Kilt jackets & ebay

**Mike S** · 2nd February 16, 11:38 AM

That IS a nice one!

**Leprechaun 91** · 2nd February 16, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by DyerStraits

I recommend contacting Kilt Rental USA (http://www.kiltrentalusa.com/) in Scottsdale, Arizona. They are currently having a clearance sale on their retired rental apparel, which, I can attest to as a customer, is of very high quality. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and if there is any way to accommodate you, they will.

I like that they carry House Of Edgar jackets AND that they have more than just Black. So often the Kilt Hire Shops carry the same PC and Argyll Jackets. Many from Pakistan. It's like the low-end Tux rental shops that carry the polyester Tuxedos.

Good call-out. I'll have to see what they have in the Ex-Hire end. ... For that matter, I may see if Rocky has any too.

**OC Richard** · 3rd February 16, 06:37 AM

RP Blandford & Son here in SoCal does kilt hire and sales, and they carry genuine House Of Edgar jackets.

Here they are!

http://blandfordimports.com/

**Steve Ashton** · 3rd February 16, 06:50 PM

Hey Mike S.

I thought I would bring this up just in case you may not know.

When we say Harris Tweed we are referring to a brand name and not a type of Tweed. There are many different types of Tweed woven and sold under the Harris label.

There are many stories about how the name Tweed came about but the one that seems to have the most support is that a sample of distinctive fabric was received by a shop in London with a note from Wm Watson & Son. Dangerfield mill located in Hawick describing the fabric as Tweel, the Scottish word for Twill. This note was misinterpreted as being woven "North of the Tweed River". So this would mean that the original Tweed comes from Hawick in the Scottish borders.
Tweed fabric is a rough, open, soft and flexible fabric resembling Cheviot or homespun. It is usually a distinctive mottled pattern of different colored yarns.
Today Tweed fabrics are woven all over the world.

In the late 1840's Catherine Murray, Lady Dunmore, began to sponsor the hand weavers on the islands of Harris, Uist, and Barra. It is through her that the brand Harris became popular. She would commission fabric and market it among her rich friends.

The Orb and Maltese cross trademark with the words "Harris Tweed" underneath was certified in 1909, registered in 1910 and stamping of labels began in 1911.

The definition of the Harris Tweed brand as per the 1993 act of Parliament is;
"Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."

Donegal Tweed is a similar brand name of dyers, spinners and weavers located in Ireland. Donegal Tweed has distinctive yellow, red, blue and green flecks woven into it.

**Todd Bradshaw** · 3rd February 16, 09:17 PM

Nick has a really neat video on the manufacture of Harris Tweed on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6HLIBMS8Tk

**Mike S** · 3rd February 16, 09:30 PM

Why yes Steve, I am aware of that. I own a number of different patterns of Harris tweed in the form of jackets, vests and caps. I think that you meant to address that to another poster in the thread, but thanks for posting the details nonetheless.

**Steve Ashton** · 3rd February 16, 10:41 PM

This whole Harris Tweed thing is one that is misunderstood by many people. If someone says "I have a Harris Tweed jacket." that is actually not a totally accurate statement. You may have a jacket that is made from Harris Tweed fabric, but who made the jacket?

It would be like saying "I have a Lochcarron kilt" when in fact you mean "I have a Tewksbury kilt made with Lochcarron fabric."

Yes, fabrics which carry the orb label are very nice. But who made the product is even more important than what fabric they used to make it with. An ill fitting jacket is still an ill fitting jacket regardless of the fabric it is made from. The Harris Tweed Authority does not make any claims or offer any guarantee of the quality of any products made from their fabrics.

**OC Richard** · 8th February 16, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Ashton

"I have a Harris Tweed jacket." that is actually not a totally accurate statement. You may have a jacket that is made from Harris Tweed fabric, but who made the jacket?

I take it the same as someone saying "I have leather shoes."

I take "Harris Tweed" to refer to what something is made from, not who made it. Jackets usually have two labels, the Harris Tweed label and the maker's label.

BTW it's not just Harris Tweed, but wool in general, which has a label:

Now I wonder what sort of labelling the jackets sold by The Harris Tweed Shop have:

http://www.harristweedshop.com/

Here on the West Coast of the USA we have the Pendleton Woolen Mill who makes tweed that's very nice, perhaps not quite Harris Tweed but lovely in its own way, with a softer feel.

**Todd Bradshaw** · 8th February 16, 11:17 AM

Pendleton also makes some lovely patterned wool. It's too bad they don't push their yard goods business a bit more and offer more styles. Much of what we have made from it is from remnants found on eBay. Harris Tweed on left, Pendleton on right.

A coat my wife made from a remnant.