Black Watch Tartan

[Ancienne Alliance]

It came to my ear that some kilted gentlemen cannot bear the sight of Black Watch tartan. They don't even speak out the name !
Could I please have you opinion on this matter ?
Thank You

Robert

[beloitpiper]

I can "bear the sight of it", but I'm not a big fan. Definitely not on my list to get. Both it's plain design and what it has represented keeps me away.

[The Ulsterman]

Well,....I personally love the Black Watch tartan, as i have a love for all things military, and most of the military tartans are based around the Black Watch tartan, (or Government tartan).
The Gordon is Black watch with a yellow stripe,
The McKenzie is BW with a red a white stripe,
The Leslie is the same (different pattern)
The Sutherland tartan is a lighter shade of BW,
and so on........
I can however understand why some Scottish folk wouldn't like it, but that is a matter i would prefer avoid.
I think that to see a Black Watch drummer in scarlet doublet and BW tartan kilt, is a great contrasting and beautiful uniform.

Just my humble opinion.
Neil.

[ccga3359]

My newly aquired ancient MacLachlan is Black Watch based, only in red and blue. One day I might have a BW after all we have a Black Watch regiment here in Canada and fair's fair I have the tartan of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

[RobertParker]

Do they dislike it for any specific reasons? The fact that it's one of the most wide-spread? I can see people getting tired of it in terms of it becoming a "stereotypical" tartan. Just curious.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Well,....I personally love the Black Watch tartan, as i have a love for all things military, and most of the military tartans are based around the Black Watch tartan, (or Government tartan).
The Gordon is Black watch with a yellow stripe,
The McKenzie is BW with a red a white stripe,
The Leslie is the same (different pattern)
The Sutherland tartan is a lighter shade of BW,
and so on........
Neil.

Just a minor correction -- the Leslie is not a tartan based on the Black Watch. As you said, it is a completely different pattern. The Gordon & MacKenzie, as you have correctly stated, are Black Watch variants. As are Hunting Robertson, MacLachlan, MacNab, Fraser of Lovat, Lamont, Forbes, and a slew of others.

Sutherland (district) is the same as the Black Watch tartan, as is Campbell, Hunting Grant, and Hunting Munro.

Like it or not, it's everywhere!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Both it's plain design and what it has represented keeps me away.

I'm not sure "what it has represented" means-- unless it is a veiled "Oirish" statement that I'm not picking up on... nor, as an Irish man, would I care to. Political agendas aside, I'm not a big fan of the "universal tartan" mostly because with civilian wear it looks like something bought at an army surplus store, and seems to find a lot of favour with the white pith helmet brigade at many USA highland games.

[The Ulsterman]

Just a minor correction -- the Leslie is not a tartan based on the Black Watch. As you said, it is a completely different pattern. The Gordon & MacKenzie, as you have correctly stated, are Black Watch variants. As are Hunting Robertson, MacLachlan, MacNab, Fraser of Lovat, Lamont, Forbes, and a slew of others.

Sutherland (district) is the same as the Black Watch tartan, as is Campbell, Hunting Grant, and Hunting Munro.

Like it or not, it's everywhere!

Hi Matthew,..You are of course absolutely right,...that was a blooper on my behalf....I used to wear the Leslie (hunting) and i always thought it was based on the BW.
Thanks for puting me right.
Neil.

[Larry124]

A (not appropriate for here) anti-Campbell bias?
I suspect that historically all Clans and Families and even perhaps military units have both heroic and villainous aspects.
Especially depending on which side (of an event or particular period in time) is telling the tale.

I like the BW. Fashion-wise I prefer it to solid green or black.
As a Universal Tartan it is more attractive to my eyes than Stewart Hunting.

[Nanook]

Political agendas aside, I'm not a big fan of the "universal tartan" mostly because with civilian wear it looks like something bought at an army surplus store,

Except that "army surplus" as in army kilts tend to have value comparable, if not in excess of, the value of many civilian kilts. Those "army surplus" kilts were made to very highest standards completely by hand by some of the finest kilmakers (Wm Anderson, Thomas Gordon & Sons, Hector Russel etc.) using heavyweight , robust and water resistant 100% wool cloth from "local" production. We could argue about the merits of (Robert Noble) woollen spun versus (Lochcarron, House of Edgar etc.) worsted wool for kilts but need to agree that the former is the more expensive (and harder wearing) material. The cost to make a proper kilt to pre RRS standards (today's RRS kilts are more or less civilian grade kilts machine made in worsted wool) is in excess of the price of most civilian kilts (more of more expensive cloth and more labour intensive patterns). And on the surplus market? Not cheap either--- or else companies like WPG would not be able to charge $300 USD for vastly inteferior Pakistani knock-offs (with neither the materials nor the workmanship).
"Civilian wear" tends to mean either imported or worsted cloth and I would agree that "Black Watch" looks odd in worsted cloth due to its higher definition of pattern and brighter colours but that's only because it does NOT look like "army" as we've come to expect it. Its still relatively somber compared to many other tartans. Black Watch is not for those that like loud tartans but...

and seems to find a lot of favour with the white pith helmet brigade at many USA highland games.

I can't really imagine... I thought those guys wear either table cloths, canvas or cheap poly-acrylic Sialkotis.