Kilt Weight: Heavy versus Medium

[macwilkin]

My first kilt was a 20oz Canadian Army surplus kilt (Black Watch of Canada), and it was a HORSE BLANKET, but with good reason -- the military has to make 'em that sturdy to withstand the rigours of soldiering, and to last from squaddie to squaddie. It was murder in the summer here in SW Missouri.

My Hector Russell kilt is 13oz, and it is comfortable for both summer and winter.

Cheers!

T.

[David Woodington]

Episcopalscot will you please tell me where you found the 20 oz kilt,and could you post a pic on your gallery.I would really like to see it.


Thanks Dave

[Xcop]

Thanks Mychael,

That was very well done. We all appreciate that info because many have wondered.

David

[Rhino]

Good post Mychael but if I could add that how comfortable you are also depends on your personal tolerance to temperature. If the temp was 70F a wool kilt of any weight would be almost too much for me, as soon as the temp rises I grab my cotton and even then suffer at times.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers Rhino

[Hamish]

Congratulations Mychael on your very worthy and comprehensive assessment.

I have to agree with our good friend Rhino, however, as I have never really got very excited about the fabric weight of my kilts. Maybe I am lucky (and unusual) in that I can generally wear cotton in the winter and wool in the summer - not that I necessarily do, but I can and yet remain comfortable.

The truly finest feature of the heavier weights is, of course, the "swing factor" of the pleats - the heavier the fabric and the more there is of it, the better the swing!

Just my fivepennyworth.

[macwilkin]

Alas, David, I do not have the kilt anymore...being a "growing boy" , I had to buy another kilt, so I sold it to one of my history professors at university, who still wears it -- looks better on him. I'll see if I can find a picture of him and post it.

I bought it from a friend of mine who was a fellow British Army reenactor for -- are you sitting down? -- $80.00 8) ! He was selling it for a woman whose husband recently died. It was a Glasgow-made kilt.

Cheers!

T.

[Mychael Sporrano]

Good post Mychael but if I could add that how comfortable you are also depends on your personal tolerance to temperature. If the temp was 70F a wool kilt of any weight would be almost too much for me, as soon as the temp rises I grab my cotton and even then suffer at times.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers Rhino

Yes, good point. Varying personal tolerance is definitely a factor here. When I was a kid I wore shorts everywhere, all year. Pennsylvania winters frequently see temps in the teens Fahrenheit (-10c or so), with lots of wind and snow. It never bothered me much, and still really doesn't. I also worked in a forge where we manufactured ball joints for cars. In the winter your front-side would be burning from facing the blast furnaces while fans pulling in freezing air from open overhead doors would freeze your back-side. Summer temps were unreal in such a place. After awhile you learn to ignore the temperature to a certain degree (pun intended), and I suppose that is something that I have brought along to my kilt wearing.

I see mention of kilts of Canadian military issue. I know that I should be more knowledgeable about my neighbors to the north, but does this mean that the Canadian armed forces are, or were, a kilted force? Is, or was, this primarily for reasons of ceremony?

Mychael

[macwilkin]

Mychael -- see these articles:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Heritage/F...ry_Canada.html

http://www.btinternet.com/~james.mckay/na003.htm

There is a long tradition of Highland Regiments in Canada, since so many Scots immigrated there since 1700's. In addition, the Royal Canadian Air Force and other Army regiments, such as the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (The Patricias), who recently served in Afganistan, maintain pipe bands.

Australia, New Zealand & South Africa also still have some Highland Regiments.

Cheers!

T.

[mkmound]

My first kilt was a 20oz Canadian Army surplus kilt (Black Watch of Canada), and it was a HORSE BLANKET, but with good reason -- the military has to make 'em that sturdy to withstand the rigours of soldiering, and to last from squaddie to squaddie. It was murder in the summer here in SW Missouri.

My first kilt is also a Canadian regimental surplus (also Black Watch) . . . I think it's rated at 22 oz. I got it after I started doing Scottish Country Dance, and I was looking for an economical alternative to a custom-made kilt (several years ago, before we had all the choice of casual kiltmakers that we do today). Obviously, the Scots instinct for bargains must be deeply inbred . . .

One of my first performances with the SCD group was for the Texas State Fair, which runs from mid-September to mid-October (in Dallas -- north Texas). Late September can still be rather hot, and we usually get assigned to an outdoor venue -- a "dancing" surface laid on top of concrete on a plaza in front of one of the buildings. I recall that that day was around 100 °F (around 38 °C), and concrete being the excellent thermal mass that it is . . . Nothing like dancing in a horseblanket! Needless to say, the whole top portion of the kilt was soaked!!!

For those interested, I got the Black Watch from "What Price Glory", which is a US and British militaria site. Jerry Lee is a very good vendor to deal with. http://whatpriceglory.com/index.htm

Regards,
Mark

[Colin]

I am glad that this subject came up. I have been thinking about getting a traditional Scottish kilt, and was wondering about the difference in weight. Thanks Mychael for your input and opinions. I will consider those if I end up going the traditional route.