Quote Originally Posted by Rabbi_Pazo View Post
Hello, Paul Henry,

I am glad you found this tartan and the kilt interesting enought to write some enquiries. Yes, The kilt has 56 pleats, plus about 30 cm. of hidden extra tartan for altherations, should they be required. In total, it contains 14 metres of tartan, and while the pleats number fifty six, they ARE NOT doubled and each one can ben clearly seend when worn. Of course, they are smaller than the usual than the other 18 kilts I have (the pleats are 1.12 cm and reach from side to side, begining and ending on precisely under the belth buckles). While I agree with you that polyesther is light and strong, the kilt was sewn using 100% wool upholstery tread, since we setadfastly adhered to the Laws of ShaaŽnetz (the prohibition of mixing species, fabrics on the same garments, etc.) As a kilter your must know how difficult is to sew wool using wool; so we use a colorless lotion as a lubricant, when making each pleat, which contains over 225 stitches each. In addition to the first kilt, the kilter also made a Piper's plaid, a Flight plaid, hose flashes, drone ribbons for my 1892 Henderson Pipes and a Boukari, a sort of headgear worn by Rabbis and Cantors, containing 18 pieces (the number 18 means Chay in Hebrew, Life in English, as in the famous toast Le Chayim -To Life). The next kilt on the sett, will also have 56 pleats and the process is going on as we speak. Buts since we are aproaching the Festival of Passover soon (near Easter) and the several Jewish holy Days, follow by the "High Holidays" of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and the Festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), during which sewing is not permitted, we are safely estimating that the new kilt will be completed by early fall of this year.

In my humble opinion (I am not a kiltmaker like you, but in the process of supervising he making of this and others kilts I own, I have been "mildly educated" about your craft.

I DO have over 300 pictures of every process of the making of this kilt, and will soon post them in a website (about 50 photos), where you can see pictures in regular and high resolution, from unfurling the tartan bolt to the final stich on the label bering my name inside the liner (also made of wool). The only part of the process that will be
ommited from the "public access" photographis record, is the stabilising materials and procedures, since they where created by the kiltmaker and is consider "intellectual property", hence, the internal lines is sealed and you cannot reach the waistband from inside.

Regarding the registration, I am in agreement with you in the sense that the STR is an impresive archive and the rights and powers granted to the registrants are limited. However, under Civi law, the Hague (and Interpol) as well as many States un the U.S.A., consider the first person to register a Tartan as as restricted, the "legal owner", should some unscrupulous person decide to weave the tartan, said entities grant similar rights of a "patent holder" (albeit without "expiration"), allowing the owner whose restricted tartan was woven without his or her express written consent to litigate agaisnt the offender. This, has unfortunately has had a precedent, where a restricted tartan was registered with the SRT and someone made a reproduction in Canada and Pakistan. In said case, the owner successfully litigated and won the case on said merit, and receive a rather large monetary award, in addition of penalties and other compensation for "damages" granted by the tribunal.

It is my sincere hope that I have answered your questions to your full satisfaction.

I look forward to finishing this project of posting the photos soon, and will inform you of where to visit to view them and offer your comments, ideas and hopefully, as a professional, some constructive criticism.

Kindest regards,


Rabbi Dr. Raphael Pazo
Rabbi_Pazo
California, U.S.A.
1-209-369-0963
Yowsa, that's a spicey meat ball!