such a deal!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Dry clean 150 old tartan cloth???? AAAAARGGGHHHH! Somebody stop him!!!!!
Matt

[David in Maryland]

For 150 year old wool, the coloring looks very well preserved.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

It's NOT as far fetched as you may think!;)

I was recently able to obtain more than 40 yards of MacDonald tartan (in a VERY heavy wool) from a man in Nova Scotia. It had been stored in lambs wool and burlap for decades, and is in pristine condition... not ONE hole in the entire bolt.

Will it be made into kilts? Who knows? With that much material, it's bound to have (at least) part of it tailored.

I met a man in Philadelphia, that "summers" in Cape Breton and is a high-ranking member of the Cape Breton Historical Preservation Society. He put me in-touch with the tartan owner... and the rest is history. You just NEVER know what you'll find out there!!!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Well, I can't confirm or deny the age of the cloth based on the pictures. They just are not high enough quality. Now, if I could see/feel it in person, I would be able to tell you.
Matt

[Archangel]

Well, I can't confirm or deny the age of the cloth based on the pictures. They just are not high enough quality. Now, if I could see/feel it in person, I would be able to tell you.
Matt

I would also suggest extreme caution here. The claims are pushing credibility but could happen. However, the claims of historic worth are made by an individual who would dry clean this and and take the photos on dirt. I'm curious about a kiltmaker who would not to be identified with working on a historic project.

I have a full kilt in the McGregor tartan. It's at least a 22 ounce, regimental, made in Scotland for a local (me, not a tourist, or Mercan). Bad photo aside, it doesn't look like that in shine and the way it sits there. That looks almost like a velcro waist.

(Nothing to do with the credibility, I think the shoes are ugly but the belt is cool.)

[Bob C]

Whether the story about the age of the cloth is true or not, this is not an unreasonable deal if the weight of the cloth is as described, if the sporran is as described and if the sword (not shown) is not a piece of crap.

Of course, any of us could put together a comparable kit for less.

Ditto Archangel - cool belt buckle. Ugly shoes.

[Freedomlover]

here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...gory=1060&rd=1
but there are no pics and the pitch is just too smooth. for some reason my B.S. detector went BEEP BEEP BEEP
macG

No kiddin? A quick look at feedback shows only 3 seller transactions, 4 buyer transactions, and 4 transactions where you can't tell what happened. In my view, only a fool would venture $1000 here.

[Freedomlover]

First, I met a man once who was descended from royalty. What a deal he had for me. Fortunately I understood that my father's noble title, though passed to me after his death, and quite factual, is worth nothing in America. (And so it should be). Now, gentlemen, I could be wrong. And if so let me me say up front that I had/have no intention of disparging anyone. But the posted illustrations of the tartan appear to leave little doubt that the colors are modern. Very modern. My maternal grandmother (born and raised in Scotland) was MacGregor by way of Walker, and she told me many a time that what passes for MacGregor tartan is far too bright. The pattern, she said, was right, but the dyes were wrong. Modern aniline dyes will knock your eyes out (as does the ebay picture), but proper vegetable dyes of the period fall on the eye as gently as the morning mist.

Caution, gentlemen, is the order of the day.

[LordDamax]

I'd like to know why there isnt a pic of the kilt on a person, a mannequin, or at least a full pic of it laid out on a table. Each pic seems to be angled to conceal most of the kilt.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Actually, we have a peice of MacGregor cloth here in the museum that is about 150 years old, and the colors are brighter than you might think. That's why I said I couldn't confirm or deny the age of the cloth based on those pictures -- the quality just isn't good enough to make the fine distinctions.

Aye,
Matt