"Military Type" kilt on eBay

[Calico]

As do many here (I think) I look at eBay quite a bit. There is a kilt on there for a couple more days that says it is "military type". I'm trying to figure out just what it is.

It says 16oz, which contradicts the military which I would expect to be 18-20oz. It also says "felted (soft) wool" which seems really odd for kilt material.

Any idea what we are seeing here? Oh, and any idea what the tartan is?

Thanks

[Whidbey78]

Looking at it's length, straps and pleating I doubt it is a military-surplus kilt. It's not really military style. I think it may just be the seller's way of calling attention to it, or they are misinformed.

As for being felted vs worsted wool, it could be a case of someone not knowing what one or both of the terms mean, or thinking they are interchangeable. It very well could be felted, but I can't tell from the pics. I'm using a laptop with an 11 inch screen, so they only get so big. But they aren't closeups either, which would help in identifying the material.

As for the tartan, I don't recognize it, but that doesn't mean it's a MacWalmart, just that I'm not familiar with it.

Unless I know for sure what I'm looking at I don't buy from ebay if the seller's description doesn't seem correct or logical, or is too vague. But that's just me. At the price they're asking I don't think I'd chance it unless you contact the seller and get some details, and those details "feel" right.

[chrisupyonder]

Looking at it's length, straps and pleating I doubt it is a military-surplus kilt. It's not really military style. I think it may just be the seller's way of calling attention to it, or they are misinformed.

As for being felted vs worsted wool, it could be a case of someone not knowing what one or both of the terms mean, or thinking they are interchangeable. It very well could be felted, but I can't tell from the pics. I'm using a laptop with an 11 inch screen, so they only get so big. But they aren't closeups either, which would help in identifying the material.

As for the tartan, I don't recognize it, but that doesn't mean it's a MacWalmart, just that I'm not familiar with it.

Unless I know for sure what I'm looking at I don't buy from ebay if the seller's description doesn't seem correct or logical, or is too vague. But that's just me. At the price they're asking I don't think I'd chance it unless you contact the seller and get some details, and those details "feel" right.

MacWalmart / MacLidl. Looks about the same as they sell over here for £19.99 UK Pounds. Would not touch it with a barge pole at the price he asking.

[kilt4beer]

It might be the deal of the century. Or it might be a complete pile of (fill in the blank).

RE: the tartan. It looks completely different in the pic with the sgian dubh. The flashes look pink, so perhaps that lighter color stripe is pink - if that's the case (not that there's anything wrong with pink) I don't think it would be a very attractive kilt. But I think the pictures are not doing it justice. I think the flash was too bright in the one shot and overexposed the colors. In another shot it's too dark and the colors can't be seen -- so, mystery kilt. Who spends $600 (seller claims it's a $600 kilt) and doesn;t know what the tartan is?

RE: price. I have a personal pet peave. I quote the ebay comments, "This is a $600 ... kilt." -- NO it is NOT a $600 kilt!!!! If it WAS a $600 kilt, you'd be selling it for $600. Value and price are not always the same. Someone may have paid $600 for this particular kilt and I'm not disputing that. But, once the price drops to accepting a $99 offer it becomes (by definition) a $99 kilt.

RE: Lack of label. There is no label in the place where the label should be. This just makes me raise my eyebrow and go, "hmmmm". If the label was removed, was that done to obscure what the country of origin is, the type of material used (acrylic?), was it done to hide the fact that this is a sub-par manufacturer? OR, was this hand made by a little old Scottish Grandmother 50 years ago and is the most awesome kilt ever. Without either a label or the kilt in your hand - it's a crap shoot.

RE: The seller's general kilt knowledge. He spelled sgian dubh "sgain dub". And, as already pointed out - there are other "inconsitencies" in the description that betray the seller's lack of kilt knowledge. So, I would take any descriptive information with a grain of salt.

Basically, there are too many great kilts at great prices from manufacturers that are expert kilt makers to risk getting a poor quality kilt at what could be a high price.

I'd stay away personally. But, that's just me.

[OC Richard]

That tartan looks vaguely familiar but I can't place it, perhaps one of the Irish county tartans.

From those photos I can't tell if it's a man's kilt or simply a woman's kilt skirt. People on Ebay often don't know what they're selling and many a skirt has been listed as a kilt.

There are many genuine MOD kilts being sold on Ebay all the time such as RRS kilts and all the kilts Bugpiper sells. He has both ex-MOD kilts and new kilts made by MOD kiltmakers which are identical to actual MOD kilts.

Military kilts have grass-green binding around the top, are pleated to the stripe, lack belt loops, and usually lack fringe. They usually have a different style of buckle than civilian kilts, with two prongs.

[Whidbey78]

RE: price. I have a personal pet peave. I quote the ebay comments, "This is a $600 ... kilt." -- NO it is NOT a $600 kilt!!!! If it WAS a $600 kilt, you'd be selling it for $600. Value and price are not always the same. Someone may have paid $600 for this particular kilt and I'm not disputing that. But, once the price drops to accepting a $99 offer it becomes (by definition) a $99 kilt.

People often think that something is worth "X" because that's what they paid for it. I watch Pawn Stars and I always get a good laugh at the people who bring in fake baseball cards and argue with the guy that they can't be fake because they paid "X" for them 25 years ago. No...you paid through the nose for a fake 25 years ago. Time and price make it no more legitimate.

[SlackerDrummer]

It is a kilt. No woman's skirt would have a) big honking buckles and straps like that or b) giant beltloops in the back. But the reason you can't put your finger on the "tartan" is because it isn't one. It's what we in the States call plaid. The warp and weft are not the same.

[Paul Henry]

It is a kilt. No woman's skirt would have a) big honking buckles and straps like that or b) giant beltloops in the back. But the reason you can't put your finger on the "tartan" is because it isn't one. It's what we in the States call plaid. The warp and weft are not the same.

in the third picture it does look like the warp and weft are the same.

[SlackerDrummer]

in the third picture it does look like the warp and weft are the same.

The third picture is the pleated backside and a little difficult to discern one way or another, but if you look at the aprons - which can be seen clearly in the middle picture - the horizontal lines are a muted version of the vertical lines. While this may be tartan in theory, it is not in practice. This is one common way plaids are done.

EDIT: You may be right, Paul. I just looked at it on another monitor and it could be they are the same. On my laptop, they look different, but it could be a combination of their lighting and my screen.

[Schiehallion]

If that's a military kilt... then I am a Major General !