Four-yard, box pleated kilts

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Well, the weight of the cloth tells you how much a linear yard of the material weighs. But that's all. There are other factors to consider, other differences between wool and cotton, for example.

Now, I have not seen their cotton in person, but I have seen kilts made out of cotton and even the good looking ones do not look as nice as a comparable weight worsted wool. I'd take a light weight wool kilt over a heavy weight cotton kilt in terms of general appearance.

A 10 or 11 oz worsted wool will make a fine kilt, if you are talking about an eight-yard knife pleated kilt. But I would not use anything lighter than a 13 oz for a four yard kilt, whether knife or box pleated. I've seen them. They look more like skirts, just because the material isn't heavy enough to have a masculine hang to it. It just doesn't look like a kilt. With the deeper pleats and extra cloth of an eight yard kilt, this doesn't make as much of a difference, and a light kilt weight is fine.

I guess what it boils down to is experience. I've seen four yard kilts made from light weight cloth. They look great -- on women. But they just sub-standard when it comes to a man's kilt, and that's why I don't offer them.

(Though if any lady out there wants a box-pleated kilt skirt, I'd be glad to make one for you).
Aye,
Matt

[Doc Hudson]

Thanks Matt.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.

Doc

[Satirist]

I kind of like the look of their Oarsman kilts, though. Anyone who owns one want to let us know how they look and hang?

I have one in khaki and it's one of my favorite kilts. Although I have no "traditional" kilts, these look and hang better than a UK. The Orsman doesn't have the "snap on" apron, or the cargo pockets. They do have back pockets which is where I'm used to carrying my wallet anyway.

[Freedomlover]

Mr. Newsome,

Is the museum you manage the one in Franklin? If it is, you have done an excellent job with it. The last time I was over there was for the games a couple years ago. The museum had moved from a stand alone building to the basement of a store. I was wondering why the change?

Anyway, it was there that I saw the very old box pleated kilt on display, and liked it right off.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Yup, that is our museum. Thanks for the kudos.

The museum first opened up in Highlands, NC, in 1988. At the time we were a one-room museum gallery with no gift shop to speak of. After a few years, we moved to Franklin, into the Burrell building, that you spoke of. The original intent was for the entire building to be used to house the Scottish Tartans Museum, but because it was town property, and politics being what they are, in the end the Police department was assigned to the lower floor of the building, the museum was able to use half of the upper level, with the other half of the upper level being used for meeting space (that the museum did get to use when needed). In other words, though our space was greater than what we had in Highlands, it was still not as large as we needed (we had 2400 square feet). That was 1994.

So in 1999 we relocated again. Space opened up in the building across the street from us -- an historic downtown building, about 120 years old or so. We were able to get space in two floors of this building, giving us 4800 square feet. The upstairs store front we used for our newly expanded gift shop (easily four times larger than our previous gift shop). The level below the gift shop we used for our museum gallery. And we also had the space beneath the shop next to ours, which we use for offices and storage.

Anyway, there you have a little mini-history of the museum. Hope to see you next time you are in the area!
Matt

[Freedomlover]

I will make it a point to look you up pretty soon. I'm only an hour or so away, in Canton.

[Kid Cossack]

From what little acorns do mighty oaks grow . . . here, oh my brothers, is the genesis of the "Box Pleated Manufactory" that torments us to this day!

[Tattoo Bradley]

How neat!

[Don Patrick]

Ok, gang. I'm jumping into the kilt makers pool and am now offering my services to make traditional four-yard, box pleated kilts.

The original tailored kilts of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century all contained about four yards of cloth and were box pleated.

This style dissapeared later in the nineteenth century, as knife pleated kilts became popular and yardage increased. In 1983, they were made again for the first time by kilt maker and kilt historian Bob Martin.

Since that time, only a few individual kilt makers have been offering this style of kilt, mostly those trained by Bob. Now I'm happy to count myself among their numbers.

Check out my site for more details.
http://kilts.albanach.org

I'm doing this as a side business to help support my (growing) family. Since this is a new endeavor, to get the ball rolling, I'm going to offer a whopping $100 discount to the first order I take. The next three orders after that will get $50 off the price.

I might be interested in a Lamont or Gray. I've never worn a tartan, but I'm beginning to think about the prospect. Though judging from the posts PV rahter than wool seems to be the most popular.

[MacWage]

NOTE:
The original post date. (Feb. 2005)

Also, Matt pretty much ONLY uses 16 oz worsted wool.

I, myself, am a HUGE fan of wool, as are a number of other frequent posters.

(Also, I live in the hot, humid South (US South), and find 16 oz worsted wool box pleat kilts to be COOLER than shorts and MUCH cooler than jeans in the summer.)

Matt does EXCELLENT quality and would HIGHLY recommend him.

I make my own box pleats and, thus far, am not taking orders (to many still to make for myself).
I am thinking of SELLING the ONLY knife pleat I ever made (5 yard saxony wool-> my first attempt). I LOVE the box pleats SO much more.

Box Pleated Evangelist,