Need help identifying kilt maker

[DireStraitsFan]

Steve:
I have to say to my mind your and Rocky's posts are fairly generous, you noted: "It should not matter that one of our members buys one of these kilts. It should not matter, as long as they are informed and know what they are buying." Fair enough, but it is probably is worthy to note the many of the craftsmen/women here earn their living from what they sell. I think part of the informed decision is do you feel good about potentially spending money for something that may have been made in a sweat shop and by exploited workers. And I do not mean to suggest all Asian kilts are produced this way, just that these conditions do exist. The other part being if we offered all our custom to low priced, cheaply made kilts and gear when we did need a nice tank or modern kilt craftsman such as frequent this board will have gone under. I also believe there are intangibles such as the human interaction, customer service and camraderie that develops.

I am not blameless in this, but I think my thinking and purchasing have evolved as I have become more informed, better understand the issues and come to a better general understanding. Now I need to find an excuse not to buy from the merchants who frequent this board rather than the reverse. An no I am not a person of means at all, it just means sometimes I have to wait and save a little more for something I would like. Sometimes instant gratification is not all it is cranked up to be.

Sean-

I just took a look in my closet, and guess what? My levis were made in Mexico and Cambodia. T-shirts and dress shirts? Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.

My point? People don't stop me on the street and tell me that my clothes are garbage, poorly made, and not worth wearing. I respect that there are people on these forums who put their hard work into making kilts that are durable and made to traditional standards. But there are also folks here who make and sell (and plenty more who wear them) kilts that are not traditionally made (USA Kilts, Stillwater Kilts, Freedom Kilts). If traditional kilts were the only accepted form of kilt wearing allowed, then none of these wonderful kilt makers would have anyone to market their wares to. So forgive me if I dismiss your argument. Being a traditionalist does not give one and excuse to insult other people, especially when the criticisms offered have nothing to do at all with the original topic.

Thanks.

[Zardoz]

This seems like a pretty typical thread lately, ask a simple question, get a simple answer by page two, then 5 pages of snarky crap that makes you wish you'd never asked.

[longhuntr74]

This seems like a pretty typical thread lately, ask a simple question, get a simple answer by page two, then 5 pages of snarky crap that makes you wish you'd never asked.

Where's the "Like" button? LOL

[Downunder Kilt]

I was talking to a mate about kilt quality and the differences last night and we both ended up argreeing that if a punter buys a kilt and knows what he is getting, be it acrylic, PV, wool, or a blend of whatever, then that's all one can ask for. As long as the punter is informed.

I think most people get peeved when something is advertised, that gives a false impression as to the origin of a product or what the product is made of or what in can or cannot do.

Some folk want cheap kilts, for a multitude of reasons, OK, some want kilts they can wash in the washing machine but look a bit smarter that a cheaper kilt, OK, some want a wool kilt but can't see the extra $150 for hand sewing worth it. OK.

As long as the punter knows what he is getting and any limitations it may have, so be it

[Bugbear]

I was talking to a mate about kilt quality and the differences last night and we both ended up argreeing that if a punter buys a kilt and knows what he is getting, be it acrylic, PV, wool, or a blend of whatever, then that's all one can ask for. As long as the punter is informed.

I think most people get peeved when something is advertised, that gives a false impression as to the origin of a product or what the product is made of or what in can or cannot do.

Some folk want cheap kilts, for a multitude of reasons, OK, some want kilts they can wash in the washing machine but look a bit smarter that a cheaper kilt, OK, some want a wool kilt but can't see the extra $150 for hand sewing worth it. OK.

As long as the punter knows what he is getting and any limitations it may have, so be it

That's very fair. Thank you for expressing it, Downunder Kilt.

[J_Mimbs]

As long as the punter knows what he is getting and any limitations it may have, so be it

As a proud owner of a Stillwater Economy, saving up for a proper tank, I completely agree.

[DireStraitsFan]

This seems like a pretty typical thread lately, ask a simple question, get a simple answer by page two, then 5 pages of snarky crap that makes you wish you'd never asked.

Zardoz-

That's unfortunate to hear, Zardoz.

I don't spend as much time here as a lot of the members, but I've been a member since 2007 (and lurking since probably '05 or '06). I know enough about the kilt to dress myself and make informed decisions about my purchases (thanks in large part to what I learned here over the years), and yet here in this thread I've been (indirectly) called a newbie (which, for the record, is a derogatory term) and accused of being a shill for the Pakistani kilt industry. All because I wanted to know where I could buy another kilt like the one I currently enjoy wearing.

I can say emphatically that I do regret asking.

[Fergus Macdonald]

I just noticed this thread and thought that perhaps I could have some constructive input.

I appreciate there are a number of different opinions on this type of kilt and some people before me have expressed views which are similar to my own.

I would like to mention that we currently sell kilts that have this type of label on them. They are made by Gold Bros and are sold by a number of online and offline stores. You can find them on our store here: http://buyakilt.com/kilts/budget-kilts

I would agree that the information on the label could be more accurate and I do not believe retailers should in any way attempt to 'mislead' or 'mis-sell' customers. We don't have a physical retail store and we don't display photographs of the label, so it's not something I've really looked into before.

My understanding is that Gold Bros designed this label a number of years ago, and use this same style of branding across some other products they sell. They have some competitors on the High Street in Edinburgh which then began sourcing products copied from them. I have personally seen kilts which have been made with the Gold Bros kilt as a template and have copied the garment entirely including the design of the label.

I have also seen kilts which are made in Pakistan, and I can confirm that the ones we sell are not made there. Generally (in my opinion) the ones from Pakistan are not equal in quality to the ones we sell, particularly in the quality of the materials and the quality of the manufacturing. I would not be surprised if some are made in acrylic. I would suggest that it is the worst of the bunch that end up being used in the scare stories or the press, and that inevitably degrades the image of associated or similar products available elsewhere.

As other people have mentioned, I believe there is a place for a kilt suited to those on a budget, or those wanting a more 'disposable' type of garment. I personally have 2 of these kilts and never felt the need to have a kilt custom made (despite owning a kilt store!) as they were perfectly suitable for my needs. I ended up getting a kilt custom made about a year ago and personally, find the wool fabric more itchy, but it's obviously a far superior product in terms of quality and craftsmanship.

I should also add that I have sourced these kilts from the same supplier for a number of years and have noticed the quality changing over the years. Some aspects have improved, some have not. Sometimes an improvement in one area means a compromise in another area. For example, the fabric used to be heavier, stiffer and feel nicer. However, the back of the kilts didn't swing so well as it was a bit more rigid. Now, the fabric is softer, slightly lighter, doesn't hold the pleats so well, but swings better.

I hope this helps give some insight into the situation. I believe that there a limited number of people who sell the ones made by Gold Bros, but there are a lot for sale which appear to be the same and it can be difficult for people to differentiate them. We stand by all the products we sell and if anyone buys one of these kilts and feels they are not suited to their requirements, then we're happy to refund them and discuss the alternatives available.

I'm also happy to give my honest opinion on products for sale, so if you see something and you're not sure where it comes from or what the quality will be like, I'm happy to help if I can (may be best PMing me to make sure I see it).

Hope this helps.

[Fergus Macdonald]

Please, allow me.

I too own one of these type kilts, and am extremely satisfied with it for it's intended purpose. I wear it regularly when doing extended hikes, and it has served me well. If it were to get damaged, beyond being wearable, I would likely buy another just like it. As these kilts are likely manufactured by different makers, I am not sure who actually constructed it, but I bought it from these folks

http://buyakilt.com/kilts/budget-kilts

They provided prompt courteous service, and their product has provided me with a lot of great use to date without any sign of faltering.

Regards,
Brooke

Thanks! Great to hear you're happy with our service.

[GG]

Sean-

I just took a look in my closet, and guess what? My levis were made in Mexico and Cambodia. T-shirts and dress shirts? Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.

My point? People don't stop me on the street and tell me that my clothes are garbage, poorly made, and not worth wearing. I respect that there are people on these forums who put their hard work into making kilts that are durable and made to traditional standards. But there are also folks here who make and sell (and plenty more who wear them) kilts that are not traditionally made (USA Kilts, Stillwater Kilts, Freedom Kilts). If traditional kilts were the only accepted form of kilt wearing allowed, then none of these wonderful kilt makers would have anyone to market their wares to. So forgive me if I dismiss your argument. Being a traditionalist does not give one and excuse to insult other people, especially when the criticisms offered have nothing to do at all with the original topic.

Thanks.

I couldn’t agree more. I never understood this hostile attitude towards cheap kilts. Of course there are differences but that does not make a cheap kilt useless garbage. On the contrary, in fact you get a lot for little money.

Also I do not believe that all these men here who will wear nothing but the best and most expensive kilts look it the same way when buying all other product categories they use. So why with kilts?

I, for my part, have professional cameras and absolute starter-cameras and almost everything in between and I use all of them, even an out dated seven years old Nikon D70 with only 6 million pixels of not very high quality compared to today’s sensors. One thing at a time, simply.

My favorite lens is a Nikkor 80-200 mm. It focuses extremely fast and silent. It is very, very sharp, even full open. But it is also very heavy and bulky. Most of the time, in fact, I use a much cheaper and slower and not nearly as sharp 70-300 mm. Why? Because it is much lighter and more convenient. And for most situations and purposes I can live well with its limitations.

With my kilts it is exactly the same. For many purposes I prefer one of my cheap acrylic Pakistani kilts over my made to measure wool kilts. I have it fine with it. And so have my surroundings. They are not supposed, anyway, to examine my kilts within a few inches of distance. And they are certainly not supposed to ever touch them.

Therefore, do not hesitate to order another McLeod of Harris acrylic kilt from Heritage of Scotland or Buy-a-Kilt. I’m convinced it shall be satisfactory and that no one should ever blame you, when seeing you wearing it.