Information for tartan buyers

[Benning Boy]

All through my family tree can be found many Scottish family names. Like nearly every member of The Rabble I've wanted a kilt or kilts with a connection to these ancestors. My Mother is a Dalrymple, and the strongest family connection I have to Scotland is through the Dalrymple line. To satisfy my long held desire, I recently I purchased a length of Dalrymple of Castleton #2 tartan from Marton Mills. The sett of this tartan is based on that depicted in a portrait of Sir Robert Dalrymple of Castleton circa1720. The main colors in the portrait tartan are clearly orange and green. Someone registered a tartan now known as Dalrymple of Castelton that is primarily orange and blue, obviously at odds with the portrait. A second version came along that is more nearly like that in the portrait. That's the version I ordered.


The portrait can be seen Here:


http://houseoflabhran.com/blog/jacob...traits-part-2/

Here's what I received.




As you can see the Dalrymple of Castelton #2 of today has its roots in a Jacobite-era tartan.


You can learn more about how I came to order the Dalrymple in these threads:


http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...erested-84056/


http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...lrymple-87172/


http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f254/dd-day-88143/


I repeat some of the information here with the idea that the earlier threads will eventually get buried deeper and deeper in the archives, but that this thread may retain some prominence as it grows and becomes more useful.


The tartan was priced in British pounds(GBP) and I paid in US Dollars (USD)


The bottom line: total cost, including shipping, GBP 595.44. At the time of the final payment the total cost in USD was 908.16. However, when the tartan finally arrived I had to write a check to UPS for $101.25 to cover brokerage fees. I'm assuming part of this went to payment of the tariff, plus a commission to UPS for handling it. That brings the final cost of my tartan to USD 1,009.41. I received 13.9 meters, making the final cost USD 72.61 per meter delivered.


You can learn more about tariffs here:


http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...uestion-88128/


My Dalrymple was priced at GBP 39 per meter. The minimum order from Marton Mills is 11 meters. I made a 50% deposit on the order, based on an 11 meter minimum. I was charged GBP 214.50. I paid that amount on 25 February 15, at an exchange rate of USD 1.54 to the GBP, or USD 330.33. But, when ordering the minimum one has to be prepared to pay for any overage, and in this case the overage was 2.9 meters, a total of 13.9 meters were actually woven. The final cost of the tartan came to GBP 542.10. An absolute minimum of 11 meters would have cost GBP 429. I paid for the balance of the cost of the tartan on 05 May 15. The balance due was GBP 328.10. The exchange rate that day was USD 1.51 to the Pound, meaning I paid USD 495.42, and the total of the two payments was USD 825.75. Adding to that shipping cost of USD 80.54, and the final cost is USD 906.29.The small difference in the exchange rate between the times of the two payments accounts for the difference between the total cost in GBP, and the USD paid, I think.


Exchange rates for other currencies, on the day I made my final payment, where CAD 1.83, AUD 1.93, and EUR 1.35 equaling one GBP.


The 13.9 meters of tartan woven for me is roughly enough for four kilts. I really don't need that many in a single tartan, but there are other uses for the tartan, and others who are interested in buying some of the surplus from me. So, I don't feel like I spent too much. Even though you might pay much more per meter for bespoke tartan woven by other mills than I paid for mine, if you really want only a single kilt length of fabric, you might save money buying from the more expensive weavers – maybe. But, on the other hand, look at it this way; for not very much more you could buy from Marton Mills enough to make yourself a kilt, your wife a hostess dress, your mistress a mini skirt, and all your babies little tartan diapers.


Some additional thoughts. Marton Mills is located in Yorkshire, England. It is perhaps the largest weaver of tartan fabric, but it is not a Scottish mill. Many purists want their tartan only woven in Scotland. I'm not one of those. I'll take my tartan from wherever I can get it. I have no more problem with English woven tartan than I have with using American or Canadian, not Scottish kilt makers.


Further, purists say the weaving techniques at Marton Mills are different from those of the small Scottish boutique mills, and only the boutique tartan is “authentic'or “traditional.” If one studies the history of the kilt, it is seen that the kilt has evolved over the centuries. Weaving techniques also have changed over the centuries as well. Why is it, for example, that a modern kilt, in order to be considered traditional or authentic must be made of tartan woven using 18^th century techniques, even though the kilt is not made in an 18^th century style? As I said, I don't care where my tartan comes from, I have English, Canadian and Scottish woven in my collection. Nor do I care how the weaving is done. Probably 99.99% of observers would never see any difference, they don't even know there might be one, and of the .01% who might, from a polite distance even they won't be able to see it.


I hope this information will be useful to those considering a bespoke order of tartan. It's how I undertook this purchase. I consider it to be neither the right way nor the wrong way to go about it, but my way. How you choose to buy your tartan is your affair. Tell us about it here when you do, the curious rabble wants to know.