Scotweb very disappointing

[Steve Ashton]

Botriphnie,

I got your email with this photo. We can now see where some of your confusion comes from.



If you will notice each Tartan is a slightly different color. This is primarily due to the dye lots used by the different weavers.

It appears to my eye that all four are the ancient colorway. The left tie may be the Modern colorway but it is labeled as Ancient. It is possible that this weaver uses colors much darker for their Modern version.
Like this very dark version from another weaver.



There is also the problem with the different names that the weavers use.
One weaver uses the word "modern" to describe the colors they use, when they intend the Tartan to look like it would, when dyed with modern aniline dyes.
They use the word 'ancient' to denote a simulation of what the Tartan may look like if it were dyed with natural dyes.
They then use the word 'weathered' to denote a simulation of what the Tartan may look like if it had been out in the sun and faded.

Other weavers use terms like 'Reproduction' and 'Muted' and even OC for their particular colors.

But these are all the same Tartan.

Then we sometimes run across odd or unique names for the Tartan designs themselves.

The names you found on ScotWeb are different from the names used on the Scottish Register of Tartan. On the Register there are 6 different designs under the name MacIntyre one of them is MacIntyre Hunting, (#2845) but there is no design listed as Old MacIntyre Hunting.





On the ScotWeb site both the MacIntyre Hunting and the Old MacIntyre Hunting are the same design.

MacIntyre Hunting


Old MacIntyre Hunting


Both of these are available in Modern, Ancient, and Reproduction color versions of the exact same Tartan.

So it is possible that one of the things you are running up against is that the fabric your kilt is made from, is from a different weaver than the ties and flashes that you were sent.

You may also notice that on the ScotWeb site there is a Tartan listed as "New MacIntyre Hunting". This is a fabric woven by the Weaving mill Marton Mills in a 12 oz Poly/Rayon blend. This name is different from the name used by the weaver who list this as MacIntyre (New/H).



Please note that these colors are very dark. About like the colors used in the Black Watch Tartan, Modern colorway.

Below are the Ancient, Modern, and Weathered versions of the Black Watch Tartan. And while the colors used are very different, all are exactly the same Tartan.




This is one of the reasons that we suggest that if you want the colors to match exactly, that you order fabric all from the same weaver. Preferably at the same time, so you get fabrics dyed from the same dye lot.


Is there perhaps a label inside your kilt that lists, not the person who sewed the kilt, but the weaving company that wove the fabric? If not, can you inquire from the person who made your kilt, which mill they sourced their fabric from?