Difference between them

[OC Richard]

Each mill has its website where you can look at the mill's own photos and descriptions, which can help.

Translating the "German"

MM: Marton Mills https://martonmills.com/product-category/tartans/

STR: Strathmore https://www.strathmorewoollen.co.uk/...tartan-fabric/

LOCH: Lochcarron https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/fabric-.../tartan-fabric

HOE: House of Edgar https://www.houseofedgar.com/product...artan-fabrics/

BAT: Batley

It's good to look over the actual weaver's site for various reasons, for example with Marton Mills I discovered that

1) they sent me samples for free

2) after I got several samples in hand, I found the colours shown on the Marton Mills website were much more accurate than the colours shown on the USA Kilts website.

The other thing that's important to find out (for me) is the sett size, which some makers list.

I think a man's kilt looks best with a large sett size.

[OC Richard]

Personally if I were going to buy a kilt in Black Stewart I would almost certainly go with Marton Mills'

Stewart Black Muted

https://martonmills.com/product/stewart-m-black/

For one thing, I very much prefer 16 ounce wool over any other kilt fabric.

It just looks better and feels better, IMHO.

BTW I don't know the difference between these two 16 ounce House of Edgar tartans, which USA Kilts lists as

Stewart Black Modern

Stewart Black Modern (N)

I'm assuming that the N stands for Nevis, that is, House of Edgar's "Nevis" range of tartans

https://www.houseofedgar.com/product...nevis-tartans/

Thing is, I don't know what makes "Nevis" 16 ounce tartans different from their non-Nevis 16 ounce tartans.

I'm sure that if we had swatches of both in hand there would be a difference.

My other choice for Stewart Black would be House of Edgar's "Hebridean" range

https://www.houseofedgar.com/product...idean-tartans/

[OC Richard]

It might clarify things, or it might make it even more confusing, but here are some threads about some specifics of various UK weavers

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...elvedge-96342/

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...rtan-uk-98023/

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...te-mill-96514/

[Tobus]

Thing is, I don't know what makes "Nevis" 16 ounce tartans different from their non-Nevis 16 ounce tartans.

For one thing, they list the heavyweight tartan as having a traditional selvedge where the Nevis has a tuck selvedge. There may be other differences in the cloth aside from weight (which appears to be the same between the two), but the difference in selvedge tells me that they are woven on different looms. So aside from the selvedge, the 'hand' may be different, as well as perhaps the warp/weft proportions, etc.

[OC Richard]

For one thing, they list the heavyweight tartan as having a traditional selvedge where the Nevis has a tuck selvedge. There may be other differences in the cloth aside from weight (which appears to be the same between the two), but the difference in selvedge tells me that they are woven on different looms. So aside from the selvedge, the 'hand' may be different, as well as perhaps the warp/weft proportions, etc.

What's interesting is that House of Edgar has their "Hebridean" range which contains both newly-created fashion tartans and existing Clan tartans given a bit more "fashion" look.

Keeping with the Stewart Black theme, here's that tartan in HoE's Hebridean Range (you have to scroll down to see it)

https://www.houseofedgar.com/product...idean-tartans/

[MacKenzie]

What's interesting is that House of Edgar has their "Hebridean" range which contains both newly-created fashion tartans and existing Clan tartans given a bit more "fashion" look.

My next kilt will be the MacKenzie Hebridean.

[OC Richard]

My next kilt will be the MacKenzie Hebridean.

Dress MacKenzie? For an arasaid?

[MacKenzie]

Dress MacKenzie? For an arasaid?

I don't think I could pull off an arasaid.

[MacKenzie]

BAT: (the mill escapes me at the moment)

Batley.

I found an article that said the mill has closed. The page was rife with ads, popup ads, etc., so I'll not post a link here.

Tartan manufacturer N Batley collapses with 23 job losses

A FAMILY-RUN textile firm – and one of the UK’s last tartan cloth manufacturers – has collapsed with the loss of 23 jobs.
Administrators were forced to make all the staff redundant at N Batley Ltd, of Dale Street, Longwood, after failing to find a buyer for the 53-year-old company.

The story was posted in 2009 and updated in 2013.

[OC Richard]

Batley.

I found an article that said the mill has closed.

Thanks! I've updated my post.

Evidently USA Kilts has some old-stock Batley tartan.