X Marks the Scot - An on-line community of kilt wearers.

   X Marks Partners - (Go to the Partners Dedicated Forums )
USA Kilts website Celtic Croft website Celtic Corner website Houston Kiltmakers

User Tag List

Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1
    Join Date
    14th February 19
    Location
    inverness
    Posts
    1
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Regimental tartan advice

    Hello all,

    My name's Maggie and I live in the highlands of Scotland.

    I am looking for some help please. What weight can regimental tartan be? I have some beautiful tartan left to me by my Dad, 10 metres of Royal Stewart. It is very heavy and thick. you could put it down as flooring covers, but it's not brushed or scratchy, just really smooth.

    If this is the really heavy weight type from 60 years ago in the army I will make something for my home or can you make a kilt from this type?

    I've take some pics and uploaded, apologies for the poor pics.

    I'm excited about being part of your forum and have loads of stuff I want to ask and read from yourselves.

    Maggie

  2. #2
    Join Date
    5th August 14
    Location
    Oxford, Mississippi
    Posts
    4,756
    Mentioned
    8 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Well met and welcome Maggie. I have "clipped" two of the three photos you offered us of your tartan. Here they are for the group to view.

    I expect the weight is at or over 18 ounce fabric but defer to those that know more than I do. Glad to have you with us and am excited for you and any projects you are able to do with this fine cloth.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    27th October 09
    Location
    Kerrville, Texas
    Posts
    5,689
    Mentioned
    8 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by maggiemayhighland View Post
    I am looking for some help please. What weight can regimental tartan be? I have some beautiful tartan left to me by my Dad, 10 metres of Royal Stewart. It is very heavy and thick. you could put it down as flooring covers, but it's not brushed or scratchy, just really smooth.

    If this is the really heavy weight type from 60 years ago in the army I will make something for my home or can you make a kilt from this type?
    Our member figheadair will be the expert on this subject, but here are my 2 cents, as I've been studying regimental tartan weights a lot lately.

    There was no set standard for regimental tartan weight. But generally speaking, the older ones would have been in the 18oz to 22oz range. This is loosely measured as 18oz per one yard of cloth, double-width. So, roughly 36 inches by 60 inches is what I've seen quoted by others. Not all double-width cloth is the same width, though, as some mills are 54 inches wide or 56 inches, etc. So the standard is pretty vague.

    If you measure your cloth (length times width) and weigh it, you should be able to get a pretty good idea of where it comes out in the nominal cloth weight categories.

    An 18oz cloth would weigh somewhere around 1.2oz to 1.33oz per square foot.
    A 22oz cloth would weigh around 1.47oz to 1.63oz per square foot.

    There are also some regimental tartans that are more like regular civilian kilt-weight tartans, which are traditionally in the 16oz range. This would be around 1.07oz to 1.19oz per square foot.

    Kilts can, of course, be made from any of these weights.

  4. The Following User Says 'Aye' to Tobus For This Useful Post:


  5. #4
    Join Date
    2nd January 10
    Location
    Crieff, Perthshire
    Posts
    4,522
    Mentioned
    14 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    It's clearly a worsted cloth of the Crossbred yarn type as opposed to the older coarse Cheviot type material. A relatively modern (last 40 years) 18oz cloth is most likely from looking at the pictures.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    18th October 09
    Location
    Orange County California
    Posts
    10,563
    Mentioned
    17 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post

    18oz cloth

    22oz cloth

    There are also some regimental tartans that are more like regular civilian kilt-weight tartans...16oz range.
    Now keeping in mind that "regimental tartans" covers a lot of ground, what with a vast number of Territorial and Volunteer units in Britian, plus innumerable Dominions regiments, and speaking only to the regular regiments of the British army, what I've seen is that the heavier cloth was issued to Other Ranks and the civilian-like cloth was worn by senior Sergeants and privately purchased by Officers.

    The heavy Other Ranks stuff has a completely different look and feel to it, the surface a bit fuzzy like a travel rug, and the pattern slightly less distinct. (It's hard to put into words, actually.)

    There are photos of military pipes & drums where the difference between the civilian-looking tartan of the Pipe Major is clearly distinct from the heavy wooly kilts of the other pipers.

    Here: 4SCOTS (The Highlanders) the Pipe Major on the left; note the difference in sett size, and the colours:



    (This is the civilian kit the Pipes & Drums wears when competing at Highland Games. Their Glengarries, kilts, flashes, and neckties are regimental, the shirts, waistcoats, sporrans, hose, and shoes are civilian.)

    Back around 1980 when I was very skinny I wore a Canadian army kilt for a time. It was so heavy and stiff that I could buckle it and it would stand up by itself. (It may never have been to the cleaners!)
    Last edited by OC Richard; 14th February 19 at 05:11 PM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» Log in

User Name:

Password:

Not a member yet?
Register Now!
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.0