Where can I buy Cloth?

[Uncle Ricky]

I once knew a Scot who was doing some unusual things to save a few pennies. When I jokingly called him a Cheep Scott, he replied... I'm nay cheep, I'm Fruuugal!

Well, I'm a bit frugal myself. Where can I buy good woollen tartan cloth to make a kilt without paying $60 -$80 per double yard?

Uncle Ricky

[bear]

I once knew a Scot who was doing some unusual things to save a few pennies. When I jokingly called him a Cheep Scott, he replied... I'm nay cheep, I'm Fruuugal!

Well, I'm a bit frugal myself. Where can I buy good woollen tartan cloth to make a kilt without paying $60 -$80 per double yard?

Uncle Ricky

Try this:
http://www.burnetts-struth.com/sale.html#MensKilts

[Doc Hudson]

You can also try these:
http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland....&subsecid=1499

http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/index.html

http://www.scotlandforever.net/tartanyardage.html

[beerbecue]

I'm with you Uncle Ricky...

The link Bear gave you is very, very useful, you will need to email or call to get current availability. They are also very nice and helpful. I just bought three remnants from B&S, totaling about 8 meters SW. I will have several pieces to join, but, I only paid about $60 US including shipping.

You can also try Fraser and Kirkbright for poly/wool and wool remnants:

http://www.wooltartan.com/tartans5.htm

For all the searching I have done, I think Clansman Knitwear has THE best prices I have found on new 100% wool tartan.

http://www.scottishclansman.com/Tartanyard.html

[arrogcow]

Se can someone explain to me why kilt wool is so expensive? I have gone to several fabric stores online and found that wool fabric that is non-tartan runs from $10-25 /yd (and I'm still talking about patterned fabric, not just solid). Why does it go up 3-4 times when it is tartan?

And how do you kiltmakers make any money? Bear, one of your 4 yd kilts is $300 US, right? All the tartan I see is at least $65.00/yd (med weight). 4 yards is $260, not counting the cost of buckles. now I've never made my own kilt, but I'm sure it takes a few hours. Are yo really earning only about $10.00/hr.

I don't understand any of this.

Adam

[beerbecue]

I too have pondered on the high cost of wool tartan.

As I am no kiltmaker, and not an importer, I can only conjecture as to the cost... so let's give it a try..

I would think that the market for tartan is much less than that for typical wool fabric. Although, high quality suiting wool fabric is not cheap either... That being said, perhaps the location of manufacture affects the cost as well (Scotland v. China or India). Shipping, duties, tariffs and taxes will all take a toll on cost.

I tried to look up the tariffs, etc., but it reads like a linux manual......

Perhaps I am way off, but this may be a good start to the discussion....

[Uncle Ricky]

Thanks Bear, That's a terrific link

(http://www.burnetts-struth.com/sale.html#MensKilts)

Prices are reasonable.

Uncle Ricky

[Jimmy Carbomb]

There are sources (especially on the East Coast of the USA) that carry the tartans in wool material. The average cost at a shop that "knows" you is anywhere from $2 to $10 per yard. Naturally, you're restricted to the availability of the tartan on-hand, but it's usually in quantities that are good.

At those prices, you can offer-up a casual kilt for the $90 range and still make a nice profit for the business. A machine-sewn traditional at $200 is still a nice margin. The beauty is that the customer gets wool... and there's no mistaking wool for anything other than a kilt.

You need to look at sources other than the Fabric Shops. They have a profit margin that makes the material outlandish. Look for the fabric suppliers and closeout resellers in your area. Look for a fabric/garment district in your nearest big city. do a little homework and you can make yourself a kilt for EASILY under $50.

[Barb T]

Hi guys

I think there are a couple of issues with respect to the cost of tartan:

First, the $60-$80 is retail price, and kiltmakers get tartan at wholesale prices, which are a lot less. When the dollar was better against the pound, wholesale prices were more like $30/yard.

Second, a place like Lochcarron carries 500+ tartans, and most tartans aren't huge sellers. So, it means not weaving all that much of any individual tartan in comparison to how much fabric a mill might weave in, let's say, navy blue Gore-tex. So, it's a market issue.

Third, there's duty on tartan imported into the US. If you buy tartan in the US, the duty is already included in the price (even if you order wholesale from Lochcarron USA in New Hampshire). If you order directly from Scotland, you may or may not be charged duty, depending on the whim of the customs inspectors when the package comes through. I've paid as much as $70 duty on a single kilt length of tartan (it was a custom weave and fairly expensive to begin with, but....).

In another post to another thread, I commented that the labor is so costly to weave tartan (and it is _fun_ to go to a mill and see tartan on the loom!!) that single width and double width fabric aren't much different in price per yard (which is why it's so much cheaper to buy a double-width piece than a single width piece for a kilt).

That's what occurs to me, anyway. Can anyone think of other factors?

Barb

[Jimmy Carbomb]

(and it is _fun_ to go to a mill and see tartan on the loom!!)

Absolutely! I once went to see the Native Americans do their "thing" and was impressed with their speed and accuracy. MANY years later I went and saw the tartan looms in action. WOW! The intricacy of the weaves and the machinery that they had was mind-boggling. I was there to advise in the engineering of the maintenance systems, and wound-up standing like a kid in Disneyland watching the process.

That's what occurs to me, anyway. Can anyone think of other factors? Barb

The guys at the local distribution warehouses have it in their minds that the mills with "exclusivity" for certain tartans will charge whatever they want to charge. That means that the mill with the sole Irish National Tartan rights can charge more if their kids are going to college and have no fear that competition will under-cut them. Their price goes up... the other mills want in on the action. But then we see that everywhere... ahem... Exxon, Shell, Texaco.

As for the left-over remnants (which often exceed 200 yards) the excess "runs" are often sold (at a HUGE discount) to re-sellers throughout the world for quick sale. Whether that material is picked-up by a large purchaser like the Fabric Shops or left to the smaller contingents, it's the same fabric at a great price. It's a matter of stumbling upon these re-sellers as to whether you're lucky enough to get this stuff at an affordable price.

Case point: I know "an individual" that just purchased 160 double-width yards of 16-ounce worsted wool MacLeod of Harris tartan for $1.20/yard. Try that through one of the internet tartan sellers.