A Question About Future Purchases

[bman]

I have made several post regarding a future kilt purchase and it was suggested that I post to ask the different affiliated makers/owners about what I want in my kilt and get the information directly from them, so here it goes.

I want a kilt for myself that is a reward for once I lose weight, prolly 4-8 months. This kilt is going to be a everyday and multipurpose kilt. For instance I would like to use it hiking or going to a business casual event. Is this a possibility? I am wanting it to be non-tartan for now. I am wanting pockets, most likely cargo style. Pleat choice is completely open for discussion so please give me feedback and information on that. I would like to ask what other things would you suggest? What do your kilts have to offer in these areas? Help me to be a good customer as well as a great kilt wearer. I do plan on purchasing many kilts in the future and I love knowing about my investment, no bit of information is too minuscule. Well as long as it is in a form I can understand.

Thanks for your time,

Brandon

[James C]

Hello Brandon

First off great name Thank you for contacting us in your search for a kilt. Good idea of getting insight to your first kilt.

For your needs a Casual Kilt would be perfect if interested in tartan or if you wanted pockets as you mentioned you may want to check out a Utility kilt or sometimes called Contemporary Kilt. We have a line of these called Bilt Kilt's. These kilts are made to how you want them. You choose the pleating (Box or inverted), the thread colour, pockets or not, you can customize them with tartan inserts (Hybrid kilts), you can customize them with embroidery on the pockets and sporran. This is what I would suggest you check out. You can see our line here. They range from $99.99 if in stock up to $374.95 for a full tweed and tartan Hybrid.

Based on your style of kilt you suggested you definitely are looking at a contemporary or utility kilt as traditional or casual kilts don't have pockets. Some have them under the apron but that is about it nothing on the side.

If this is your first kilt some advice is to measure twice so you make sure that it will fit. The style of kilt you are looking for can't be altered like a traditional kilt can. Also ask lots of questions.This will help you be sure that what you are getting is what you want. Key questions to ask include: delivery time, where the material comes from, what it is made of, where it is made, etc...

In regards to pleating we do box pleat and inverted in our line of contemporary kilts but if you wanted something else we would be open to suggestions.

We definitely can help you get your first kilt and many more. As we offer a full range of kilts from contemporary to full 8 yard traditional kilts that are all handsewn with 100% worsted wool tartan from Scotland's finest tartan mills.

Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me direct via Private Message, Email or call 1-877-828-3232 or post a response below.

I have made several post regarding a future kilt purchase and it was suggested that I post to ask the different affiliated makers/owners about what I want in my kilt and get the information directly from them, so here it goes.

I want a kilt for myself that is a reward for once I lose weight, prolly 4-8 months. This kilt is going to be a everyday and multipurpose kilt. For instance I would like to use it hiking or going to a business casual event. Is this a possibility? I am wanting it to be non-tartan for now. I am wanting pockets, most likely cargo style. Pleat choice is completely open for discussion so please give me feedback and information on that. I would like to ask what other things would you suggest? What do your kilts have to offer in these areas? Help me to be a good customer as well as a great kilt wearer. I do plan on purchasing many kilts in the future and I love knowing about my investment, no bit of information is too minuscule. Well as long as it is in a form I can understand.

Thanks for your time,

Brandon

[Jay]

I will add that B&S has some styles of Bilt Kilt on sale for $99.

Buy one now to wear down the road. For $99 you can't go wrong.

[bman]

Sounds like great prices on the kilts right now. I was curious if it was just a couple people that make your kilts it a whole staff? What is your opinion regarding steeking on the Bilt kilts? Do you offer any customization on fabric and other options? What is something about your kilts that make you different that the other makers? Do your Bilt kilts have a narrow or more traditional apron?

I'll probably come with other questions but these are just the general ones I've gathered over the night.

Thank you for your time,

Brandon

[James C]

For our kilts we have a team of seamstresses that all contribute to it. Not the whole staff though as some are sales and others do shipping etc.. We do have a team of seamstresses though and one in particular focuses in on the Bilt Kilts.

I am unsure what you mean by steeking please rephrase.

In regards to customization let me know what you had in mind and will go from there. We do offer like custom pockets, and other customizations but let me know what you are interested in and can go from there.

The biggest thing that makes us different from others is the ability to customize the kilt to how you want it. The other factor is that our kilts are Made in Canada. We also do tartan inserts which is something different you won't see too often and allows you to have a full custom kilt that you are unlikely to see anywhere else.

The apron on Bilt Kilt's are more traditional like and not narrow like a triangle.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sounds like great prices on the kilts right now. I was curious if it was just a couple people that make your kilts it a whole staff? What is your opinion regarding steeking on the Bilt kilts? Do you offer any customization on fabric and other options? What is something about your kilts that make you different that the other makers? Do your Bilt kilts have a narrow or more traditional apron?

I'll probably come with other questions but these are just the general ones I've gathered over the night.

Thank you for your time,

Brandon

[James C]

I wasn't fully satisfied with my answer about steeking. So I did a little search. I found that the Dictionary.com said:
"Steeking–verb (used with object) Scot.
to shut, close, fasten or lock (a window, door, or the like).

Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English (north) steken (v.), Old English stician to prick, stab" Link here

I also found that it is commonly used in knitting. See here.

I am not familiar with this term being used in kilts but it is possible but that other manufacturers may use it, but I have never heard it before. Given the definitions and unfamilarity with the term I can't answer your question on my opinion on steeking with Bilt Kilts. If you could reword it please and will do my best to answer.

[Paul Henry]

I wasn't fully satisfied with my answer about steeking. So I did a little search. I found that the Dictionary.com said:
"Steeking–verb (used with object) Scot.
to shut, close, fasten or lock (a window, door, or the like).

Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English (north) steken (v.), Old English stician to prick, stab" Link here

I also found that it is commonly used in knitting. See here.

I am not familiar with this term being used in kilts but it is possible but that other manufacturers may use it, but I have never heard it before. Given the definitions and unfamilarity with the term I can't answer your question on my opinion on steeking with Bilt Kilts. If you could reword it please and will do my best to answer.

I am more than a little surprised that you ( as kiltmakers) are not familar with steeking.

Steeking in kiltmaker terms is the method used on the insde of the kilt about 1" below the cut out pleats. It is invisible from the outside, but it links and secures all the pleats together so that there no movement laterally or vertically.Often a fine linen thread is used , but any strong thread is fine. There are many more stitched used between each pleat , but only the top ones are seen here

The steeking line is shown here between the light blues .
On all my hand sewn traditional kilts the steeking is very important, but on my machine sewn ones less so, but even so I generally put in a line.
The line of steeking is generally hidden by the internal lining.

[Bugbear]

I apologize for having brought steeking up in that other thread, thereby creating a monster.

I'm not a kilt maker, or a Taylor, and only have minimal experience. However, I can be a geek when trying to understand things, I was trying to correct a pleat issue and improve my wool kilt.

In my reading and question asking, I came across two opposing opinions about steeking. One opinion was that steeking is necessary to maintain long term pleat alignment regardless of whether the pleats were cut away above the fell area. The other opinion was that steeking was not necessary in kilts where the extra fabric in the fell area was still there because it was anchored at the very top by the waistband stitching.

I sat up a few models of pleats using fabric folded in half, lengthwise, like a pleat.

The model of the first opinion has stitches that anchor a pleat at the lowest stitch in the fell and a stitch in the line of steeking. This provides support on both sides of the pleat in the same place, the bottom of the fell, so of course it maintains pleat alignment below the fell stitching.

The other opinion claims the stitching at the very top of the pleat holds up the inside edge of the pleat, and the last stitch of the fell anchors the other side of the pleat. I thought to myself, I will hold the top of the folded fabric with one hand, and with thumb/index hold a point part way down the folded edge to simulate this situation.

It works just fine, but I realized the model is wrong.

On most kilts the pleats are tapered above the fell, and the whole top of the kilt is cone shaped. So now I have to hold the folded fabric at the top and at one point part way down the folded edge, then move the hand holding the top of the fabric over a bit to simulate the cone shape. This causes the un supported side of the fabric to go out of alignment. I had pleats flipping open on the left side of my kilt which was exactly what the misalignment in the model was doing. Add to this that the kilt fabric was a little stretchy, and it all made sense to balance the support on both edges of the pleats across the same line with steeking even though, at the time, the excess fabric had not been cut away in the fell area. As far as I can tell, the line of steeking actually supports the pleats across the whole width of the kilt along the same line at the bottom of the fell area.

bman, I hope this explains why I brought it up to you, and suggested you ask The Wizard of BC about it; he was the expert who told me about steeking.