polyester viscose pilling

**Mikilt** · 14th November 14, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by corbmonster

Hello friends,
I spent a few days at the TX ren fest in a polyester viscose kilt. I had to wash it when I got home, so I hand washed in the tub with a little detergent. Cool warm wash, cold rinse, hang dry. I noticed some pilling on the outside apron. Close to the fringe, above where my right knee would be. Nothing was rubbing it. My sporran wasn't that low.... So guys: what probably caused it, and what can I do about it? I'm not sure if it was there before the wash, or after. Also, for the leather straps, I used some saddle soap on them while they were wet to replace some of the oils lost / keep them from drying out. Was that a good idea or bad idea? Thanks!

I have acrylic kilts that pill. I do my best to maintain them with fuzz remover.

remington-fuzz-away-fabric-shaver-mdn.jpg

**Riverkilt** · 14th November 14, 06:58 AM

I've owned 27 Marten Mills/USA Kilts polyviscose kilts and have never seen pilling on any of them. Guessing your kilts are made of some other fiber blend. I'm with the rest asking for more details on your kiltmaker and their fabric information.

**corbmonster** · 14th November 14, 09:25 AM

Thanks for the reply's everyone. The kilt I got was from a vendor that gets supplied from buy a kilt. It is this one in particular. An 8 yard PV kilt in Scottish National. It looks nice for what that's worth. The pilling isn't bad. It's not much. But I can feel it. And I just wanted to know if their was a common mistake people make, that perhaps I over looked or was unaware of. I did get a fuzz ball shaver off amazon. Should be here soon.

**corbmonster** · 14th November 14, 09:28 AM

Update: It is not a Polyester - Viscose blend. It is Acetate - Viscose blend.

**bwat** · 14th November 14, 10:40 AM

I think your kilt is from the same manufacturer as mine I bought from MacDonald Sporrans on ebay (they seem to be the same company as buyakilt.com). I got a small amount pilling on the front of one just behind the sporran after a week of use. I put it down to my having my cheapest sporran on me all that week. Other kilts from the same manufacturer haven't been damaged from other sporrans it seems. Also all these PV (ok, acetate & PV) kilts have been through the wool cycle on a washing machine at least a few times and it didn't hurt them a bit.

**corbmonster** · 14th November 14, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by bwat

I think your kilt is from the same manufacturer as mine I bought from MacDonald Sporrans on ebay (they seem to be the same company as buyakilt.com). I got a small amount pilling on the front of one just behind the sporran after a week of use. I put it down to my having my cheapest sporran on me all that week. Other kilts from the same manufacturer haven't been damaged from other sporrans it seems. Also all these PV (ok, acetate & PV) kilts have been through the wool cycle on a washing machine at least a few times and it didn't hurt them a bit.

Now that I think about it, I think it is from rubbing on my dirk that was hanging down on my right side at about the 1:30 - 2 O'clock position. That makes more sense. As I walked, it would have moved to either side of my knee during my stride rubbing that area on the apron a lot, thus producing pilling. But I'm curious though about your sporrans bwat. What are your good ones vs. bad ones (or what makes a good sporran vs a bad one), and why do you think the bad ones made your kilt more prone to pilling?

**bwat** · 14th November 14, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by corbmonster

But I'm curious though about your sporrans bwat. What are your good ones vs. bad ones (or what makes a good sporran vs a bad one), and why do you think the bad ones made your kilt more prone to pilling?

Consider the pieces of leather sewn onto the back of the following two sporrans. The one on the left (brown) has a hard, rough edged, piece of leather which I think rubbed the kilt and caused the pilling. The sporran on the right has two pieces of leather which seem much softer.Sporrans.jpg

Th pilling is between the bottom edges of both sporrans in the picture but you'll probably not be able to see it.

**vmac3205** · 14th November 14, 10:41 AM

Captmac's Stillwater is pilling badly, but careful treatment with a cheap BIC razor keeps it under control.

**California Highlander** · 14th November 14, 11:17 AM

Comments about acrylic pilling and Marton Mills PV not pilling are kind of off topic. This kilt is 65% Viscose Rayon, 35% Acetate Fibre from the product specs. http://buyakilt.com/budget-8-yard-kilt#specifications. So really these are "PA" kilts.

I have two of the same kilts. One gets a lot of wear, yard work, around the house, etc., and has some very minor pilling. The other, more a pub wear kilt, no pilling. Both have been machine washed gentle, cold, then hung dry. I think it's just something that will happen with this material. At the price point, it seems acceptable considering the amount of wear I have gotten from them.

My 16oz Locharran wool kilt has no pilling.