Strathmore Woolen Company

[mookien]

Kathy Lare recently sewed an 8 yd. kilt for me from Strathmore's W60 (medium weight) cloth in the Strathtummel tartan. It is a beautiful kilt in an elegant tartan. One of these days I will even post a picture of it.

As paulhenry writes, it is difficult to get heavyweight cloth from Strathmore unless they happen to have some lying around (it never hurts to ask) or you are willing to purchase at least 50 meters. I would have preferred heavy weight cloth, but in that tartan medium weight is fine with me. I will use it as a warmer-weather kilt.

[TheOfficialBren]

Excellent! I much prefer deep, rich colours over bright colours so I find that appealing. Also, I live in Southern California and the summers here are quite hot. I would like a nice wool kilt in my clan's tartan (Shaw) but 16oz seems a bit too heavy for wear here, although some say otherwise. I get a bit warm in P/V on hot days so heavy wool is right out, I think.

I'm thinking a medium weight four yard box pleat would be good.

As to the hand, is softer or harder tartan generally preferred? I know that this is mostly personal preference but I'd like to sound out the rabble.

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts. Keep 'em coming!
:-)

[mookien]

To my knowledge, which isn't very extensive, the only mill that provides "hard tartan" ie not finished is Dalgliesh, though only on specific request. Matt sewed a 6 yd. Douglas Reproduction kilt in hard tartan for me. It is one of my favorites - makes me feel like one of Angus Og's caterans, ... in a Douglas kilt!

I liked the idea of having a kilt made the way they made them in the "good old days", and just for variety. The reality is a bit less dramatic. The main difference that I can tell is that if you rub your hand across the hard tartan it feels a bit coarser than finished tartan, but not rough by any means.

Also, each mill's cloth seems to produce a noticeable difference in the feel of the cloth (the "hand", I suppose) from the other mills. I can tell the difference when side by side, but I couldn't tell you which was which in a blind test. They all feel pretty smooth and supple to me.

The only cloth I might be able to distinguish from feel alone is HoE's Regimental tartan. It has a distinct fuzzy texture. It may be something like Matt's "teasle raised" tartans, but never having felt that cloth, I can't say for sure.

[Tartan Tess]

Like Bonnie said, these guys are on the ball to help you and get your order to you FAST!
I like their tartan very much.

[Barb T]

I don't order very often from Strathmore because I typically make kilts in heavy weight, which is something they don't stock, as others have pointed out. I have made a couple kilts out of their lightweight T7 11 oz fabric, and I have to say that I felt that it made a pretty "flippy" kilt. Dalgliesh's lightweight tartan (11-12 oz) is, to my taste, a better option for lightweight tartan. Although it's listed as essentially the same weight, I find it feels heavier and swings better in a kilt than the lightweight tartan from other mills. Just personal preference.

I'll also weigh in on medium weight for a 4-yard box pleat kilt. Personally, I think box pleat kilts are better made in heavy weight. They have only about 1/3 of the tartan in the back of the kilt that a trad 8-yard kilt has, and the heavier tartan gives some weight for swing without being too hot or heavy. Medium weight for a 4-yard box pleat kilt can be a bit skirt-like. Again, my preference, not the law!

[ForresterModern]

Both my Forrester tartan kilts are Strathmore material, the Modern in their standard W60 12-13oz material while the Hunting is in their special order W100 15-16oz material. Their fabric is as good as any of the other top mills IMHO, with the bonus that they tend to have the best true kilting selvedge (again IMHO) only rivaled by some Dalgleish, some HoE, and some Lochcarron, but Strathmores is consistently good. Their colors are rich and vibrant without being harsh or comically bright or fluorescent. Although I have only bought their cloth through other middlemen, they have always had my tartan in stock when ordered and shipped promptly, even upgrading me from my ordered 13 oz Forrester Hunting tartan to their heavyweight 16 oz version when they discovered their stocks of the 13 oz were insufficient and they had the usually only custom woven to order heavyweight in stock---surprise bonus at no extra cost, and they even sent a letter of apology becase it was not precisely what I ordered. My only truck with them is, as others have said, that their standard stock tartans are almost all only in 13 oz with the 16 oz usually requiring a special order or extremely good luck/divine providence as I encountered.

[TheOfficialBren]

Thank you, everyone, for your input.

Barb, I was considering 13oz no matter the mill because I find thag even P/V can be a bit warm for me (and it's only 11oz) and my desiredntartan (Shaw Modern) is not woven in P/V. Also, I am concerned about high-yardage in the Southern California heat.

Any thoughts?

[Barb T]

Strathmore's medium weight tartan is great. The only caveat for your particular situation is the one I mentioned about medium weight tartan and box pleated kilts.

As all y'all no doubt are aware, different mills kind of "specialize" - Lochcarron has the hugest selection of 16 oz stock tartan, Dalgliesh has the hugest selection of dance tartans, HoE is known for their medium weight tartan and Irish County tartans, etc. etc. It helps them each keep a corner on part of the market.

[fluter]

I suspect (speaking from my vantage point over here at latitude 34) that you'll find any of the good wool fabrics to breathe better than the Marton Mills PV.

I get plenty of mileage from my USAK semi-trads, but I also wear an 8 yard 13-ounce kilt year round. With either fabric, the only area that ever gets hot is the waist. The rest has built-in ventilation.

You will hear the experts recommend heavier wool for lower-yardage kilts, especially in the 4 yard box pleat variety.

If you're determined to get 13-ounce (which is still very nice fabric), consider a 5 yard knife pleat like the extremely popular USAK 5 yard.

Disclaimer: I grew up in this area, where humidity ranges from nice to unspeakable---it was 85F yesterday. I do not fear The Wool. Wool garments breathe, and they wick the moisture like no one's business. Ounce for ounce, wool is cooler than cotton, PV, or almost anything except lightweight linen. Your personal thermostat may differ, but I say: Embrace the wool.

Oh yeah, also I'm a little opinionated.

[AJBryant]

My tank -- which I still can't wear right now due to years of munching, but soon shall again due to months of dieting -- is a gorgeous 13 oz MacDuff red from Strathmore. LOVE the thing.