Ron,

All I can tell you is what I know from my own experience. I learned from Bob Martin, and he taught me specifically how to make the old four-yard box pleated kilt style, because that was specifically what I was interested in, and it's hard to find that style being offered. That's why I primarily make that style of kilt.

I asked Bob who taught him to make kilts (he has about 30 years of experience), and he pointed to his own chest. He told me that he learned by literally tearing apart other kilts to see how they were made.

I gather that most kiltmakers learn the trade from other kiltmakers. The idea of a "kilt school" and "certifications" is relatively new. As far as I know the one in Keith has been the only one. So most kilt makers -- even the best ones -- will not have been certified in this matter. They just learned from other kiltmakers.

As far as knowing what you get when you order from one company or another, I say the best way to judge to to learn the reputation of the company. Very large woolen mills will almost always have their own kiltmakers that they use -- smaller woolen mills will not, necessarily.

Lochcarron, for instance, is one of the largest suppliers of tartan cloth, and they have offices in Scotland, England, Canada, and the US. I know that they have kiltmakers in Scotland and Canada, but none in the US (I don't know about England). So if you order a kilt from a retailer that uses Lochcarron, your kilt will be made by someone in the employ of Lochcarron in either Scotland or Canada. But because Lochcarron has a good reputation and wants to protect its name, you can be reasonably assured that your kilt will be of the highest quality. I'm not sure of the process they use to grade their kiltmakers, but I am certain that there is some quality standard that they enforce to make sure that a Lochcarron kilt lives up to the name on the label.

I would say the same about other major suppliers, such as House of Edgar, Hector Russel, Geoffrey Tailor, etc. All of these outfits are so large that they simply cannot do it with just one or two skilled kiltmakers. They are going to have a very large number of workers on the job. Your kilt may be made by someone with 20 plus years experience or someone making their third or fourth kilt. But the point is these companies will (or should) have some standards of quality in place to judge by, and you can be assured that your kilt will be made to those standards (if not, send it back!).

So if you are unsure about a company, ask around. See if you can find anyone else who has a kilt made by them, and get a good recommendation before you order.

Aye,
Matt