Custom Weaves in Wool Heavier than 16oz.

[Mathew MacKillop]

Greetings all,

I really hope that some here know the answers to these (who am I kidding? Of course someone here knows the answer):

1. Are there mills willing to produce small runs of tartan in weights other than 13/16oz? I am looking to get some really heavy weight 20/22 oz stuff at some point, and am hoping that I am not limited to the few Black Watch style tartans that are available in regimental weight.

2. Are mills generally open to the idea of weaving an existing tartan in a weight that is not currently available? I am thinking specifically of the Maple Leaf Tartan in the muted palette, which I greatly prefer to the regular palette but seems only to exist in 13oz fabric. This is not necessarily tied in to question 1, as I would be just as willing to get it done in 16oz.

3. For extreme cold weather (those -30 Celsius and lower days), am I correct to think that the weight as well as the yardage make a big difference? Do different pleat types hold in heat differently? I had it suggested to me in a previous thread that I should look into the reproduction military kilts from What Price Glory...but honestly I'm not in love with the Seaforth Highlanders/Gordon/Black Watch tartan to the point where I would want a 2nd one in that pattern, and I've already got a 5 yarder in the BW tartan. I'm also not the biggest fan of box pleats due to the higher maintenance, but am willing to overlook that if that pleating option produces a warmer kilt....

Thanks All!

Mathew

[figheadair]

I think the answer will be no. The heaviest 'special' you'll get get is Dalglish's F1 cloth.