Black Cornish Tartan

[Roderick Powell]

It does seem to me that although this tartan does exist it is not registered as a Tartan ,or Cornish tartan.Please can Someone
explain this as Cornovie the Cornish Kilt Makers Claim the black cloth is available from three suppliers.Thank you very much ..........................Roderick.

[tripod]

I'm pretty sure that the Black is not a tartan but kilt made from black cloth. In my addled memory (Very tired at the moment) when the first suggestions that the Celts in Cornwall wore kilts it was suggested that they were black. The counter argument was that what was thought to be a kilt was in reality a leine.

[Steve Ashton]

I have just been on the Cornovie site. They do not list any Tartan under the name Cornish Black. They do however refer to kilts made from a solid black fabric.

Any solid black fabric would seem to fullfill the requirement.

[Pleater]

The black kilt of Cornwall is not a tartan but a solid black.

I have seen a fair few young men wearing black kilts, when in the West Country - along with sandals, white tee shirt and brimmed leather hat.

The Cornish tartans are recent inventions but the black kilt goes back about a hundred years or more.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[OC Richard]

Here I designed one in around two minutes. It's horrid. But it's very Cornish!

It has the St Piran's Cross and some gold stripes which represent the gold Bezants (of which there should be 15, but 16 will have to do).



It's long been a pet project of mine, to try to incorporate the necessary St Piran's Cross and Bezants into a non-hideous tartan.

Here's my best so far, I would like to have it woven.

[Roderick Powell]

I'm pretty sure that the Black is not a tartan but kilt made from black cloth. In my addled memory (Very tired at the moment) when the first suggestions that the Celts in Cornwall wore kilts it was suggested that they were black. The counter argument was that what was thought to be a kilt was in reality a leine.

This goes back to the medieval pew ends in Alternarnun Church near Bodmin. It was claimed that these pew ends depicted the Duke of Cornwall's Army wearing the kilt before the Scottish Highlanders. This was proven to be incorrect as no reference was made to The Duke of Cornwall. The pew ends depicted a local Cornish Piper and local men at arms.
The dress was depicted by historians an being medieval tunics.
There was also a claim that the Duke of Cornwall raised a regiment of Black Kilted Soldiers when Queen Victoria was keen to raise Kilted regiments outside of Scotland.
This ties up with the Celtic Convention of 1903 Where the wearing if the Kilt was promoted. A very complicated and Grey area of history. Roderick.

[Roderick Powell]

I have just been on the Cornovie site. They do not list any Tartan under the name Cornish Black. They do however refer to kilts made from a solid black fabric.

Any solid black fabric would seem to fullfill the requirement.

Thank you Steve. The Cornovi Black Cornish Kilt is made from 8 yards of 16 oz Scottish wool ,claimed to be available from three separate mills in Scotland for manufacture by a Cornish Kilt maker. Cornovi have orders for eight kilts, manufacturing time two and a half days, waiting time for delivery ,up to two months.
If I had gone for a 16 oz rare family tartan from Scotland, Delivery would have been four months as tartan would have had to be made on the mill and cost would have been fifty percent more than Cornovi , which I consider to be average price......Roderick

[Roderick Powell]

Here I designed one in around two minutes. It's horrid. But it's very Cornish!

It has the St Piran's Cross and some gold stripes which represent the gold Bezants (of which there should be 15, but 16 will have to do).



It's long been a pet project of mine, to try to incorporate the necessary St Piran's Cross and Bezants into a non-hideous tartan.

Here's my best so far, I would like to have it woven.

Thank you Richard. I am bit busy at moment, will get back to you re designing new tartans. might be worth looking at both Cook and Cornish.
I call a Cornish Black tartan an under cover of darkness tartan. That was how I always liked to work.
Professionally; under the official secrets act guarded by dogs,plastic guns,and infa red fencing.
Socially..Fishing..I cannot see what I am doing............Roderick.................08.10.20 15