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

[majdan]

Alex,
Check out these fabrics:

http://kiltstore.net/tartan/Black-Wa...=Black%20Watch

The "batli" mill's version is the cheapest, and looks to have a more muted "period" shade on my my monitor. You get a discount as an X-Marks member, too!

That's a great link. I was finally able to find where to get both Oregon(as in State of) and Oregon State(as in University) Tartan.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Alex,

Sounds like what you want (heavy weight quality wool, woven in a specific sett, with period accurate colors) is not going to be readily available at a cheap price anywhere.

I am able to have woven in Scotland custom tartans -- in accurate eighteenth century colors made to Wilsons of Bannockburn specifications -- for the rate of $65 per yard. This is single width (29" wide) for small orders, but it sounds like you need quite a bit. If your order is for 30 yards or more, I have have double width (54" wide) cloth woven at the same cost.

$65/yd for 54" wide heavy kilt weight wool, made in Scotland, is a pretty good deal. As you said before, it's hard to find heavy weight kilt cloth from Scotland for less than $75 - $100 per yard these days. And this will be custom made to spec in historically accurate colors.

Consider it, and if you are interested contact me at the Scottish Tartans Museum (tartans@scottishtartans.org or 828-524-7472).

Aye,
Matt

[Gordon]

Alex,

I can probably help you out, if you are ordering 30-60 yards.
We should be able to match your colours and sett and at a price in the $50 -$ 60 range for 17-18 oz 100% wool at 59" wide.
We are not in not Scotland, but Canada is a hell of a lot better (and closer) than Pakistan.

Gordon Kirkbright
Fraser & Kirkbright Weaving Co Ltd.
Vancouver

[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

[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.

[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.