Reality Check

[McMurdo]

Ron
I can see absolutely no problem with you recommending Kathy Lare, you are pleased with her work and for good reason. The only reason I've not got a Kathy Lare kilt yet is simple geography. As one like you who enjoys collecting kilts from well respected kilt makers I think you would be doing a disservice to the forum if you did not mention Kathy Lare. I also know there are several members who have gone to Kathy for a kilt. I was lucky enough to see one in person when Mark came up to Toronto from Texas. So if you feel that way keep mentioning her name when people are looking for a hand sewn heirloom quality kilt. As the largest kilt forum on the web I think we need to hear about kilt makers who are not on the forum for whatever reason.

[Macthenife]

Ron,

I have to say that being a newbie to this forum and to wearing kilts in general, it is information like what you have provided that has drawn me to this forum. Purchasing a kilt can be a real investment and when you don't know much about kilts, you look to others for advice about where to go for good quality at a good price. From your history on this forum and the amount of kilts you own, I felt like you are someone worth listening to.

I want to personally thank you for the help and kindness you have shared with me as a newbie to this forum and the information you gave me for Kathy. It has proven to be most valuable. I am one that cares.

All the best Ron,
Shawn

[BroosterB1]

Ron,

I have many things to thank you for, knowledge of Kathy's wares amongst them. I live in Albuquerque, have never met her, but know that for a fine hand crafted kilt she would be on my very short list.

We talk about many other vendors who are not advertisers here, the list is very long. The point is being enthusiastic is not a crime, people do care to be informed, and by tooting your horn for your favorite kilt maker, if some one decides to use her well, so much the better.

It's not how you slice the pie, but growing the size of the pie. The more Kilted, the better, at least in my book.

ith:

[KiltedKnome]

Ron

You are very supportive of Kathy Lare's craft, and obviously proud to be an owner of her wares. It does (to me, anyway) come across that you feel that her training makes her the only properly trained kiltmaker in the US. There have been times when I have read your posts and you appear to be downplaying the skills and wares of other traditional kiltmakers, by "automatically" comparing their training to Kathy's. If I were those other kiltmakers (the ones who are on the forum), I would feel like I was having to defend my training and my skills.

My interpretation of your comments (in previous posts) may be in error, but that is one of the pitfalls of written forums -- the reader interprets the text in light of the reader's bias. Written communication like this does not easily permit for immediate response and clarification, nor for shared visual cues (eyebrows raised, rolled yes, etc.). The reader sometimes "walks away" from the "conversation" muttering under his or her breath. This is one of the reasons why a poster should read his or her comments with a view to "how will this be interpreted" before posting. Having said that....I will now reread this post.

To summarize, I encourage you to be supportive of Kathy Lare. But be supportive with a view of how your posts might be interpreted.

[ziggy]

Hmm, I had never heard of her...ironic then I hear about her after someone says to stop...

who says something like that anyways?!

[Highlander31]

Ron, One of the reasons this forum is so successful is the sharing of information (good or bad) on vendors/suppliers of kilts and accessories. I believe we should first try to support the advertisers here on XMTS. But that shouldn't preclude members from sharing information on vendors who are not advertisers. As far as I'm concerned, keep on sharing with the forum.

[Ian.MacAllan]

Ron,

All you are doing in your Kathy Lare posts is giving credit where it is due. That is commendable behavior because it is just and because it promotes the general welfare by helping to divert resources from less productive people to one who is more productive. Anyone who finds offense in your posts should learn to scroll down past them.

Please keep on doing what you're doing; your posts are one of the main reasons I keep coming back to this forum even after letting myself be distracted for weeks.

Thanks and best wishes!

.

[Pagan]

Ron, I say post away. You know Kathy, you know her work. If the person that wrote the PM feels another kiltmaker is better, maybe he should be posting about them and not bashing you in a PM.

A few times it has seemed a bit cut-and-paste, in that the OP may have mentioned budget or geographical limitations that would seem to put Kathy out of the running, yet you still chime in singing her praises. But those posts are few and far between.

Yes, but knowing Kathy, she is more than willing to work with people on those fronts.

I have no problem with endorsements. Experience matters a lot at XMTS. Perhaps the objection is rooted in the other credentials that you often cite. What with Kathy's being "the only graduate of the Keith Kilt School in North America," it's hard for any of us to gauge what this means, since we have no other graduates to compare to, nor is that something we can readily assess as to whether that's better than, say, having studied privately at the elbow of another master kiltmaker. It might be more meaningful if, in your endorsements, you speak to the outcome of her work, rather than her history.

Regards,
Rex.

Well, perhaps if the qualifications of the other kiltmakers was known, it would be easier to compare. Knowing that she went to the Keith Kilt School does make her a known quantity. Not hard to Google the school and find out about it.

I think the first thing which comes to my mind during this incident, is whether or not you decided to deal with them with the same respect they showed you… by using the PM system; “P” standing for private, rather than present it here for all to see with only one point of view.. yours.

Respect? Just because someone uses a PM instead of calling them out in public =/= respect.

I would hope a councillor would know better.

Nice personal attack, btw.

Was also informed that someone called the Keith Kilt School and found out that there are about 8 graduates in the U.S. and 6 in Canada - or vice versa. Now I'm wondering where those kiltmakers are and why they're not members of the forum too.

It might just boil down to simple economics. Kiltmaking is a very hard business to turn a profit in.

Ron, you've submitted three posts to this thread. Those three posts contain 14 direct, named references to your favorite kilt maker. Have you over done it? In my opinion, at least in this instance, yes.

I'm really hoping that your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek, no?

[Phicong]

*I am very glad for this discussion. However, I guess I am out of the mainline as I have only one formal style kilt, in my clan tartan. I have, however, been following the non-taditional kilt sellers/makers discussions and have found a system that works for me.
My first non-traditional was from a very well liked maker. I found that it was not something I could wear. Then I bought a couple from a very famous maker of modern kilts. These are ok but have too much material in the front apron area for me. Lastly I started checking out the kilts denigrated by many, many XMARKS members and guess what. I found two these "unsatisfactory" kilts really fit me and feel better than any of the others of the 12 I owned at the point I learned of their existance. Also I have received more compliments for the "unsatisfactory" kilts than I ever did for any of my other kilts.
Please keep up the kilt maker/seller discussions and don't forget to complain where ever it is felt that there is a need. There may be others like me who who are looking for this info and can put it to use.
Also. keep up the good work Ron.
Gordon