Truth in advertising...

[RAF]

I now realize I have a forum (literally) to ask this question.
Back story first.
About two to three years ago I purchased a Kilt (my second one) online from Heritage of Scotland. On the site it was marketed as 100% heavyweight wool. Shortly after taking delivery of my bespoke garment I was one day more carefully reading the finer print on all the import/customs documentation and noticed that the kilt was listed as being 100% polyester. I had already worn it a few times and I was happy with how it looked so I never really persued it any further. But it occurred to me that I was most likely overcharged as I was not sold what I ordered, and decided not to patronize the establishment again. At this point I have no expectations of or desires for recourse. I have been wearing the kilt regardless and it's holding up pretty well, with the exception of some minor pilling from the sporran hooks.
I was wondering, has anyone else ever had any issues with this company? Just curious of others opinions and standings.

[SteveB]

You may wish to utilize the search engine for "Heritage of Scotland" or "Gold Bros." This will yield many threads and much discussion of this establishment.

Please note that they are NOT listed as an advertiser on this forum. Nuf said.

Cheers,
Steve

[Danwell]

Please note that they are NOT listed as an advertiser on this forum. Nuf said.

Cheers,
Steve

Please, let us be clear that there are many many fantastic kilt makers who make first class products and have impeccable customer service who don't advertise on this site.

If a sign in the advertising banner is the only thing that can possibly qualify a company or person as reputable, we're in trouble indeed.

[John_Carrick]

Got this 5 yard kilt for £120 from Heritage of Scotland this spring and I'm very pleased with it; it is not a patch on an 8 yard 16oz Strome handmade kilt but it is a third or a quarter of the price. You select the cloth from the usual mills on a drop down menu on their site.
They do PV kilts for about £45 which I have not gone near. I had a problem with an order for a sporran and had no bother getting my money back.
Don't get your good kilt there!
John

[Downunder Kilt]

You will find on a lot of similiar sites that they will advertise a kilt as wool in their banner headline. When you go scroll down into the actual description, somewhere there will be the words, "man made wool" or "wool feel material" or "artificial wool" or "wool blend" I have gone to sites with the "Wool" banner headline and always find the same. Caveat Emptor on all such sites

[FatherWilliam57]

You will find on a lot of similiar sites that they will advertise a kilt as wool in their banner headline. When you go scroll down into the actual description, somewhere there will be the words, "man made wool" or "wool feel material" or "artificial wool" or "wool blend" I have gone to sites with the "Wool" banner headline and always find the same. Caveat Emptor on all such sites

Question: I have noticed on some advertisements (don't recall who's ads at this moment) the term "new wool." Is this yet another euphemism for material that is less than 100% wool? Thank you!

[CDNSushi]

Question: I have noticed on some advertisements (don't recall who's ads at this moment) the term "new wool." Is this yet another euphemism for material that is less than 100% wool? Thank you!

Not to my knowledge. At least not unless someone's trying to be deceitful.

I am aware of two definitions of "new wool." One is that "new wool" equals "virgin wool" which equals wool that has been spun only once, as opposed to being spun from recycled wool fibers.

Another definition of "new wool" is that it involves a treatment process that makes it less itchy and less liable to shrink... Also called "biopolishing."

Here's more info: http://www.livescience.com/3847-wool-itch-shrink.html

I suspect that 9.9 times out of 10, "new wool" will refer to the first rather than the second definition I listed above.

[davidg]

No. Pure wool should mean just that, 100% pure with nothing added

The U.S. subscribes to the Woolmark specifications so if you want to be absolutely certain then look for the Woolmark, Woolmark Blend and Woolblend symbols. All of the main Scottish mills (Lochcarron, Strathmore, DC Dalgleish and House of Edgar) plus Marton Mills produce tartan in 100% wool that qualifies for the Woolmark label, although the kiltmaker has to be registered to put the label on their kilts

The Woolmark symbol can only be used on products made of 100 percent wool? The Woolmark Blend symbol is for products containing a minimum of 50% new wool, and the Woolblend symbol represents products with 30-49% new wool

Here in Europe we also have safeguards built into the law. If a company advertises their products here as being made from wool then it must be true. If it is not they can be fined. Those safeguards are additional to the Woolmark guarantees

New wool simply describes wool that has never been used before, as opposed to recycled

[RAF]

Sorry to have opened that can - guess I should have done some back tracking and more searching before posing the question. Thanks for the replies and thread links. Seems like a (previously) hot topic - kind of like cream/white hose :-)

[Jock Scot]

Crumbs! Only four----five now------posts on this subject and the earth is still spinning? Have we really run out of things to say on this subject? Have we? Really? Well I do hope so!