Favourite Sett Size

**xman** · 16th May 10, 10:41 PM

I know there are many other considerations which people look to first and find attractive about a tartan, but considering your favourite, prized or most precious tartan, if you can choose just one how big is it?

**RockyR** · 17th May 10, 03:20 AM

I voted "up to 8"", but I want to explain. When working with PV, I usually like a 5.5" - 6" sett as it works out best for the amount of cloth used in our Casual / Semi trad kilts. In WOOL, I like a 7.5" to 8.5" sett. It works best for 5 Yarders to be done to the 'reverse sett' or for 8 Yarders to be done to the sett.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 17th May 10, 04:19 AM

As I specialize in traditional box pleated kilts, my preferred sett size for tartans is between 6" and 9". And really, 6" is a tad small. Most tartans I work with have a sett size between 7" and 9" which works out great.

Ideally, the width of the box pleat (at the hip) should be approximately 1/3 the total size of the sett. And I find that box pleats between 2" and 3" wide work out great for most sized men. Therefore a sett size of 6" to 9" is ideal -- and most heavy weight kilt cloth is woven with a sett size within that range, with exceptions made for certain tartans with unusually small (i.e. Rob Roy) or large (i.e. Black Watch & variants) setts. But you learn to be creative and make allowances with those.

**OC Richard** · 18th May 10, 06:00 AM

It just never looks "right" to me when I see a man's kilt made from tartan with a small sett size.

I'm so used to seeing nice large sett sizes with military kilts and in vintage photos and paintings.

It's a basic concept in art, that of being aware of the format.

The format of a man's kilt is a certain large size, and in the past that was recognised by the use of a large sett size. But nowadays that aesthetic is often ignored.

I saw the same ignoring of format when California was accepting any and all design proposals for the California State Quarter.

One design had The Golden Gate Bridge, and a Space Shuttle, and the Hollywood sign, and a prospector panning for gold, and a giant California Condor. But a quarter is only an inch across!!!