New? kilt seller on eBay: AllScottish.CA

[Canuck]

Just to play devil's advocate for a minute here (since the owner seems to be MIA to speak for his site/product) his website does say: "heavy weight 16oz 100% worsted wool." That, and he says his products come from Scotland. If this is the case, what does it matter if the wool came from Scottish sheep or Pakistani sheep? (I'm not being sarcastic -- I'd honestly like to know)...

Plus, he seems to have at least one satisfied customer, judging by Nancyman's review...

What say you to that, gentlemen?

Forum members as a consumer's seek advice on products, and are looking for best value for their dollar. Ultimately the consumer will decide where and when they will, and to whom they spend their money.
Forum members who are producers offer advise based on their knowledge.
This is a market economy...you get what you pay for. As a producer I have an advantage to compare the various range of products, their quality vs. price. So when a member seeks advice we can put out some facts which can aid that member in making a good consumer choice.

[The Wizard of BC]

What Robert and I are trying to do is give our fellow X Marks members the advice based on our experience. We both buy fabrics from most of the Kilt Wool weavers. You name a weaver, Batley, Strathmore,D.C. Dalglish, Lochcarron, Marton Mills, we have purchased fabric from them. We know exactly what the wholesale cost of those fabrics are.

We have also held those fabrics. We've made them up into Kilts. All sorts of Kilts. We know what it takes to make a Kilt.

I usually keep sample Kilts in my shop from Jerry, Frugal Corner, The Gold Bros. along with the other end of the spectrum like Barb Tewksbury and the Nicklesby's. These samples are to let customers hold, and compare side by side, the differences and characteristics of each one.

We go to gatherings of our fellow X Marks members like Kilt Nights to see other Kilts, and to see our products after sometimes years of use. For example in Palm Springs this last month I got to see five of my product for the first time since they left my shop. I got to see how they actually fit the customer, how they hung and swished, and how, in a few cases, they are not fairing too well due to something I did wrong.

We then come back here and pass on to you, our fellow members, that which we have learned.

When we see a Kilt that is being sold for about the same price as a pair of cotton underwear, and read the claims of the seller, our experience says "something is strange here". Perhaps it's a typo. Maybe there is something new out there that will revolutionize Kiltmaking for the better. And perhaps it is another case of someone who just resells something and are repeating what they have been told by who they bought it from and don't know any difference. There are a lot of reasons.

But how often have we seen the exact same wording on Kilt re-seller's sites lately? How often have we seen the exact same photos used to promote product from what is reputed to be a different company.

All we are saying is "If you wish to re-sell product, then be honest and open about what you are selling".

What we are saying is "If you wish to buy a product, then be informed about what you are buying".

What we are saying is "If you are happy, and you made an informed decision that your hard earned money is going to exactly the product you want, and that fits your needs, then we have done our job".

When a seller like Jerry at Stillwater is upfront about his product, when he treats his customers openly and fairly, when he delivers exactly what he advertises we applaud him, we support him and we send customers to him that we know would be happier with his product than with our own.

X Marks is a graduate course in Kilts. Our members are better informed, better representitive, of the full spectrum of Kilts than any other single source in the world. We sometimes forget this. We forget that once we were all as new to this as each newby we welcome to our ranks.

When I started, words like Steeking and phrases like Pleating to the Sett didn't drip off my tongue. I learned. Just like each of you.

Don't you wish you had the level of knowledge that you have now when you went to buy your first Kilt? How often do we hear from a new guy something like "Oh I have a Kilt. It was custom made for me in Scotland. But I don't wear it much. I'm here looking for something I can wear and not worry about spilling a beer on it."?
How often do we hear the opposite story?

If it seems like Robert and I are acting like the bad guys here then I'm sorry. We are upholding our responsibility to our fellow members and passing on our knowledge and experience.

In the end it is an informed Kilt buyer that will be a happy Kilt wearer.

[CDNSushi]

If it seems like Robert and I are acting like the bad guys here then I'm sorry. We are upholding our responsibility to our fellow members and passing on our knowledge and experience.

In the end it is an informed Kilt buyer that will be a happy Kilt wearer.

Not at all, Steve. Neither apologies nor apologetics required here. But the next time I find myself in Vancouver, I'd love to come by and see all your comparison kilts side by side. Maybe I'd really learn something!

[RockyR]

Count me as '+ 1' to everything Steve says...

It's VERY difficult for Steve and Robert and myself (and other kiltmakers up here) to be both active members of the forum AND people who make our livings from this stuff... We are in a position of having a 'conflict of interest'. We walk a very fine line of not wanting to seem like we're 'putting something down to promote ourselves', when our INTENTIONS are to help inform / protect others & newbies on this forum. Steve and Robert and I (not excluding Matt or Barb from this other than the fact that I haven't DIRECTLY spoken to them about THIS issue) have spoken about the line we walk and our 'intentions'... I assure you that our intentions when talking about issues like this are honorable.

What Robert and I are trying to do is give our fellow X Marks members the advice based on our experience. We both buy fabrics from most of the Kilt Wool weavers. You name a weaver, Batley, Strathmore,D.C. Dalglish, Lochcarron, Marton Mills, we have purchased fabric from them. We know exactly what the wholesale cost of those fabrics are.

We have also held those fabrics. We've made them up into Kilts. All sorts of Kilts. We know what it takes to make a Kilt.

I usually keep sample Kilts in my shop from Jerry, Frugal Corner, The Gold Bros. along with the other end of the spectrum like Barb Tewksbury and the Nicklesby's. These samples are to let customers hold, and compare side by side, the differences and characteristics of each one.

We go to gatherings of our fellow X Marks members like Kilt Nights to see other Kilts, and to see our products after sometimes years of use. For example in Palm Springs this last month I got to see five of my product for the first time since they left my shop. I got to see how they actually fit the customer, how they hung and swished, and how, in a few cases, they are not fairing too well due to something I did wrong.

We then come back here and pass on to you, our fellow members, that which we have learned.

When we see a Kilt that is being sold for about the same price as a pair of cotton underwear, and read the claims of the seller, our experience says "something is strange here". Perhaps it's a typo. Maybe there is something new out there that will revolutionize Kiltmaking for the better. And perhaps it is another case of someone who just resells something and are repeating what they have been told by who they bought it from and don't know any difference. There are a lot of reasons.

But how often have we seen the exact same wording on Kilt re-seller's sites lately? How often have we seen the exact same photos used to promote product from what is reputed to be a different company.

All we are saying is "If you wish to re-sell product, then be honest and open about what you are selling".

What we are saying is "If you wish to buy a product, then be informed about what you are buying".

What we are saying is "If you are happy, and you made an informed decision that your hard earned money is going to exactly the product you want, and that fits your needs, then we have done our job".

When a seller like Jerry at Stillwater is upfront about his product, when he treats his customers openly and fairly, when he delivers exactly what he advertises we applaud him, we support him and we send customers to him that we know would be happier with his product than with our own.

X Marks is a graduate course in Kilts. Our members are better informed, better representitive, of the full spectrum of Kilts than any other single source in the world. We sometimes forget this. We forget that once we were all as new to this as each newby we welcome to our ranks.

When I started, words like Steeking and phrases like Pleating to the Sett didn't drip off my tongue. I learned. Just like each of you.

Don't you wish you had the level of knowledge that you have now when you went to buy your first Kilt? How often do we hear from a new guy something like "Oh I have a Kilt. It was custom made for me in Scotland. But I don't wear it much. I'm here looking for something I can wear and not worry about spilling a beer on it."?
How often do we hear the opposite story?

If it seems like Robert and I are acting like the bad guys here then I'm sorry. We are upholding our responsibility to our fellow members and passing on our knowledge and experience.

In the end it is an informed Kilt buyer that will be a happy Kilt wearer.

[tyger]

X Marks is a graduate course in Kilts. Our members are better informed, better representitive, of the full spectrum of Kilts than any other single source in the world.

Thanks, and much appreciation, to the people who make Xmarksthescot.

[Dan R Porter]

If I can get a Poly Viscose kilt for that price to bum around the house in I am sold! But I am getting turned off by the poly-acrylic fabric nowdays.

Also I am not sure I was clear in my other post. I ordered a sgian dubh from allscottish.ca. The photo on his web page of that particular sgian dubh is the same, exact, photo of that sgian dubh on other gold bros. websites. Maybe this will clear some things up.

Do not misunderstand me, I am not knocking him or the company, like I said I have even commited to a purchase if this is truly poly viscose! But I figured some people would like to know he is either affiliated with them, or the company that manufactures that particular sgian dubh sends the same photo to each retailer. hmm could be.

[Snowbear]

Since he is posting in here at all I would say I'm willing to give the guy a chance. If the seller shows a little interest in his customers I think it's something that could be worth a try.

For the sellers point I think we all on this board find Gold Bros something we very hard try to avoid. We are very conserned to buy anything that has to do with them, hence the critical toughts. If someone gets a kilt or two from this store, I would say it's up to them to convince us that it's good kilts. But please keep in touch in here, and you might get known as a good member of "kilt the world" club.

[RockyR]

If I can get a Poly Viscose kilt for that price to bum around the house in I am sold! But I am getting turned off by the poly-acrylic fabric nowdays.

SNIP... like I said I have even commited to a purchase if this is[I] truly poly viscose.

As a point of clarification, not all Poly Viscose is the same. Different mills make PV material. Some of them are in the UK, some in Canada, some in China and some in Pakistan.

The PV that is used by CCK, FK, NK and USAK is from Marton Mills in the UK. What the Gold Brothers buy are kilts made from PV material woven in Pakistan and China. They ALSO sell less expensive ($30 - $50 pricepoint) Acrylic kilts.

Here's a link tot he Material Comparison Chart on Xmarks to show the differences in the material used:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/page/material_chart.php

It's found on the left side of the homepage under 'Xmarks Community'.

This is not meant to be a dividing post or issue, just clarifying.