Quality of a Tank vs other kilts

[Barb T]

A well-made trad kilt is designed to be worn and will last really well if you take care of it. Case in point - our pipe major probably does at least two gigs a weekend in addition to all the band stuff we do all summer. He's had his kilt for about 15 years, and the only sign of age is that the kilt has faded some from exposure to sunlight (a hazard with red tartans). Other than that, the stitching is still good, the pleats still look great, etc. He does take good care of it (i.e., doesn't pack it away damp so that it mildews), and he wears a leather sporran strap instead of chain, which is crucial.

And, as an aside, a 16 oz tank rarely needs pressing if you don't wad the kilt up into a ball.

[Tattoo Bradley]

He's had his kilt for about 15 years, and the only sign of age is that the kilt has faded some from exposure to sunlight (a hazard with red tartans).

It's a TRUE weathered tartan now.

[sharpdressedscot]

How long does it take to weather? I've been wearing my Wallace for about over 2 years now and there no fading... maybe I'm just lucky!

[Riverkilt]

Congrats on taking the plunge.

I wore one of my hand sewn kilts, the Royal Air Force tartan 16 ounce Strathmore Mills kilt to work yesterday...work included time in court. I wear my hand sewn kilts to work a lot. Also wear them out to dinner, and since smoking in dance places has been banned in Arizona, I wear them dancing. I wear them hiking.

I believe they were made to be worn, so I do.

Only place I still don't wear them is boating (visions of Natalie Wood drowning in her fur coat) and in the forest. Don't wanna get any pitch on them.....well okay, wouldn't hike in them in cactus country either.

I just brush them off after each wearing, like I used to do with wool suits back when. Let them hang out or if I've managed to put a bit of a crease in the pleats hit them with a quick blast from the Black and Decker Gizmo and all is well.

As my kilt addiction has merged with Kathy Lare's craftsmanship and I now have nine of her hand sewn kilts and a Celtic Croft I find that when I'm choosing a kilt for the day or an event I select a hand sewn. My guess is that's about having a choice of tartans in hand sewn kilts and wanting to look nice. Different than deciding to wear the one hand sewn in the closet.

So the more hand sewn kilts you buy, the more you'll wear them.

That's also a good way to reduce the wear and tear. Buy a bunch and rotate them.

Ron

[The Wizard of BC]

As your reading the responses your getting about the hardiness of a Tank Please read carefully.
I will also say the same thing but I'll make it obvious.
A well made, Hand sewn, kilt from a good quality will last and continue to look good for a very long time, [SIZE=5][COLOR=Red]IF WELL TAKEN CARE OF!!
[COLOR=Black][SIZE=3]You do not subject it to the abuse you would a pair of jeans!
You do hang it up properly each and every time you take it off!
You do clean the kilt when needed!
You do take care not to tear or rip it!
You do take care not to stain it!

If you are going to spend $600.00 on a garment, then treat it like it costs $600.00.

I'm pretty rough on clothing so my Tewksbury Tank is for those times when I want to wear it. When I want to look like I'm wearing the best garment I own. For those other times I use a lesser quality kilt.

[Barb T]

How long does it take to weather? I've been wearing my Wallace for about over 2 years now and there no fading... maybe I'm just lucky!

The real issue with red tartan is sunlight (red dye tends to fade more easily than other colors).

How long does it take to see noticeable fading? Well, think about where Jim wears his kilt. All of our parades are outside, and each parade is a good 3 hours out in the sun, what with warm-up and all. Competitions at games have even more sun exposure, because we wear our kilts in and out of the sun from before massed bands at noon until after massed bands in the evening. Neither of these is typical of most people who wear kilts, except maybe Ron who wears his kilts out hiking and stuff. I wouldn't expect to see your Wallace kilt show fading for years and years unless you're wearing it a couple days a week in the sun for long periods of time.

And, of course, it doesn't look like "weathered" tartan. It's still plenty red. But it is noticeably faded compared to our more recently made kilts, as are ones belonging to some of our other long-time band members.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that, if you want to air your kilt, don't hang it outside on the line in the sun.

[Roan Carter]

If people are that worried about the things they should just invest in a military kilt. They're probably even more durable, certainly cheaper, and usually really well made.

[ardchoille]

I own 7 tanks from The Scotland Yard with the first one being purchased in 2002 - I stopped wearing pants in 2003. I have played rugby in that tank, I've swam in it, slept in it, done gardening in it, it's been dry cleaned a few times, hand washed a number of times, and ironed many times (I wanted to see exactly how well it held up). Today, 6 years later, after abusing the poor thing, that tank looks good enough to wear to a wedding.

Yes, tanks are expensive, there's a great deal of craftsmanship put into each one, but if you take care of them they really will last a lifetime and it's no surprise that the kilt, as a garment, has managed to survive all these years..

I've owned a couple of "non-tank" kilts and they are great for their purpose.

[Nick the DSM]

thier is no comparison!

well, i dunno. i only have a SK.

[Ryan Ross]

If you want to know about what a tank can take, talk to Bob Martin. Apparently, Bob (during his landscape painting, as I recall) used to end up with oil paint on his kilts... I'm guessing it might have been a regular occurance. He handled the sittuation by using paint thinner to remove the paint. He followed this treatment with a quick hand wash, and there was no sign that anything had ever happened. Yes, Scottish worsted wool is the fabric of the gods.

As for my tank, it's 6 years old and has seen it all. It's just barely faded, but you couldn't tell unless you had seen the kilt when it was new. I've always washed it by hand. I've pressed it dozens of times, just because I like a nice sharp pleat. It really doesn't show signs of wear. Same with my Newsome box pleat. It's only been around for 5 years, but none the less, it's just as good (better?) now as it was when I got it.

Don't hesitate to wear your tank. Take good care of it and it'll take good care of you.