or what they're normally used for, but somewhere acquired some weights that have clips on the top, maybe they're for weighting curtains or something.

Anyway, when I'm hanging my AK to dry I attach the weights to the bottoms of the pleats, helps them dry straighter.

Maybe I should take them all to my local Navajo seamstress and have her do some pleat sewing.

I'll let you know how things work out with these three when they arrive - especially on the length.

Jeez, I spent a lot of money on these three kilts because I liked the first AK. Hope the quality holds up.

Also, I ordered an extra tan "sporran" to go with these AKs (tiger stripe, putty, and forest)...I want to see how a contrasting "sporran" looks as opposed to matching "sporrans." Will post some photos after they all arrive.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Jimmy what about what I said about pining it while wearing insted of on the floor to make sure it is getting sewn down right. Does that matter?

Any time that YOU can actually be the manaquin, you're going to get a MUCH better fit. This would include the hang of the pleats too.

As long as you've done NOTHING to upset your better half, it makes perfect sense to me to let her squat down infront of you with sharp pins at her disposal.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Okay. How far have kilts come in the last four years?

This thread started-off with fixing AmeriKilts, and has turned into a referral service instead!

We're all so lucky to have this many options, rather than get something that we're not wanting!

Shame the elections are basically only a two-party system!!!