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  1. #1
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    Reenactor tartans

    I have noticed in my internet image searches that many of the reenactors of 18th century Highlanders like the Black Watch and Montgomery’s 77th wear kilt tartans in a tiny sett. I have read that the tartans of that period were indeed smaller settings than the heavy weight fabrics of the 20th century, but would they have been as small as these that are used so commonly by reenactors here in the United States? In the portrait of Lord Dunmore, and the Copley painting of Hugh Montgomerie the settings appear to be very close in size to a 16 oz version of today’s government sett. Are the reenactors, who are so famously thorough when researching their impressions, getting it wrong, or is the cost of tartan cloth forcing them to go with lighter weight fabric, thus smaller appearing setts? I can’t imagine someone willing to fork out over a grand for a musket or $500.00 for a regimental coat cutting corners on the philabeg or plaid. The pics I saw just jumped out at me as not looking right.
    Last edited by Guthrumironhead; 7th September 18 at 07:59 PM.

  2. #2
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    It is not correct that the setting of 18th tartans were necessarily smaller, it all depended on the intended use. Plaid settings were often large and frequently included a selvedge pattern or selvedge mark.

    Re-enactors of both 18th and early 19th century Highland Regiments usually get their tartan wrong. Ignorance of the correct setting, shades and weight are one reason. More accurate material is available but there seems to be a reluctance to pay the premium price when they can get something off the shelf that, in their mind, will do. There are exceptions of course.

    A reconstruction of the 42nd tartan with black slevedge mark used in military cloth.
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    Tartans of the 79th and 64th.
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  3. The Following 3 Users say 'Aye' to figheadair For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
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    Are you calling my plaid small? :-)

    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #4
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    Having been with a reenactment group that portrayed both the 18th c. 77th (Montgomery's) and 42nd (Black Watch) regiments, I can tell you that Peter is right about many reenactors (despite all their research into the details of arms and regimentals) are ignorant and cheap when it comes to the tartan they wear. We were told that during the mid-18th c. there were many weavers along the Highland Line filling government orders for tartan, and the tartan received would not be uniform in every detail. Fair enough but I noticed that most of the guys were family men who only came to events less than a dozen times a year were not willing to pay premium prices for custom-woven recreated tartans, even if they knew what size of sett and color shades to order it in (which most didn't). So they went off to the local fabric store and looked for Government pattern tartan there. If it was available, it came in various sett sizes and may or may not have been twill woven. Tartan was relatively available from non-specialty fabric dealers when tartan was popular in fashion, but has been hard to find since then. So reenactors get Government tartan wherever they can. Some pay attention to tartan research web sites (like Peter's), but others depend on books and what they learn from others, resulting in errors. Those that can afford to do so have it custom woven by Elliot's or DC Dalgliesh do so, but most American reenactors do not know of those services, or they can't afford it. There were other things, too - for example, we used the British 1764 drill for both French & Indian War and Revolutionary War events, since there were two different drill manuals used sequentially during F&I war, and our commander decided that our reenactors did not have the time or moxie to learn all three manuals - so that was anachronistic. Some Highland reenactors wore anachronistic knitted red/white diced hose, and others were able to get woven red/white diced hose cloth and make their own. Bonnets came in all kinds of forms, from blue berets to custom-knitted. Needless to say, there was a lot of discussion about all of this and it was hard to convince guys who had already spent their money that they might be wrong and need to buy yet more stuff. And so it went (and probably still goes).

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Luke MacGillie View Post
    Are you calling my plaid small? :-)

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    Certainly not!

  7. #6
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Yes, what Orvis said!!! 35 years ago everything but the hose cloth and lace could, kinda sorta be purchased at a fabric store.

    I’ve gotten much more discerning, but I am very much in the minority.

  8. #7
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    Yes what Orvis said (x2) !

    I was a 79th NYSM re-enactor in the 1970s when ACW re-enacting was still basking in the afterglow of the Centennial.

    Back visiting family in the summer of 1977 I went into a fabric shop in Kanawha City and there was a bolt of Cameron Of Erracht tartan! It was only a couple dollars a yard. It was a decent weight and sett-size. I bought most or all of the bolt and it outfitted our entire unit here in California. (As a side-note my father and I went to see a movie that night. It was amazing. The bad guy had respiratory issues.)
    Last edited by OC Richard; 9th September 18 at 03:43 AM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

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