Lots of tartans!

**Tartan Tess** · 25th March 16, 07:08 AM

"I'm stuck by the fact that most of the tartans have a fairly similar sett size. Back in the Highlanders Of Scotland times one saw a vast range of sett sizes being worn in men's kilts, from setts bigger than Army fabric to small setts the size we nowadays would use only for neckties".
You hit the nail on the head Richard. Less fabric for more pieces....vests, hats etc.

**RockyR** · 25th March 16, 08:20 AM

In fairness, the cloth in this photo is pretty much all either 13 or 16 oz, designed for making into a kilt. That's probably why the industry as a whole has effectively settled (for lack of a better term) on 6 to 9" sett sizes for the majority of stock supported tartans in 13 to 16 oz.

**Deil the Yin** · 26th March 16, 07:33 PM

Oh! Is that a MacGregor of Cardney (aka hunting) on the far right, four down from top???

**RockyR** · 26th March 16, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Deil the Yin

Oh! Is that a MacGregor of Cardney (aka hunting) on the far right, four down from top???

No... that is Forrester

**Mike S** · 26th March 16, 09:55 PM

Looks like Sutherland used in my recent kilt, third down from the top, far right row.

**MacGumerait** · 27th March 16, 12:09 AM

I'll give it a go... at least to the best I can see on my monitor .

Left Row

1 - MacLaughlin

3 - Irish National

4 - Gordon

5 - MacDonald of Clanranald Muted

10 - Campbell Ancient

13 - Irish American

Center Row

No idea .

Right Row

2 and 7 - Black Watch

**McBarnacleBill** · 23rd April 16, 05:00 AM

Sure hope the cloth for the MacBean kilt I recently ordered, is there...

**OC Richard** · 23rd April 16, 04:40 AM

Originally Posted by RockyR

In fairness, the cloth in this photo is pretty much all either 13 or 16 oz, designed for making into a kilt. That's probably why the industry as a whole has effectively settled (for lack of a better term) on 6 to 9" sett sizes for the majority of stock supported tartans in 13 to 16 oz.

Yes that's what strikes me as different from the situation in the 1860s. The men in Highlanders Of Scotland were likewise wearing tartan designed for making into a kilt (which we can presume because it had been made into kilts) yet the sett sizes vary from a size we would use only for lightweight necktie fabric, to a size which appears to be larger than 9".

Look at the ginormous sett on the left, estimating from the sporran length it would be around a 14-16" sett.

Here on the left is a tiny sett, maybe around 4"

It might not seem strange, until you see the same tartan as woven today made up into kilts

**NPG** · 23rd April 16, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Look at the ginormous sett on the left, estimating from the sporran length it would be around a 14-16" sett.

I have always loved that tartan on the MacLeay portrait of John MacLachlan (if memory serves). I know it is by no means correct to modern sensibilities, but it has always appealed to me.