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

[Riverkilt]

Jerry at What Price Glory is a cool guy, a retired colonel in the Army or something. Give him a call or an email...he'll tell you straight.

I have three of his replica battlejackets - they go great with kilts but used them to replicate my father and uncle's various uniforms in War 2.

Call and ask.

Ron

[Alexander Good]

An update to my tartan saga.

Still waiting for my tartan from Pakistan. It's taking longer than
I expected, and I'm hoping the stuff will ship in the next week or
so. I hope to have a report on the stuff fairly soon, and will post
info and pics when I can.

I finally emailed Jerry about where he gets his tartan from, as I'm
not very pleased at how long it's taken to get this current batch
woven. Jerry pretty much blew me off, which surprised me given
what everyone's said about him. Apparently his tartan source is a
state secret, and he thinks I'm Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants,
trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Or something.

Take care all.

Alex

Jerry at What Price Glory is a cool guy, a retired colonel in the Army or something. Give him a call or an email...he'll tell you straight.

I have three of his replica battlejackets - they go great with kilts but used them to replicate my father and uncle's various uniforms in War 2.

Call and ask.

Ron

[bear]

... Jerry pretty much blew me off, which surprised me given
what everyone's said about him. Apparently his tartan source is a
state secret, and he thinks I'm Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants,
trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Or something.

Take care all.

Alex

Good for Jerry!
If it got out where What Price Glory got its 22oz tartan, within 2 weeks there would be half a dozen kiltmakers selling 22oz kilts at reduced prices.
What Price Glory is the only other kilt vendor from whom I've seriously considered buying a kilt. (Though RKilts' saffron leather kilts keep calling my name!) Jerry has a unique product that fits his company's theme and he has, I'm sure, invested a fair bit of cash to develop that unique product.
Why would he just volunteer the information to strangers? Or anyone?
When I first found poly viscose back in 2004, I made that very mistake. I gave a free kilt to a customer for the info regarding Marton Mills, so I didn't lose much initial investment but I might have been the only poly viscose kiltmaker for another year or so if I hadn't given the info away and that did cost me a fair bit.
But what I lost would be small change compared to what What Price Glory would lose. Giving that info away would cripple, if not finish, their kilt sales.
Frankly, I'm a bit agitated that you think he's being petty. Nothing gets me hot faster than someone publicly picking on a kiltmaker, especially when you're asking that kiltmaker to hurt his own business to save you a few bucks.

[Alexander Good]

And I'm a bit agitated that you're agitated. I asked Jerry if
he'd consider stocking cloth, and that didn't go anywhere, which
is why I asked him if he'd pass along his source. I'm quite sure I
can track it, or another one down given enough time. I'm not mad at
Jerry for saying no (I half expected him to), I'm mad at how he said no. Politeness isn't that hard of a thing, is it? If I'd wanted to pick on Jerry,
I think I could've done a much, much better job of it.

Alex

Good for Jerry!
If it got out where What Price Glory got its 22oz tartan, within 2 weeks there would be half a dozen kiltmakers selling 22oz kilts at reduced prices.
What Price Glory is the only other kilt vendor from whom I've seriously considered buying a kilt. (Though RKilts' saffron leather kilts keep calling my name!) Jerry has a unique product that fits his company's theme and he has, I'm sure, invested a fair bit of cash to develop that unique product.
Why would he just volunteer the information to strangers? Or anyone?
When I first found poly viscose back in 2004, I made that very mistake. I gave a free kilt to a customer for the info regarding Marton Mills, so I didn't lose much initial investment but I might have been the only poly viscose kiltmaker for another year or so if I hadn't given the info away and that did cost me a fair bit.

But what I lost would be small change compared to what What Price Glory would lose. Giving that info away would cripple, if not finish, their kilt sales.
Frankly, I'm a bit agitated that you think he's being petty. Nothing gets me hot faster than someone publicly picking on a kiltmaker, especially when you're asking that kiltmaker to hurt his own business to save you a few bucks.

[Rex_Tremende]

Still waiting for my tartan from Pakistan. It's taking longer than I expected, and I'm hoping the stuff will ship in the next week or so. I hope to have a report on the stuff fairly soon, and will post info and pics when I can.

In my line of work, people expect to get stuff cheap, fast, and high quality, but at most only two can be delivered (and all too often, maybe only one of them, I sorry to say). I read your requirements, and it sounds like you specified cheap and quality, and that may be what you get.

Regards,
Rex, PMP

[Alexander Good]

Hi Rex,

Tartan never used to be a problem until the dollar value
versus the pound (and just about every other world currency)
really plummetted. I'm not happy that I need to order from
anywhere but Scotland, but $100 a yard is simply too much
to afford for anything other than a one off purchase. For a
hobby, I'm willing to take my chances from a Pakistani vendor,
and if it pans out, then I may have opened up a new avenue
for others in my position. I've already learned how to sew my
own clothes, and if this doesn't pan out, I might have to learn
how to weave my own fabric.

Anyway, I'm not looking for a kilt. Just tartan yardage. If I wanted
another modern kilt, I'd buy 4 yards of material from Scotland and
have Matt make it for me.

Alex

In my line of work, people expect to get stuff cheap, fast, and high quality, but at most only two can be delivered (and all too often, maybe only one of them, I sorry to say). I read your requirements, and it sounds like you specified cheap and quality, and that may be what you get.

Regards,
Rex, PMP

[bear]

And I'm a bit agitated that you're agitated. I asked Jerry if
he'd consider stocking cloth, and that didn't go anywhere, which
is why I asked him if he'd pass along his source. I'm quite sure I
can track it, or another one down given enough time. I'm not mad at
Jerry for saying no (I half expected him to), I'm mad at how he said no.
Politeness isn't that hard of a thing, is it? Or is politeness soley linked
to the Bottom Line? If I'd wanted to pick on Jerry, I think I could've done
a much, much better job of it. Please note my use of a smiley face, indicating
that I was making light of the whole situation.

Thanks,

Alex

Ask any supplier of a unique product, specially made for him, where he gets it made is the same as asking him to lose money. Period. Who wouldn't get mad when asked to hurt his own business?
If he blew you off, you deserved it.
I don't know Jerry. Before this thread, I didn't know who owned/ran What Price Glory. All I know is that their kilts are highly praised.

And adding a smiley face to sarcasm doesn't make it less sarcastic. The words are still the words. It just gives an out to the poster when he's called on it.

[Alexander Good]

Well, perhaps I was a bit naive to ask in the first place, but I certainly didn't
"deserve it" anymore than anyone else deserves to be rudely treated. Your
viewpoint is based entirely on emotion, and the thought of personally losing
money. Mine is based on asking a simple question, with the end result being to
save money, and not the ruination of anyone's way of life.

I certainly wouldn't get mad if someone asked me a similar type
of question. I'd simply say no, and leave it at that. But I guess that's
just me. For all I know, Jerry might've recommended somebody else
that could've helped me out, and everybody would've been happy.
You never know until you ask.

Adding a smiley face wasn't to give me an "out". It was to show
that I was irked but making light of it.

Anyway, why don't we just let this topic die. We clearly are coming
at this from different angles, and aren't likely to agree on things. I'll
post a report on what I end up getting from Pakistan, and nowhere
shall any kilt seller's name be mentioned.

Take it easy,

Alex

Ask any supplier of a unique product, specially made for him, where he gets it made is the same as asking him to lose money. Period. Who wouldn't get mad when asked to hurt his own business? If he blew you off, you deserved it. I don't know Jerry. Before this thread, I didn't know who owned/ran What Price Glory. All I know is that their kilts are highly praised.

And adding a smiley face to sarcasm doesn't make it less sarcastic. The words are still the words. It just gives an out to the poster when he's called on it.

[Mike1]

Alexander, how about you and Bear take this to the back channel? I think you've both made your positions quite clear and stating them over and again are not going to have much positive effect on the rest of us.

If a craftsman has developed a supplier for raw materials and a method of production that allows his company to compete in the open market, then more power to him. And I certainly can see no good reason why he would need to share his 'trade secrets' with anyone. There's no need to be rude about it, to be sure, however Alexander always has the opportunity to respond with his wallet, so what goes around comes around.

[Alexander Good]

Hi Mike,

Consider it done. And apologies to anyone out there who's time was
wasted reading this thread. I wasn't trying to insult, start a fight, or
be sarcastic.

BTW. Someone must've emailed Jerry, as I got a decent response from
him today. I must've caught him in a bad mood the first time around, but
he gave me some decent info on the subject, so, it's all good.

No hard feelings Bear. I'm sure if I was a businessman my perspective
would be much, much different from that of a casual consumer. It
WOULD be nice, though, if someone could develope an new source for
affordable tartan with the reenactor in mind. It's hard to justify $100
a yard for tartan when you've got kids to feed and gasoline to purchase.

Take care all,

Alex

Alexander, how about you and Bear take this to the back channel? I think you've both made your positions quite clear and stating them over and again are not going to have much positive effect on the rest of us.

If a craftsman has developed a supplier for raw materials and a method of production that allows his company to compete in the open market, then more power to him. And I certainly can see no good reason why he would need to share his 'trade secrets' with anyone. There's no need to be rude about it, to be sure, however Alexander always has the opportunity to respond with his wallet, so what goes around comes around.