can you tell real wool from fake wool

**Woodsman** · 2nd January 11, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

this thread made me laugh!

or rather the mental image that popped into my head, of taking a new kilt, crumpling it up, lighting it on fire, throwing lye and chlorine on it...

Yes this is a hilarious thought. I can see a whole new meaning to a kilt check. Xmarkers don't care what one wears under a kilt. We just want to know if it's wool or not.

Add this to our series of tests - access to a microscope would reveal if it were wool or not. Wool is hair with its characteristic morphology.

**Pleater** · 2nd January 11, 04:13 PM

I think that the real test would be how good will the kilt look after a number of wearings.

Man made fibres can be rather susceptible to becoming polished, losing bulk or fraying and making pills on the surface. Wool, although it can be damaged, takes everyday wear much better.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**OC Richard** · 3rd January 11, 05:12 AM

Can't most experienced kilt-watchers tell from 20 feet away? I can usually spot a PV kilt from a distance.

For sure as soon as you feel the fabric: it simply feels different.

Unless there's fabric that I'm not familiar with, which mimicks wool better than the stuff I usually see.

**MacFett** · 4th January 11, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Can't most experienced kilt-watchers tell from 20 feet away? I can usually spot a PV kilt from a distance.

Unless there's fabric that I'm not familiar with, which mimicks wool better than the stuff I usually see.

The PV material has gotten quite a lot better over the last few years. I purchased a PV kilt in 2007 I think it was and two in 2010. The one I purchased first I always could tell was PV, the two newer ones I had to do a double take and make sure they were in fact synthetic.

**BEEDEE** · 4th January 11, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Can't most experienced kilt-watchers tell from 20 feet away? I can usually spot a PV kilt from a distance.

For sure as soon as you feel the fabric: it simply feels different.

Unless there's fabric that I'm not familiar with, which mimicks wool better than the stuff I usually see.

I think there is some confusion here. PV - poly-viscose is almost impossible to tell from wool and to my knowledge is only woven by Marton Mills in the UK. USA Kilts use this material extensively in their kilts. My XMTS tartan is PV and looks and feels just like wool. The cheap end kilts are usually acrylic, which can be fairly easily distinguished from wool.

Brian

**MacFett** · 4th January 11, 07:52 PM

[QUOTE=BEEDEE;939628The cheap end kilts are usually acrylic, which can be fairly easily distinguished from wool.[/QUOTE]
I got one of those from Sportkilts, worst kilt I have ever purchased. It was advertised as PV and is acrylic, total crap. Most expensive PJs I own.

**swampfox** · 5th January 11, 05:25 AM

i have a thrifty from SWK and its the pooh... which with the way i wear em a "real" kilt wouldnt look or fit right but for knocking about its perfect.

**OC Richard** · 5th January 11, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by BEEDEE

I think there is some confusion here. PV - poly-viscose is almost impossible to tell from wool and to my knowledge is only woven by Marton Mills in the UK. USA Kilts use this material extensively in their kilts. My XMTS tartan is PV and looks and feels just like wool. The cheap end kilts are usually acrylic, which can be fairly easily distinguished from wool.

Brian

Thanks for clearing that up! It must have been acrylic kilts that I've seen and felt.