County Tyrone tartan 5-Yard kilt

[Tenmiles]

I'd like to make this thread in order to first thank Rocky and his terrific crew for my fine new kilt, which just arrived today, and also to share a few preliminary pictures of my new pride and joy.


To his credit, Rocky was incredibly helpful and responsive to all my (many many) questions, over the course of many weeks before finally ordering, and extremely tolerant of my last minute doubting and waffling after I'd actually submitted my order.


I have nine yards of tartan fabric which is sometimes worn as a great kilt, which I picked up at a renaissance faire some years back, which has a color scheme (rusts and tans and greens) that I just love better than any other tartan pattern I've seen.

I originally asked if he'd be willing to make my kilt out of that fabric, but I understood his professional objections (age, wear, unknown quality of the fabric, etc.), and I finally settled on the County Tyrone tartan from House of Edgar in 13 oz. wool for a 5-yard wool kilt, as it's the closest available/registered tartan to the one I had already.

Not close enough to be worn together, mind you, but close enough that it fits the color scheme I like, and would feel just as comfortable in.


I'd placed the order on my birthday, March 12, and about five minutes after placing the order, I started second-guessing my decision, and wrote back to ask them to hold on and not start anything until I'd sorted out my misgivings.
The rest of that night, and through the first half of the next day, I considered several other (completely different) tartans available, but finally let Rocky know that I wanted to just go ahead with the order as originally placed.

Through it all, Rocky showed the patience of a saint, and I want to sincerely apologize for being one of those aggravating customers who doesn't know what he wants. I promise to do better next time!

His personal attention and dedication to service has definitely won my admiration and loyalty as a customer.
(If I ever muster up sufficient funds, I'd still like to order kilts from a number of other kiltmakers, but I feel it's appropriate to emphatically state how impressed I am with Rocky's service).


Anyway, once I gave him the "all clear" to go ahead with the order, he said they'd place the order with HOE right away for the tartan.
Then I just had to sit back and figure out how to survive the jones for the next six-to-eight weeks (I did not order rush service).

To my astonishment, I received an email this past Wednesday, 13 days since I confirmed the order, letting me know it had shipped!

(Edit: Rocky says its sounds like my order might have gotten accidentally placed in the "rush" pile by mistake)


Suddenly, the jones was unbearable, and I followed the USPS tracking updates like a fiend, cursing the dearth of updates letting me know where along the way my package was.

It arrived today, and I am proud to show off the first couple of completely inadequate photos of the Co. Tyrone tartan kilt.

(I have yet to acquire a kilt belt, or a pin, or to make a new sporran for myself, or even a suitable set of footwear - all that will follow in time; so please excuse their absence in these pictures)

[Liam]

Great looking kilt!!! Wear it with pride.

[Thekiltedmohawk]

You look awesome in it! I know you can't wait to add more accessories to finalize the vision you had for your kilt.

[Superdan]

that is a fantastic looking Tartan, Congrats!

[Tenmiles]

I figured I'd drop in a photo of the other tartan - the one which I like so well - for comparison.

Unfortunately, the only picture I can find at the moment is one which was taken at my office some 6 or 7 years ago, on Halloween, where I, much to my dismay, was forcibly awarded a ridiculous gaudy plastic #1 necklace in recognition of having been voted the "most original costume" of the day. When my photo was taken, they insisted I keep the buggered thing on, sadly ruining what was otherwise a comfortable ensemble.

[Note: the "sporran" seen here is clearly not one; since this was a last-minute thing tossed together in the morning just before work, I could only find a simple leather pouch I'd made which was never intended to be anything sporran-like, but then, I knew that nobody at my office would know the difference (except for my colleague James, who wouldn't see a need to mention it)]




The 'dark brown' here is actually much closer to the 'rust' color in the Co. Tyrone tartan, but the green is much more pronounced, while in the Tyrone tartan, it's only in very thin lines, not really discernible at a distance.