Quote Originally Posted by Alan H View Post
My point is that the price for a Utilikilt is pretty much right about where it should be, for the product. It's made in the USA and the people sewing them up make USA wages.

If it's more important to you to save $100 than to buy something made here, then you can buy a contemporary kilt made in Pakistan or Indonesia.

Or...and I think this is the best option....you can learn to make them yourself. But quit the complaining about how much a kilt costs. NOBODY is getting rich in this business.
An interesting thread. Your thread made me think. If there is SO MUCH money to be lost, not made, in making kilts, then why are there so many places that do it? You can get online and find company after company that will sell you a custom made kilt. If I am not mistaken, I am looking JUST at this page on xmarks and see 11 advertisers that make custom kilts, in one form or another. Granted, they are not becoming rich off of it. However, why would so many places exist if one could only make 10-12 dollars an hour (or R-kilt guy that makes 7 dollars an hour)? I am a school teacher and I have to have two jobs in order to make the money I need and I am making WAY MORE than what the average kilt maker supposedly makes. My SECOND job nets me more than 20 dollars an hour. Things are just not adding up to me.

I can understand that you would make kilts because you love it. I have lots of things I LOVE to do, but that does not mean I can make a living at it. I do not see how all these people make kilts and survive, unless it is just a part time thing. Obviously the person from Rkilts is full time. Lets use him as an example. Lets assume he works 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, at the LUCKY 7 dollars an hour. That adds up to: 588 dollars a week. That would not pay for rent/mortgage, especially if you have any children. Not sure how that guy even lives on that, considering that is income without any taxes being taken out.

I have several points to make with this. First, if what you are saying is EXACTLY right, no one could survive on just making kilts. The money has to be made somewhere. If you are correct, then I must assume that any accessories these companies offer have a HUGE mark up to compensate for the supposed low profit in the kilts (maybe that is why sporrans cost as much as a kilt).

I also want to make sure people realize that although some things on this thread might be correct, someone can always come along and do it better, quicker, and sometimes a lot less expensive. Many kilt purchasers are stuck in the thought that a quality kilt, made in the USA, MUST cost lots of money. Not true! Our economy works in wonderful ways. This is one of the most beautiful. You find a way to make the same product, just as good as the other guys, but charge less. Red flags are raised ALL OVER THE PLACE when someone tries to tell me that a certain item MUST cost a lot of money and there is nothing that you can do about it. When anyone says that something MUST cost a lot of money, I am wary of it and usually be careful about believing what they say.

No offense to anyone on here and I know I will get quite the response from this. But look at a perfect example: Skye Highland Outfitters. They offer an 8 yard, made to measure PV kilt for 189.00. The next closest company, that I know of, that sells PV, made to measure, will cost you (at my size) 240.00 or more. Plus their is not even 8 yards. Josh found a way to sell a better product, with a faster finish time, for less money. Plus, the quality is the same if not better than most.

Let the anger and retribution begin!!