Strap Issues with Modern Utility Style Kilts

[ploptoken]

I have three modern utility style kilts, two from UTKilts and a Hybrid kilt from Got-Kilt, and I've noticed that the grommet for the straps are starting to come out. I wear them more than one a week. I work from home, so when its time to go out in public, picking someone up from the airport, run to the grocery store, catching a movie, I usually wear them instead of a pair of jeans or shorts.

• Is there a simple way of saving the grommet before it pulls out completely?
• Should I just buckle them at a looser setting and consider the snugger fit a loss?
• Has anyone dabbled with replacing the fabric straps with leather ones? (This would make them probably more durable, but i wouldn't know where to purchase the leather.)

[llyd]

I really dislike grommets...gawd they are a pain. Ummdepending on the size of grommet, you can get them, amd the tool that sets them pretty cheap...as far as where to get the leather amd buckles...I am certain one of our pro kilt makers could supply them....failing that..a good leather supply house...

[seanachie]

I have an RKilt in hemp from Robert Pel, and he uses rivets. Yes you pay a little more but it is a high quality kilt and I pinched pennies a little longer but definitely have no regrets.

[Downunder Kilt]

Get to a leather store, eg Tandy, buy some pre cut leather strapping, punch small holes in the leather where you are going to sew then onto your kilt and then punch holes for the buckle tongue to go through, eew then onto the kilt and your away

[Canuck]

Those straps on the Asian utility kilts don't serve any purpose. Cut them off and take off the buckles. All should be fine

[The Wizard of BC]

I'm going to agree with Robert that the straps serve no real purpose and could be cut off.

If, however, you want straps for the look, then of course you can change them out for leather.

Many of our professional kiltmakers get their straps and buckles here - http://www.highlandxpress.com/patterns.html

[Pleater]

I think that the grommet is the open rivet sort of thing, metal tube with a lip one end and the other is curled over by the plier like thing used to fix it.

They come out because the material it is put into is not strong enough to take the strain and deforms, or the material can't grip the edge of the metal - with the same results.

just sewing around it might solve the problem, so the strain is transferred to the stitches. Several lines of stitches would be even better than one

Adding a layer of something to spread the strain over a larger area might work, anything from iron on interfacing to a strip of plastic milk bottle, but it might be necessary to remove the original and get a new one.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ploptoken]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I recently bought a couple extra Imitation Got-Kilt Hybrid Knock-offs from eBay that i was going to experiment on. i was going to take the straps off one of them, and try reinforcing the other with first sewing around the grommet to help distribute the pressure, then adding plastic if need be.

I felt bad for ordering the knock offs from eBay, but they were less than a 1/3rd of the Got-Kilt ones and i don't feel as bad taking the extra straps off of them if i had paid full price.

[plaid preacher]

Another option would be to replace the standard buckle with a quick release style that doesn't have a tongue but relies on the friction between the fabric and the buckle to hold it in place. That would simply require removing the present strap and buckle and replacing with the new buckle. would alleviate any future problems, as the grommits will likely always be a weak spot.