Does anyone know of ANY kiltmakers in or around Montreal?

[Mathew MacKillop]

Greetings All,

I have been searching, without success, for a local kiltmaker. So far as I can tell, this does not exist. There are a few across the border in Ontario, and a likely a good many to the east in Nova Scotia, but I really cannot find anything at all that does not require a long drive or a plane ticket to reach.
As many others here urge, I'd like to have my first tank made custom by a kiltmaker I can visit physically, to make sure the measurements are exact, for one, but also to have somewhere to go where I cannot be ignored if there is a problem.
Short of that, there are a few X-Marks vendors in Canada, who are surely trustworthy, but I do not want to be responsible for an ill-fitting kilt because I did not take the measurements correctly, or because I am not aware of how to measure for my particular body type. Because of where I need to wear the kilt (to keep it on the "sunny side" of my gut, the section of the kilt directly below the top straps would ideally be somewhat wider than right at the buckles...but then the hip measurement is smaller than both the waist measurement and the "belly" measurement, and I'm sure the kiltmaker him/herself would be the best person to decide how to proceed. Except I can't find one that doesn't require a significant voyage to get to!

[The Wizard of BC]

Matthew,

I can fully understand wanting to have your kiltmaker. And I can appreciate that sometimes it is not practical to visit the person you have chosen to make your kilt.

However, taking a set of measurements is not hard. The hardest part is being honest with yourself. So many people have never had a tape measure around themselves. They only know their jeans size.

When they do put a tape measure around themselves they suck it in or try to do something else to make it seem that they are different than they actually are.

One of the best things to do is take photos of yourself when you are taking your measurements. Or even better yet, get on video conferencing with your kiltmaker. It is almost like having them in the room with you.

Each kiltmaker has a slightly different way of describing where to take measurements. They are used to dealing with those numbers and know what to expect and what to do with those numbers to make a good fitting kilt.

So always, always follow the directions of your kiltmaker. Even if you already have a kilt and were measured by someone else.

The secret here is communication. Talk to your kiltmaker. Call them on the phone, email them, get them on Skype or other webcam program. Be very clear and honest with them and with yourself.
This really is a two way street of communication. If for some reason you don't think you are communicating well with your kiltmaker go find another one that you can communicate with.

If I were like my customers - visiting a kiltmaker with the intention of dropping a few hundred dollars - I would have done my research well before I walked through the door. I would have chosen this particular person on purpose, not just because they were within driving distance. I would know why this is the person I want to make my kilt.


Two of the best buying experiences I have ever had were done long distance. And one of those was in the pre-internet days. All we had was the telephone.
But it does take time and patience.

And if you think about it - don't you want the person you are going to give your hard earned money to, to take all the time that is needed? To have the patience to hear you out? To satisfy you, to talk and listen so, in the end, you don't end up with someone else's idea of their perfect kilt, but you end up with your perfect kilt.

That really is the difference between a kiltmaker and kilt seller. A kilt seller says "Here, this is what I have on the rack. Pick one". A kiltmaker will often offer you a seat, will want to hear about who you are and what you want. What a kiltmaker does is help you to get what you want and what you have dreamed of.

It should not matter if that kiltmaker is next door or on another continent.

[Mathew MacKillop]

Hi Steve!

Thanks for the response. I was already pretty sure that I would not be able to find local kiltmakers, but if I had, I would have visited each of them to see who I felt most comfortable with. The advice you offer is very sound.

Short of having a local kiltmaker, naturally my choices are Xmarks vendors. So far, I have reduced those options down to yourself, or Keltoi. I am inclined to go with Freedom Kilts due to the more reasonable pricing, as otherwise positive comments on both are very abundant here.

So, in light of that, perhaps there are a few questions I can ask here that would also be of use to the rest of the Rabble.

Your site describes that you make kilts slightly differently than others, but in the end what I really want is a fully traditional 8 yard kilt, with the full rise (I am indeed a larger fellow, and it has been suggested in many places that the full rise suits folks like me better, and it is what I like the look of, anyways). I do not want pockets, modern belt loops, or any such thing. Just 2 or 3 straps/buckles and 2 or 3 large belt loops. While I suspect that this is something you can do without issue, I would like to make sure.

Your site also does not require the selection of a tartan in the ordering process (the list of tartans is there, but seems to be more for information purposes than for the actual order). How is this dealt with? Do I call or email you after placing the order? Are some tartans not more expensive than others?

If my plans hold up, over the winter I will place orders for 2 kilts and 2 sets of Jacket/Vest. I am interested in the MacKillop tartan, if you can get it, and the Douglas DA tartan (which I would guess stands for "dark", but you likely know better than I do.). For the Jackets, I will be wanting 1 Kilt Kut in charcoal, but for my other one I would want a brown tweed...but done in what I can only call a combination of traditional and Kilt Kut. Meaning: I like the look of the single button front, but would not want epaulettes or gauntlet cuffs. Is this something you are able and willing to do?

Thanks!

Mathew

[The Wizard of BC]

Mathew,

Yes, I do full traditional hand stitched kilts. It is not the bread and butter of my business but I seem to be making more and more Traditional kilts.
The problem is that my Contemporary kilt orders are also increasing. My wait time is right at my limit as acceptable. I currently have so many orders on my board that I am having to tell customers that their kilt will not be ready until after Valentines Day in February.

I have hired a new kiltmaker but she will not be fully up to speed for at least a few more weeks.

On the Freedom Kilts Website- in either the Custom Contemporary kilt or the Hand-sewn Kilts with a twist sections you select your fabric from drop-down menus.
The fabric selection drop down menu are specific to each different type of fabric.
For example- If you select the 12oz Polyester/Rayon Tartan only those Tartans available in that collection will be displayed.
When you select a fabric and Tartan with the drop-down menu your selection is automatically entered in your order.

The Kilt Kut Suit coat is exclusive to Freedom Kilts. Yes, I can request a single button front without Epaulets or Gauntlet cuffs. This is in essence a single button Wallace jacket similar to what others also carry. Charcoal Tweed is the most common and most requested fabric. I also have three brown tweeds available.

Do you have a preference to composition and weight for your kilt fabrics?
The MacKillop Tartan, Modern Version is available in 16oz wool.
The Douglas Tartan, Modern and/or DA versions are available is just about any composition and weight. (The DA refers specifically to the 16oz wool fabrics from Marton Mills.)

[Mathew MacKillop]

Hi Steve,

I can more or less guarantee that any kilt I order will be in 16oz wool. I have browsed your site extensively, but find that there is not always a drop down menu for selecting the tartan, and when there is, it somehow disappears either during selection or right after. I can send you a screenshot of this if you wish. There is of course the list of available tartans to the left of the screen, but no actual way to select a tartan for the kilt from there. The MacKillop tartan also does not appear in the list.

I will not be in any tremendous hurry, so your wait times do not worry me one bit. I will be ordering a regimental weight kilt from What Price Glory before anything else to have something warm enough for even the coldest winter days, so that'll tide me over until late winter/early spring.

Thanks so much for the information and the help!

Mathew

[Randy McIntosh]

There is one in Montreal
Debbie Johnstone,

PM me for her phone number