leather kilts

[Canuck]

rob,you refer to a tank, I hear that word used a lot to describe a kilt? what does it mean?
a sturdy 8yrd kilt?

Yep

[phil h]

nothing is more of a tank than a leather rkilt.
it feels bulletproof.sturdy is an understatement

[Hamish]

.................................................. ............. Has anyone had any experience or heard anything about this outfit in Britain call Union Kilts which specializes in leather? From the photos on their site, the product looks good and the price is reasonable. - Cheers- Alan

I have Alan, and I've just posted about them (with a photo) in the previous section under the 'Tariff Changes' thread.

[caig]

I have just returned home from a trip to Edinburgh. Went to a "ceilidh" which was in facty more line dancing than anything else, so I was a little disappointed.

However, I wore my new leatherette kilt from Geoffrey (Tailor) in Edinburgh, and it behaved very well. Good swing. But was it cold ! Just walking through very windy and bitterly cold Edinburgh streets, it was very noticeably colder than a wool kilt. And standing in a taxi queue for an hour at 2.00am nearly froze my bits off !

Are than any experiences of of (genuine)leather kilts in cold weather ? Are they warm ?

Cheers guys

[Kiltbear]

I wear one every day and my bits are still intact (well last time I checked anyways)I also have a pvc/leatherette thing which I never wear cos the pleats stick after you have sat down and I got tired of the constant smoothing down, checking to make sure my bum wasnt on display etc etc. My leather ones are definitely much much warmer

[Riverkilt]

I only have one leather, a Utilikilts brown. Its heavy, think they said its made out of the same leather as baseball mitts.

Have worn it outdoors a lot in cold weather, windy rain, snow, and its kept me quite warm. Maybe a heavier leather that's able to hold some heat. I notice its very warm when I take it off.

Have a saffron leather RKilt in the works. The leather swatch seems just a bit thinner than the UK kilt leather, but that's okay by me for Arizona summer heat.

Ron

[Hamish]

.................................................. ....................
However, I wore my new leatherette kilt from Geoffrey (Tailor) in Edinburgh, and it behaved very well. Good swing. But was it cold ! Just walking through very windy and bitterly cold Edinburgh streets, it was very noticeably colder than a wool kilt. And standing in a taxi queue for an hour at 2.00am nearly froze my bits off !

Are than any experiences of of (genuine)leather kilts in cold weather ? Are they warm ?

Cheers guys

Well, 'pon my soul, if it ain't that young Mr. Caig hagain! 'ow are ye doin', young fellermelad?

I've had two of the TFCK PVC (imitation leather) kilts for a couple of years - one black and one brown - which I wear VERY often, summer and winter. The check-out ladies at Tescos just love 'em, and they are likely to attract more comments than any of my tartan or plain kilts. Yes, they do tend to be not as warm as woollen kilts in the colder weather but I am prepared to put up with that discomfort!

In January 2003 I acquired the very first all-leather Utilikilt, which weighs a ton, is fabulous to wear and which is noticeably warmer than the PVC - possibly due to the suede-like inner surface of the leather being next to the skin.

In November 2004, a 'Heavy' all-leather kilt came my way from Union Kilts. This is in a slightly unconventional design and was something of a prototype. Like the Utilikilt, it was quite warm and comfortable to wear.

Last week, I took delivery of another 'Heavy' kilt from Union Kilts which incorporated some modifications as a result of my comments on the first one. Also, from Union Kilts, I received one of their 'Light' leather kilts - which many would not accept as being a kilt at all. It looks like a kilt when the wearer stands still, but when walking it becomes obvious that the 'pleats' are in fact overlapping wide leather strips, stitched down only to just below the hip! This is most definitely not a warm kilt in winter, but could be deliciously cool in summer. Whether I actually have the nerve to wear it in public remains to be seen - but it is a great item to have in my Kilt Kollection! This one actually looks like it might have been worn in the making of 'Troy' - the film. If it comes around again, I'll wear it to the cinema!!

Finally on this subject: on Saturday, I took delivery of my long-awaited 6 yard, full-leather kilt from TFCK. I really wore it for the first time today, when out to a smart hotel lunch with some neighbours. (I teamed it with my grey tweed Argyll jacket, beige hose and shirt, black brogue shoes and my Gunn tartan tie). Whilst the wind was absolutely bitter and biting and my hands and face were cold, I was 'toasty warm' inside that fabulous, fabulous kilt. That kilt is the most expensive I have ever bought, or am ever likely to(!), but it is worth every penny.

Photos of these new leather kilts are on pages 7 & 8 of my Photo Album at IMFF.net - link below.

I'll be posting a more detailed report on them when I have worn them a little more.

Take care,
Ham.
(PS: Alan, I'd imagine the Union Kilts' Light leather kilt would go down well at one of your Edinburgh Ceilidhs - although perhaps not on a Line Dancing night! )