Strange Kilt Strap Color Effect

**Bugbear** · 5th June 09, 11:00 PM

I am going to replace the straps on my Stillwater Lamont. Several people have told me that the straps appear to be a very, very dark brown. I cut one of the straps off to take it to a leather store to try to find a similar color.

Once off the kilt, I was told the strap was now black... Putting it against other black things showed that it was black.

So I had the person, who was helping me, look at the other straps on the kilt. They appeared to be that very dark brown and so did the strap I had removed, but only when on the kilt.. From what I understand, the kilt has a lot of rusty brown in it. I don't know if this is what is causing the black to look like very dark brown somehow.

It's actually good news because I can just get good quality, black kilt straps and never worry about it again, but it is rather weird. And all this time I thought they were brown.

At least they wern't bright orange; I can only go by what other people tell me...

* I just realized I forgot to get black thread. *

**JolyStNicholas** · 6th June 09, 04:14 AM

It is sometime strange how colors effect each other when they are close together.

Your right about the Orange!

**Bugbear** · 6th June 09, 01:53 PM

Ya, I do have to depend on others for finding out what colors things are.

And not everyone sees colors the same way.

For now, I am going to cut the straps off of my acrylic Stillwater kilt and put them on the wool kilt because they are quite a bit better than these straps. That should work until I get good quality straps and buckles.

BTW, the buckles did have to be ground to a curve along one inner edge where the strap and buckle meat. It had a sharp edge from the casting. I was able to shield the kilt in plastic and a flexable cutting board with a slot to accomidate the buckle, then use some of the tools I use with ceramics and metal to take that edge off without cutting the buckles off. A lot to go through, but I didn't know if I would be able to remove the tabs holding on the buckles.

That was a while back, but now I have identified the color of thread used in stitching the buckle tabs under the fell etc, so I could probably attempt to remove them on the wool kilt.

**ghostlight** · 6th June 09, 09:37 PM

I tend to have difficulties with shades of color when two or more are close together also. I'm especially bad with blues and purples. Fortunately, Lady M has a good concept of color and can usually straighten things out for me.

**Lady M** · 6th June 09, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by ghostlight

I tend to have difficulties with shades of color when two or more are close together also. I'm especially bad with blues and purples. Fortunately, Lady M has a good concept of color and can usually straighten things out for me.

Plus, it's fun to dress you

**ghostlight** · 6th June 09, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by Lady M

Plus, it's fun to dress you

**Colonel MacNeal** · 6th June 09, 10:42 PM

If the black straps had a sheen on them, they could reflect the color of the kilt.

**Bugbear** · 6th June 09, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by Colonel MacNeal

If the black straps had a sheen on them, they could reflect the color of the kilt.

That might have been what was going on. I don't know how much of a sheen they have. That does happen with the pattent leather shoes kind of like a black mirror.

It also might be that there is a lot of brown in the kilt, and all that brown makes the black look a little muddy.

Anyway, I cut the straps off the acrylic kilt and put the first one on the wool kilt.

These straps are only sewn down with one row of stitching, so I had to punch some holes at the very end of the strap to anchor it better. I guess good quality straps have holes punched along the sides of the straps; I don't know for sure, though, but these holes are going across the strap.
I did the strap on the top apron, which is the more difficult one to attach, and I will wait until tomorrow to do the other one.

These kilts are not built with the internal structures of a traditional kilt, and many of the parts are sewn on with one swipe of a machine. I have to be very careful about removing things like the buckles because other things are being held with the same stitches. Same goes for the liner, so I am having to work around or under everything while it is in place. Kind of retro fitting. It is very, very tedious work.

* I went ahead and sewed the other strap on the underapron., so it's done. I'm trying to keep the kilt wearable as I work on it. at some point, I guess I'll sew the thin straps on the acrylic kilt that I took these straps off. *