What Price Glory: Where Do They Get Their Tartan From?

[Alexander Good]

Thanks MacWage,

I'm pretty sure we looked into those guys and nixed 'em from
the list, though to be honest, I can't remember why. It might've
been that their tartan was too light at the time we contacted them.
I'll have to give them a holler again. Still, I suspect they won't be able
to hook me up with, at the very least, period colours, let alone in a
period pattern. But hope springs eternal, so it doesn't hurt to ask.

Given the rave reviews I've read about WPG's kilts in the archived
threads though, it sounds like that's the best way to go all-round for
heavy weight tartan. My experience with Indian and Pakistani vendors
has been that, if you give them exacting specifications, and samples of
what you want, they'll usually come through for you. It's when you're
vague that bad things start to happen.

Thanks again,

Alex

[MacWage]

What do you mean by "period colors?" I've heard that term used by several people in VASTLY different ways.

[James MacMillan]

It's must be like:

"I want these colors - period!"

[Riverkilt]

Jerry at What Price Glory is a cool guy, a retired colonel in the Army or something. Give him a call or an email...he'll tell you straight.

I have three of his replica battlejackets - they go great with kilts but used them to replicate my father and uncle's various uniforms in War 2.

Call and ask.

Ron

[Alexander Good]

An update to my tartan saga.

Still waiting for my tartan from Pakistan. It's taking longer than
I expected, and I'm hoping the stuff will ship in the next week or
so. I hope to have a report on the stuff fairly soon, and will post
info and pics when I can.

I finally emailed Jerry about where he gets his tartan from, as I'm
not very pleased at how long it's taken to get this current batch
woven. Jerry pretty much blew me off, which surprised me given
what everyone's said about him. Apparently his tartan source is a
state secret, and he thinks I'm Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants,
trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Or something.

Take care all.

Alex

Jerry at What Price Glory is a cool guy, a retired colonel in the Army or something. Give him a call or an email...he'll tell you straight.

I have three of his replica battlejackets - they go great with kilts but used them to replicate my father and uncle's various uniforms in War 2.

Call and ask.

Ron

[bear]

... Jerry pretty much blew me off, which surprised me given
what everyone's said about him. Apparently his tartan source is a
state secret, and he thinks I'm Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants,
trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Or something.

Take care all.

Alex

Good for Jerry!
If it got out where What Price Glory got its 22oz tartan, within 2 weeks there would be half a dozen kiltmakers selling 22oz kilts at reduced prices.
What Price Glory is the only other kilt vendor from whom I've seriously considered buying a kilt. (Though RKilts' saffron leather kilts keep calling my name!) Jerry has a unique product that fits his company's theme and he has, I'm sure, invested a fair bit of cash to develop that unique product.
Why would he just volunteer the information to strangers? Or anyone?
When I first found poly viscose back in 2004, I made that very mistake. I gave a free kilt to a customer for the info regarding Marton Mills, so I didn't lose much initial investment but I might have been the only poly viscose kiltmaker for another year or so if I hadn't given the info away and that did cost me a fair bit.
But what I lost would be small change compared to what What Price Glory would lose. Giving that info away would cripple, if not finish, their kilt sales.
Frankly, I'm a bit agitated that you think he's being petty. Nothing gets me hot faster than someone publicly picking on a kiltmaker, especially when you're asking that kiltmaker to hurt his own business to save you a few bucks.

[Alexander Good]

And I'm a bit agitated that you're agitated. I asked Jerry if
he'd consider stocking cloth, and that didn't go anywhere, which
is why I asked him if he'd pass along his source. I'm quite sure I
can track it, or another one down given enough time. I'm not mad at
Jerry for saying no (I half expected him to), I'm mad at how he said no. Politeness isn't that hard of a thing, is it? If I'd wanted to pick on Jerry,
I think I could've done a much, much better job of it.

Alex

Good for Jerry!
If it got out where What Price Glory got its 22oz tartan, within 2 weeks there would be half a dozen kiltmakers selling 22oz kilts at reduced prices.
What Price Glory is the only other kilt vendor from whom I've seriously considered buying a kilt. (Though RKilts' saffron leather kilts keep calling my name!) Jerry has a unique product that fits his company's theme and he has, I'm sure, invested a fair bit of cash to develop that unique product.
Why would he just volunteer the information to strangers? Or anyone?
When I first found poly viscose back in 2004, I made that very mistake. I gave a free kilt to a customer for the info regarding Marton Mills, so I didn't lose much initial investment but I might have been the only poly viscose kiltmaker for another year or so if I hadn't given the info away and that did cost me a fair bit.

But what I lost would be small change compared to what What Price Glory would lose. Giving that info away would cripple, if not finish, their kilt sales.
Frankly, I'm a bit agitated that you think he's being petty. Nothing gets me hot faster than someone publicly picking on a kiltmaker, especially when you're asking that kiltmaker to hurt his own business to save you a few bucks.

[Rex_Tremende]

Still waiting for my tartan from Pakistan. It's taking longer than I expected, and I'm hoping the stuff will ship in the next week or so. I hope to have a report on the stuff fairly soon, and will post info and pics when I can.

In my line of work, people expect to get stuff cheap, fast, and high quality, but at most only two can be delivered (and all too often, maybe only one of them, I sorry to say). I read your requirements, and it sounds like you specified cheap and quality, and that may be what you get.

Regards,
Rex, PMP

[Alexander Good]

Hi Rex,

Tartan never used to be a problem until the dollar value
versus the pound (and just about every other world currency)
really plummetted. I'm not happy that I need to order from
anywhere but Scotland, but $100 a yard is simply too much
to afford for anything other than a one off purchase. For a
hobby, I'm willing to take my chances from a Pakistani vendor,
and if it pans out, then I may have opened up a new avenue
for others in my position. I've already learned how to sew my
own clothes, and if this doesn't pan out, I might have to learn
how to weave my own fabric.

Anyway, I'm not looking for a kilt. Just tartan yardage. If I wanted
another modern kilt, I'd buy 4 yards of material from Scotland and
have Matt make it for me.

Alex

In my line of work, people expect to get stuff cheap, fast, and high quality, but at most only two can be delivered (and all too often, maybe only one of them, I sorry to say). I read your requirements, and it sounds like you specified cheap and quality, and that may be what you get.

Regards,
Rex, PMP

[bear]

And I'm a bit agitated that you're agitated. I asked Jerry if
he'd consider stocking cloth, and that didn't go anywhere, which
is why I asked him if he'd pass along his source. I'm quite sure I
can track it, or another one down given enough time. I'm not mad at
Jerry for saying no (I half expected him to), I'm mad at how he said no.
Politeness isn't that hard of a thing, is it? Or is politeness soley linked
to the Bottom Line? If I'd wanted to pick on Jerry, I think I could've done
a much, much better job of it. Please note my use of a smiley face, indicating
that I was making light of the whole situation.

Thanks,

Alex

Ask any supplier of a unique product, specially made for him, where he gets it made is the same as asking him to lose money. Period. Who wouldn't get mad when asked to hurt his own business?
If he blew you off, you deserved it.
I don't know Jerry. Before this thread, I didn't know who owned/ran What Price Glory. All I know is that their kilts are highly praised.

And adding a smiley face to sarcasm doesn't make it less sarcastic. The words are still the words. It just gives an out to the poster when he's called on it.