New Stillwater Kilt Tartan Announced!

[cavscout]

Gents, let's not take off down the "Who can wear what" argument. Some people don't feel it's proper to wear a tartan they don't have a connection to. Others do. The Leatheneck tartan is not official to the USMC though it is embrassed. Wear it or don't wear it. If you wear it be respectful of it. That is all any Marine would expect if you choose to wear it.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Cavscout... excellent post!

It is a "universal" tartan. It's also one of the most beautiful tartans that I've ever seen. I know one gent in Maryland who wears his daily in respect for a friend that served in Afghanistan and didn't make it home. Who would have a problem with that? I know another guy in a band from California that wears his in support of the service.

As for the Army tartan... remember that Stillwater chooses to run limited amounts of tartans and offerings at their discretion. IT COSTS MONEY to stock kilts in numerous tartans. You have to remember that these kilts are pre-made so that they're in your hands in no time. That's the nature of the business in pre-mades. You're giving-up tartan choices for price and speed... all of this without suffering looks and quality.

Jerry... nice choice on the tartan! You've "hit" the right run again!

[GreenDragon]

Awesome! A guy i work with is Ex-Marine (and also in the market for a Kilt). Those folks at StillwaterKilts keep pumping out great products.

Damn i need to get a Kilt!

[cavscout]

Ex-Marine

Just for reference, the proper term is "Former Marine". "Ex" implys that you are no longer a Marine. The "Former" says you are still a Marine, you're just not doing it right now

[switchblade5984]

Awesome! A guy i work with is Ex-Marine (and also in the market for a Kilt). Those folks at StillwaterKilts keep pumping out great products.

Damn i need to get a Kilt!

hmmm just so you know there is no such thing as an Ex-Marine... unless they are dead....

for all of you questioning weather or not to get one because you have"no connection" the USMC tartan is not Officially recognized by the Marine Corps... just a little FYI

As a Marine I say Get One!

As Marines we have served in almost ever country there for you all have a connection to us somewhere, we were there... i know we do joint training with the Aussies in fact that's one of the best ports!

you can Honor those that served and protected our country against Foreign and Domestic enemies!

besides you all know that if you clicked on this it was because you wanted a Stillwater!

[GreenDragon]

Former Marine. sorry. (although i'm pretty sure he doesn't have any plans at his age to take it up again.)

Semper Fi(delis!)




and yes, i do want a Stillwater

[Livingston]

That is one very nice kilt. But (you had to know that was coming ) as far as I'm concerned it will have to wait. For me, the first US military tartan for me will be the Army (6 years in and to remember my cousin). Next would be the Navy (Father, Grandfather and Uncle all served in the Navy during WWII). Don't know of any direct connections to the USMC, other than friends that served, but still have it on the list.

[Freedomlover]

I see it like this, the Marines are children of the UNITED STATES NAVY, and we love them dearly. Having served 20 years in the submarine service I will jolly well wear the Leatherneck tartan if it pleases me to do so (copy the kid's fashion so to speak) and I could not possibly care less who doesn't like it. Of course if Jerry really want's to draw a bead on my bank account all he has to do is come up with a USN kilt with slash pockets.......

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Matt, we obviously won't agree 100% on this one, and that's understandable. Having each said our piece in the above posts, I hope we can put this behind us.

Sure thing, and I certainly wasn't attacking you personally, Jerry!

To be frank, I don't like Pakistani made kilts; I don't like non-woolen kilts; I don't like off-the-peg kilts. Now, I could go into a whole host of reasons why as to all of the above, but Stillwater falls into all those categories.

That being said, from what I know of you, Jerry, I do like you. You are honest and upfront about all the details of your product. You've never hid the fact that your kilts are made in Pakistan, not in Scotland, which puts you in a whole other class than those peddlers who try to pass their Asian made products off as "authentic Highland kilts" to tourists at the Royal Mile or visitors to the Highland Games.

This allows the consumer to make an informed decision. You seem to be an honest guy and you certainly have a reputation for good customer service. So I have no qualms about any of that, and I hope you haven't read anything I've posted as an attack on you or your company.

Also, I feel I must reiterate that I am not a marine. Now, I imagine if I was a marine, I would not feel good about the Leatherneck tartan being produced in Pakistan. But I'm not a marine.

There are lots of marines on this board, and I'd like to hear their opinion.

Like I said in my last post, I brought this issue up here because I've had several people ask me what I thought about it, and I was surprised not to see it being discussed already. So I'm interested in what everyone thinks about this.

I'll be quiet now and let the marines here voice their opinions...

[Yaish]

Marine here, checking in. I think from my previous posts you already know my views on the SWK line.

Now, let me tell you this. Go to any base PX and look at half the USMC memorablia sold there. Half of it is produced overseas.

Marines themselves dont just come from "Kansas". I have served with Marines from Haiti, Pakistan, pretty much every middle eastern country, South Africa, China, and tons of countries I cant remember. And I dont mean their ancestors or even parents came from those countries, I mean the Marines themselves were born there.

Stillwater pays their staff a living wage, and holds his shop in a decent work environment. His company itself is based in the United States, though production is outsourced (like tons of other "American" companies). He never claimed his kilts were made in the USA.

Personally, unless it was hand sewn by a Marine themselves, I dont see how anything else is different. What matters to me is intent, and the intent SWK has is to offer a tartan that has been widely requested, in order to honor the USMC. I really dont see how you can go wrong with that.

Now, as to the "Its not just any tartan" comment, well, a McDonald tartan isnt just any tartan to a McDonald now is it? Other than the purely commercial tartans each one holds special meaning to someone. If Blackwatch can be made in Pakistan, then why not Leatherneck?