A New Kilt

[Nathan]

Best of luck to Rocky of USAK with his PV kilt sales, but I'm in the wool camp. This kilt heavy weight wool kilt (22oz) is over 100 years old. Here I am in photos accounting for the 21 years that it's been mine. I wore it in the military, on stage up to 4 nights a week for 6 years, in pubs, to black tie functions and it's still as good as new. Like Father Bill said, you need only worry about the moths.

So far so good.

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I used to wear it too low with the Celtic rock act, but you get the idea. It's still going strong!

[ratspike]

To be fair, I wouldn't think of a casual or semi-trad from USA Kilts to be a "lower end" kilt at all. Different from a tank, sure, but not low end. And if you're looking for something you can wear and not worry about, and throw it in the wash if you spill too much beer on it, then there's just nothing not to like IMO.

Atlanta Kilts appears to be the same kilt-shaped-objects imported from Pakistan that everyone else sells, and if that's the case I would absolutely consider them low end.

[AFS1970]

I have two kilts, one heavy weight wool and the other PV. To be fair I didn't have a choice in the PV one as I ordered it as part of a cloth order here on the forums and that order was going to be PV.

The only damage my wool kilt has suffered has been from two sources, first are moths, I have several minor holes on it, although none preclude me from wearing it. Second from my favorite sporran, which is heave and tends to rub against the apron. I noticed that there are definite signs of wear along the front as well as where the chain sits. While I have not noticed this wear on the PV kilt, I have not owned it as long as the wool one, so that may explain it a bit.

I did have one incident where I got a beer spilled on me at a bar by some idiot. It cost me enough to clean the wool kilt that I was considering a PV kilt when the cloth order came up. I have been pleasantly surprised with this kilt. It looks good, withstands whatever I seem to do to it. It is lighter weight and not as warm, but sometimes that is a good thing. Since having it, I haven't had a single thing spilled on it yet.

As for future purchases, I know that I want at least one more wool kilt, and I have been considering other PV choices as well. I have worn both in formal and informal settings and they looked good to me. I did have one person ask me what the PV one was made of as he thought it looked to light when he saw me in it. That was at a formal event and I was in a PC also. He was the only one of about 3,000 non kilted attendees at that dinner that commented about it. All the others were positive about the kilt.

[chasem]

. . .Second from my favorite sporran, which is heave and tends to rub against the apron. I noticed that there are definite signs of wear along the front as well as where the chain sits. While I have not noticed this wear on the PV kilt, I have not owned it as long as the wool one, so that may explain it a bit. . .

One of the best recommendations I ever got on this site was to drop the sporran chain for a leather strap. This cuts down significantly on the chances of wear from the sporran because chain links may have rough spots on them that can snag the wool and the leather spreads the weight out more than the chain.

[Nathan]

I've used a chain strap for years and it didn't leave so much as a burr on my kilt. I guess not all chains or wool are created equal.

[Chaps]

Thanks for the input. I appreciate the feedback and regarding the low end comment, I was commenting on price not quality. (No offense intended Rocky, also thanks for the quick turn around on the hose.) I may end up going with a wool Navy (Edsell) tartan Kilt after all.
Enjoy your weekend. It is Tartan Day here in San Diego and following some meetings at church I will be off to Balboa Park to celebrate (cilted up of course).

Cheers,

Chaps

[tripleblessed]

I would be very cautious buying from a retailer who says their acrylic wool is a better buy than "old sheep's wool"
because it is harder wearing and longer lasting. Especially in light of Nathan's post above. 100 year old acrylic?
Acrylic wool? All my kilts to date are from Rocky, PV and medium weight wool, as my nonstandard body requires
custom built, and Social Security is not the best way to acquire much heavy weight wool (working on it).

Whatever you get, enjoy.

[rmccool]

For easy care and great looks I do love my semi-trad from USAkilts. I do know how you feel about the potential of damaging a beautiful and expensive garment. For knocking about, going to the pub, USAkilts PV's are great and machine washable does lend some peace of mind.

What quincy2 said.