Rugged Outdoor Inverness Cape

[M. A. C. Newsome]

So, a couple of months ago this nice man from Minnesota and his wife came through NC on vacation and decided to visit us at the Scottish Tartans Museum. We had a very nice conversation, where I learned that they own their own specialty outdoor clothing company, and he was getting into kilt wearing.

The topic of Inverness Capes came up, and he mentioned wanting to make his own version of one, better suited to the outdoor enthusiast. He and I spent some time discussing the qualities of a good Inverness Cape, and in general had a very nice chat. He said he'd send me a sample of his cape once they were in production.

Well, this week I come in to the museum to find a nice package from Kevin Kenny of Empire Canvas, containing my very own rugged oilskin canvas Inverness Cape. All I can say is WOW! Having worn the kilt on a very regular basis for a decade now, I've never actually owned an Inverness Cape. The reason must have been because I know, in my unconscous mind, that something better was going to come along...


This thing is a beast. It reminds me of my old Australian duster that I used to wear in high school, only the canvas oilskin is heavier. It's made from 10 oz canvas, infused with oils and wax to make it completely waterproof. It's lined with a 3-ply supplex nylon lining. And the thing has pockets...


The above photo shows it with the cape flipped back. The pockets on this thing are very generous. The ones you see me sticking my grubby little hands in lie on the body just where my hands say they ought to be. But there are two additional pockets up on the chest. All four pockets snap closed, and are reenforced at the opening with a nylon webbing. Kevin tells me that this is the prototype -- the final version, he says, will have larger bellow pockets giving a greater capacity (not that the capacity of the pockets in mine is not more than ample).

Another feature -- the cape is completely detachable. Here's a picture of it being worn as a sleeveless jacket with the cape removed (and my wee son getting in on the modelling action):


At first I kind of wondered under what circumstances one might want to wear the Inverness cape sans cape, if the idea is to protect from the rain. Kevin's answer was that after the rain is over, you might still need to work outside and removing the cape will free up your arms for work, while still protecting your kilt and other clothing from mud and water. Genuis!

Fellows, this Inverness cape is very heavy. I showed it to some of the guys at the museum when it arrived and all were overwhelmingly impressed. One predicted that I would be handing this on to my grandchildren to wear, the construction was that solid. No doubt this is true. The only negative comment was that this is so heavy that I'm not likely to get much wear out of it at the Highland Games here in the south during the summer months. True enough, however there are plenty of light weight nylon Inverness capes on the market that are widely available. That's not what Kevin was trying to create.

That being said, it was about 80 degrees outside when I took these photos and I was quite comfortalbe (standing still in the shade, mind you).

I love this thing, and I encourage anyone interested to take a look at Kevin's web site and contact him.
http://www.empirecanvasworks.com/
The Inverness cape is not on line yet, but I beleive he told me it would be in about a week (right Kevin?). He's a member of this forum and I'm sure he'll be adding to this thread.

In the meantime, I'll end by a couple of final pics, showing the cape completely snapped up and then one showing the upper breast pockets.

[Mr. MacDougall]

That's pretty snazzy. I always wanted one in herringbone tweed, like the one worn by Sherlock Holmes in the old movies.

[andyfg]

Very impressive Matt. Just what you need for a NY winter. Price?

[McMurdo]

That looks great, I was about to but one the other day and a little voice told me to hold on, now I know why.

[CelticRanger66]

Count me in ....I want one!!!

[kevinkinney]

Hello all,

We're yet another small business member of the forum that has a passion for well made gear. We've paid for our banner add, so we can be above board with the details.

Our Empire Canvas Works line is based on natural fibers, and the belief that they have distinct advantages for long term outdoor use. Before we bought the company (previously our biggest contract client), it served the winter camping market. We quickly found that wool, canvas, and leather were crowd pleasers everywhere.

Last year I received my first kilt, which was like getting a first bike or pair of skis. Wow. It didn't take long before I was jonesing for a real Inverness Cape. I wasn't sure if a product like this would appeal to many folks, but I can't seem to keep them in the shop, let alone on my own back. After meeting Matt, we were convinced.

What you see on our website www.empirecanvasworks.com is the remainder of last seasons products. We're itching to upload the new pages, but mother nature is soaking our back yard photo studio.

The introductory retail price is $265, with an optional removable hood for $30 more. We've also added a short waisted version of our traditional Wool Blanket Shirt that's cut to a proper length for wear with a kilt. There's a hidden draw cord that lets you cinch the hem to the proper fit. We'll undoubtedly come up with more ideas as time moves on and we learn more about highland dress. We have no plans to offer kilts or leather accessories. Our dance card is full.

With luck the great glowing orb will dry our lawn, allowing a quick mow, and free us up to crunch digital images into place. Until then, I'm here for any questions.

Cheers,

Kevin.

PS- If you happen to attend the Stone Mountain Highland Games, the tall gent in a similar cape, wearing either the Mackenzie or Doulgas Modern tartan while driving the stern wheeler is Capt. <Actual> Bruce Kinney, my dad. With luck, his shorter son will be there too.

[Tattoo Bradley]

WOW! That thing IS swell! Not sure how much wear I could get from one in the winters down here. But, none-the-less, I'll keep it in mind come winter time should I need a warm touch for my kilt wearing.

[RK-REX]

You've got mail.

[Dirk Skene]

Verrry nice . I used to have a drover. I like that much better. I may need to invest.

[flyv65]

Just added the website to my list favorites: when funds permit, i expect I'll be shopping.

Bryan