How do you deceide....

[Riverkilt]

I'm with Turpin.

If you have a rare tartan you want you'll probably save a LOT of money by going through a kiltmaker like Barb T or Kathy Lare. They can find the tartan for you - if its out there - and get it ordered in for you.

Not sure how Barb does her payments but Kathy works off a down paymemt with balance on completion which makes the financial strain a bit less.

And for a rare tartan don't forget to get the flashes made with the kilt.

Ron

[MacWage]

I'll throw in an opinion:
-For "8 yard" (8-9+ depending on waist/rump size) knife pleat, I'd go to Barb or Kathy. BOTH have an EXCELLENT reputation and I'll add that Barb is just a sweety and is WONDERFUL to work with. I've never talked with Kathy, but others talk about how excellent a job she does. Both are also reasonable pricewise for the level of quality you get. You can pay more, but it is hard to get one better made.
-For a "4-yard" (again, may be 5 depending on waist size) box-pleat, I'd HIGHLY recommend Matt Newsome of the Tartan Museum. They are a tad "different" than everyone else, but VERY usable as a day-to-day AND a formal tartan. ALL of the "nice" kilts I have made are box-pleats. I'd STRONGLY recommend they get a look.

As for "how do you decide" a kiltmaker?
Well, there are a number out there. It gets to a balance of $$$$, quality, and time. Ron, Hamish, or one of the other "kilt collectors" here could talk of each one and their specific traits (I wouldn't call the pros and cons, as most really aren't "cons," just tendancies and traits of each HANDMADE garment and reflective of its maker).
I'd email or PM THEM and ask for recommendations, as they are more likely to be open on the quirks of each in a less public form.