Who actually OWNS a Scottish hand-sewn?

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Right, my typo. I haven't found anything like what Jimmy was talking about yet, that's why I asked him to give us some product names. That way we can look for something specific.

Sorry about that guys! Been REAL busy with the new job and the gigs every weekend. The name of the stuff that REALLY works is:

WUNDAWEB (heavy duty)

You can actually iron it so well, that it will become invisible on the under-side. This makes it so that there's NO FRAYING, and the pleats aren't so THICK that you can't iron them flat. GOOD STUFF!!!

[bubba]

Looks alot like Stitch Witchery which is available easily in the US. Only sites I found for Wundaweb are in the UK. Might be the same stuff under a different name.

[Macwizzard]

I have me a 13 oz.(it gets warm here in Utah-and it was more than enough warmpth when I was in Inverness)8 yard hand-sewn kilt from Glasgow(e-kilts). It is in the Hunter of Hunterston Sett(custom weave), pleated to sett, and the kilt itself was about $450(give or take a few dollars). I got a full package at the time that ran about $1000. I love the thing to death-and wish I could wear it more. Being that I have only one, and the pretty pennys it cost me, I wear it on special occasions-so maybe twice a month.

[The Wizard of BC]

I'll stick my two cents worth in here too.
I own only one traditional kilt. It is a 16 oz. 9 yarder in the US Marine Corps Tartan. The wool is from Scotland and the maker was Scotish trained. This was part of my uniform and is used only on special occations.
I love the feel and weight of it. That swish of the pleats is unmistakable. I do feel like I'm wearing a tuxedo though. This is my full dress kilt. And I love wearing it. BUT
I can't wear it with boots or street shoes. I can't wear it with a t-shirt hiking, And heaven forbid I get it muddy.
That's why I make kilts today. I wanted that feel. I spent a lot of time getting the swish as close on my casual kilts and I could, given I wanted to be able to throw it in the washer. I also didn't want my kilts to cost $1000.00.
To make a Freedom Kilt I use a standard 2" exposed pleat. My size is adjusted by adding and subtracting pleats. For example, the CADPAT kilt I'm currently working on is for a guy with a 41" waist. That's 18 pleats and 7.21 yards or 6.59 meters of material.
This thing has swish. Even made in a stiff poly/cotton twill. it's all machine stitched with a lot of top-stitching, but that's more for the casual look and to save time than for anything else.
I just weighed it and it comes in at 2.1 lbs.
OK, it's not my beloved tartan. But what else is?

[The Wizard of BC]

Sorry, Me again.
I just re-read this entire thread. A few have voiced concerns about some kiltmakers. Shoddy product and shoddy workmanship. I don't know here else to voice those concerns but here.
As a Kilt maker I WANT those negative customer responses. If I make something which unravels or (heaven forbid) has the pleats going in the wrong direction. I WANT TO KNOW! My customers pay a hefty sum for my product and that's their hard earned money.
Anything, and I mean anything that they don't like becomes my first priority. All production stops until I make sure that problem never comes up again.
That's one of the reasons I joined this forum. To hear what's going on out there in the world and hopefully when each and everyone of you has a chance to see and wear one of my kilts I'll have one more place to hear and get feedback. Critisizm, BRING IT ON!!!
OOPS, I think I just stole the thread. Sorry. [/u]

[Hal]

Greetings!
I have an 8 yard, 13 oz handsewn traditional (made by Alexis Malcom), and a Utilikilt workman's. Both have their place, of course...But they ain't the same!

As an example, I wouldn't wear my handsewn on a backpacking trip (I think that's "hillwalking" with an overnight stay, to some of you! ) The Utilikilt is just "better suited", I think.

OTOH, I never liked to "get dressed up", wear a (gasp) suit or tie, etc. BUT...

Since wearing my traditional kilt for the first time, I'm amazed at how often I actually "prefer" to take things "up a small notch" as an excuse to wear it. I've started to hear things from my fiance, such as, "You're not getting "all dressd up" are you? I was going to wear jeans..." <LOL>

Like anything else, you usually get what you pay fior...And the quality shows. With a nod to the wonderful folks at utilikilt, that goes both ways...Their product would be a deal at twice the price! Sadly, until a nice kilt is cheaper than a pair of 501'a (I wish!) We'll probabblty remain a small group of devotees. Oh well. "Their" loss!

[Jimmy Carbomb]

It's GREAT to see relative newbies to the board that actually own and appreciate the differences in the modern "kilts" and the real traditionals!

AGAIN...

This thread is primarily for those that do not own a REAL TRADITIONAL. It's an information base for them to read, and consider the differences. Just because a kilt company says that it's "traditional" does NOT mean that it is. Look for the specs that everyone's stating, look for the sway, look for the quality, look for the uniformity, and look at the overall presentation. THAT's a "Traditional".

Thanks guys! You've helped to make this thread a GREAT informational piece!!! Now... if only some folks would read and absorb it!

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Let me also reiterate, that this is a message board and a kilted community... NOT A ROADSIDE BILLBOARD.

If any kiltmakers would like to get their products out and seen by this community, then please PAY HANK THE MEAGER ADVERTISING DUES... SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, AND BUY AN AD.

Answering questions is more than fine, as all kiltmakers are encouraged to do just that. In fact, we like to examine and critique kilts... but on OUR terms. Thanks.

[bubba]

When I tossed out my thoughts on the catagories I had traditional style in mind for this one. However, if it's got to be narrowed doen to a particular fabric sewn a particular way in a particular place we're talking way out of my price range which essentially means this catagory isn't for me and I won't bother reading it. Probably a few others in the same boat. By the developing definition I could make one identical to any of them but not being made by a Scottish kiltmaker means it isn't traditional. It think it's beginning to head for a bit too narrow a definition.

[zeytoun]

It all comes down to how it is decided to divide the forums, and what we mean when we use the word "traditional".

One thing to note is that even the high-end highlander wear stores call their hand sewn, 4-yard, wool kilts "casual kilts".

Perhaps it is the names of the two forums, one being "traditional" and the other being "contemporary/non-traditional" that sparks the problem.

We could change the name of the "traditional" forum to "tartan kilts",
or we could have three kilt forums: "contemporary/non-traditional" (referring to solids and camo-kilts), "traditional" (meaning totally traditional), and something like "tartan casuals" (referring to tartan kilts that are not ultra-traditional, i.e. wool breacan's and pv kilts)