Fool me once----the Sportkilt Boulder

**Kid Cossack** · 2nd May 05, 04:54 PM

No, really guys, it was in the INTERESTS OF SCIENCE, yeah, that's it.

I ordered a Sportkilt Boulder in basic black, figuring that otherwise I'd never know for sure. This isn't my first Sportkilt experience----I got one of their funky red Hawai'ian prints a while back. After the wife sewed down the pleats, it was actually sorta kinda okay.

Anyway, back to the Boulder.

The good news first. FOR WHAT IT IS, it ain't bad. It is pleated, and the pleats are sewn down, it does have a rear pocket, just like they pointed out in the ads.

It's just not quite my cup of tea, though.

The material is light verging on flimsy. (I wear a UK original or mocker most of the time, so that's what I'm going by.) It swishes okay, but the drape is not really right (by my lights). It just doesn't feel substantial---it feels not like a kilt, not even like a skirt, but almost like a slip.

I'm sure it'd be fine in a bar, or for doing tai chi on the dock as you look out over Morro Bay.

Frankly, the Hawai'ian funky print product improved by my better half looks feels hangs and wears more like a kilt----and that ain't really saying all that much. A big part of my complaint is with the material---there's just not enough material there to feel right. Is it completely worthless? No. If the material was heavier, would it be better? Yes.

Let me put it to you guys this way: I was so impressed with it I rushed out and ordered another Pittsburgh Kilt. (Speaking of which, y'all hie yourselves over and check out Jeff's updated website.)

If all I could get was a Sportkilt, I might go ahead and get one and wear it. To my mind, however, the difference in price between the Boulder and a Pittsburgh Kilt means I was just stupid to get the Boulder----even in the interest of science. (A Boulder in my axe-handle-wide butt is $120, a Pittsburgh Kilt starts at $110 without pockets----yeah I'm stupid.)

What the heck, now I know, right?

Anyone want a smoking deal on a barely worn Boulder?

**Yaish** · 2nd May 05, 06:28 PM

Anyone want a smoking deal on a barely worn Boulder?

No way, but thanks for taking one for the team!

**Blu (Ontario)** · 2nd May 05, 07:41 PM

Don't get rid of it... If it's soft enough, you could use it to wash down the car!

**GMan** · 2nd May 05, 08:47 PM

Well Kid, I want to thank you for doing your research for all of us here. You are a brave soul

Now what Blu was saying, I can only envision a car wash with everyone decked out in the Boulder

**Riverkilt** · 2nd May 05, 08:54 PM

Might be useful for hiking in the wilderness on a hot day.

Thanks for the tip on sewing down the SK seams...Have started to do that on my Scott Skye tartan SK...thought it looked tacky after the first three seams...guess I'll keep going...can always rip them out.

Ron

**Riverkilt** · 2nd May 05, 08:57 PM

Another thought...Kate over on the UK board advocates decorating plain contemporary kilts with patches, trim, etc.

Maybe a nice big embroidered skull and crossbones patch on the apron, or a Grateful Dead log, or something like that you like would distract from "basicness" of the kilt and add a bit of weight to the apron.

Okay, never mind....

Ron

**dana** · 3rd May 05, 05:41 AM

Speaking of sewing down the pleats on a Sportkilt....

Like Ron I started sewing down the pleats and after doing a few tried it on and thought it looked pretty bad, so I ripped them out again. For anybody who has sewn down the pleats on a Sportkilt, does it look acceptable after doing them all?

Remember, I have an old Sportkilt that was made from heavier material than the current models.

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 3rd May 05, 09:14 AM

Dana, I've done it on MANY. The toughest thing to remember with the SportKilts, is that they don't really care about the tartan repeat when they're being manufactured. IF you try to make some sense out of the pattern while you're sewing... it could wind-up looking rather, well, shabby.

The best advise that I can give to you is to lay it out on a beach towel on the floor, and TRY to get the tartan pattern distinguishable. Use an iron WITH the steam setting on full blast to get the pleats "manageable".

After that, sew down the things about 7" from the belt line. DO NOT try to sew down the front apron edges, as this will only produce a strange pucker when worn. Let the apron be the "correcting point" for any hip-play. Sew-down the pleats... put the kilt on... THEN see where you need to iron the edges of the front apron to keep it all in line. This is the same idea with the StillwaterKilt "Standards". Iron the apron edges LAST.

**Riverkilt** · 3rd May 05, 09:44 AM

Sadly, SportKilt won't retro stich "kilts" they've already sold...

Seems there's a market there for someone who "gets it" and is willing to retro stitch SportKilts...

If I remember correctly, Jimmy, you've moved on from that....?

Thanks for the tips though...back to stiching up the pleats myself...got the first three to sorta match up but put it aside when there was no way to match the fourth...so now, back to it.

Ron

**dana** · 3rd May 05, 10:28 AM

Jimmy, thanks for the tips.
I wasn't so much conncerned about the pattern matching, it just seemed to be puckering kind of weird. I guess I'll lay it out and try it again sometime.

I was sewing this with a machine, maybe that's where I went wrong. I just can't imagine sewing it by hand.