What Price Glory: Where Do They Get Their Tartan From?

[James MacMillan]

First off - -

Now to show my ignorance.....

"What Price Glory" is a book, then a movie..... Is it also a musical or singing or dance group?

[Woodsheal]

First off - -

Now to show my ignorance.....

"What Price Glory" is a book, then a movie..... Is it also a musical or singing or dance group?

http://www.whatpriceglory.com/index.htm

[ccga3359]

I believe his kilts are made in Pakistan as is much of his reproductions. What Price Glory well worth the perusing.

[ardchoille]

I believe his kilts are made in Pakistan as is much of his reproductions. What Price Glory well worth the perusing.

Pakistan? I'll remember not to buy from them. I'd rather give my business to a real kilt maker rather than a sweat shop. Thanks for the heads up

[ccga3359]

Pakistan? I'll remember not to buy from them. I'd rather give my business to a real kilt maker rather than a sweat shop. Thanks for the heads up

I don't know about you but I push my kilt makers very hard. Just ask Steve, Pete & Robert. If there is not their blood, sweat and tears on my kilt I'm not happy.

[Kid Cossack]

Pakistan? I'll remember not to buy from them. I'd rather give my business to a real kilt maker rather than a sweat shop. Thanks for the heads up

That's just rude.

Is everything in Pakistan produced by 8 year olds? Sure, some things are. But everything? I've actually thought about setting up a kilt manufactory, doing ONLY hand-sewn, made to measure kilts, in Central Asia. I was thinking of using micro-credits to allow home-based artisans to buy the equipment and get up to speed on the ins and outs of sewing kilts.

Would that be a sweatshop?

Crikey. It's just so easy to judge, you know, "those people" as a lump. You know what I mean: "they" are all "that way." Like the Scots that go to Poland to get stupid-drunk and flash their insecurities at Poles. You know, that's just how the Scots are.

I've dealt with Jerry Lee of What Price Glory on a kilt I had to exchange three times (my own dang fault, in all honesty). Ron's right---he's a retired Colonel, US Army, and I found him to be the very definition of "an officer and a gentleman." I would be very reluctant to cast aspersions on him about running a sweatshop. Hey, maybe he is---I haven't seen the facility.

But if someone can live pretty well in Lahore on $70 a month, and they know how to make kilts, and they can turn out four standard kilts a month, and you pay them $20 per kilt, that's not a sweat shop.

I've lived in Central Asia--not in Pakistan, I'll admit, but in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Just because they can produce something cheaply does NOT mean that it's under sweatshop conditions. I was living "on the economy" and spending about $500 a month, and living like a king, eating out three or four times a week and dancing with my lady (now my wife) and basically living like a king.

There's this Russian couple I know, that live in Kyrgyzstan. After the Soviet Union fell, a lot of their friends moved to St. Petersburg (nee Leningrad, nee Petrograd, etc.). Recently Volodya and Tatiana went to visit their friends in St. Pete. They live pretty much at the same level that their friends do, and the daily prices of goods was about the same (comparing the Kyrgyz Som to the Russian Ruble). Thing is, a ruble will got a lot more dollar than a som will, and for a while Volodya had a real complex about HOW LITTLE MONEY HE MADE. Natalia calmed him down by pointing out that, if the calculations were in dollars, the people in St. Petersburg were paying about three times as much for the things they bought as Natalia and Volodya were.

If you have questions about the conditions under which Jerry's merchandise is produced, it would be only civil to contact him and ask if he has, you know, like pictures and things he could share.

Sometimes the way we talk about Pakistanis reminds me of the way the English used to talk about the Irish.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Alexander Good]

Matt and Gordon,

Thanks for the offers for obtaining me tartan. Alas that $50-60 is
still too much, after spending lots of money on proper madder red
broadcloth (from England), knitted diced bonnets, cartridge boxes,
muskets, bayonets, shoes, trousers (our campaigne dress, taking
the place of the kilt), neckstocks, shirts, haversacks, goatskin
knapsacks, blankets, lace, and lord knows whatever else I may
be forgetting. It really adds up, and since we don't wear the kilt
much, other than for garrison weekends and recruiting efforts, it's
been a hard sell getting everyone to go in on anything remotely
expensive, with regards to tartan.

I've found a place in Pakistan, Jaguar International, that has promised
me that they can make me doublewide, 18 ounce, 100% black watch
wool to my colours and pattern, $25 a yard. They have a shop in Scotland,
and as far as Pakistani merchants go, seem pretty reliable. We just made
a bulk order, and should see some fabric in a couple of months. I'll
post results on this forum for everyone to read. I feel pretty good
about Jaguar. They have a long history of making pipes, kilts etc,
for the old Highland regiments that used to be stationed in India/
Pakistan. Since I was able to provide them with a pattern, and samples
of the colours I want, things should get made how I'd like them to.
As the owner of Jaguar himself said, as long as you're specific, they
can provide you with just what you want.

Again, thanks for all the help. Take care everyone.

Alex