Unidirectional versus bidirectionsal pleats.

[gary meakin]

Wow.
The dancing bananas were supposed to indicate that a joke was being made.
Had I any indication of your sensitivity I would never have said anything.
Please accept my apology. I never meant to offend. Just get a laugh.

[Downunder Kilt]

I've owned a lot of Utilikits...at least 18 so far. I don't get any pleat swing or swish to speak of. My theory is its the material rather than the construction.

Nail on the head, Riverkilt

[tundramanq]

It's OK Gary I guess. It just hits like calling a kilt a skirt. Be sure to read the flammabilty post regarding the Acrylic kilt for hiking and camp fires.

Still not sure it's an all fabric issue. Dragged out my winter Sportkilt flannel comfys hoping I had not sewn the knife edges on all of them - I have. ( They loose all indication of a pleat in the wash and I was going blind repleating the Blackwatch ones - LOL) But as I recall they had good waggle before but not now.
The Leather RKilt has sewn pleat edges and good waggle, but that may be because the shear weight and pliability of the leather over rules the sewn in pleats. My leather Utilikilt is due in tomorrow - guess the first thing I will check -

[Grae]

I have worn my Kingussie kilt to sweep the drive etc and never had a problem with it indeed the kingussie pleats are in many ways more manageable than knife pleated when out and about, such as working, getting in and out of cars and generally lounging around. I do not keep wool kilts for "best", although as has been said here before "I would not change the oil in my car wearing a wool Kilt! The pleats in a Kingussie Kilt behave in a easy and practical way and do not get bunched up as knife (side) pleated kilts can. The more I think about it the more relucatant I am to part with my Graham Of Mentieth Red Kingussie I have posted in the for sale section, at risk of an unashamed plug you can see photos of wool Kingussie pleats there in the traditional 5 yard kilt style. I am a big fan of wool, I find it a hard wearing fabric, needs minimal care and I rarely find it too hot except in the height of summer, speaking of which the Kingussie kilt style I have found to be cooler than knife pleated 6 yard wool kilts, I don't know why that would be so but it is my observation.

[tundramanq]

I hearthily agree, the kingussie pleats are one of the reasons I like the Utilikilts. Everything seems to lay and behave much better with the pleats pointing to the rear center. Sweeping the pleats sitting is a natural action. Switching back and forth from these to the knife pleats keeps me a little more crazy as my right hand keeps wanting to sweep to the rear. The layout makes designing in and using the semi hidden slash side pockets a whole lot easier as well, making a sporran an optional item.
Interesting that my thin/light 100% cotton Digital Desert Camo Uk Survival kilts with sewn knives do get the most action of all the Utilikilts with the longer one getting the best of all. Your getting good pleat action is narrowing it down to the stiffer cotton poly twill and/or the sewn knife edges stiffening them. Hmm

[Pleater]

I'd say that it is the fabric rather than the pleating style - I have only one kilt which is still a Kingussie rather than a reverse Kingussie and I wear it on the hottest days as it wafts more - in a wind it unfolds and the box pleat can stream out behind.

I use fabrics which are supple enough to move either to swish or waft, and do not sew the edges of the pleats, nor do I sew down the fell. These fabrics can be quite heavy, but the weave is loose enough to allow easy movement.

I would probably not use denim for a kilt except to create one using a lightweight colourful fabric where the denim was used in strips to make the outer part of the kilt hiding the colourful inner folds.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Elf]

Another thought. I remember comments on the transition from 4yard to 8yard kilts that increased waggle was the prime motivator. How are the comparitive pleat depths? This may account for the low action of a UK as much as the pleat direction.