Always wondered - time to ask

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I cannot seem to see the image for some reason. But I can imagine what you are describing. There is no particular name for a tartan woven with a large sett size. You'd still just call it "Royal Stewart," though woven with say a 14" sett repeat as opposed to a 7.5" repeat.

Occasionally a woolen mill will offer two versions of the same tartan in different sett sizes, and offer them under different names, but this is generally just "in house" terminology.

For example, I recently received a length of "Old Campbell" tartan from Lochcarron for a kilt I'm making. It is exactly the same as their ordinary Campbell tartan, only woven with a slightly smaller sett. Outside of this range of cloth from Lochcarron, if you referred to the "Old Campbell" tartan I wouldn't know what you were talking about.

In the nineteenth century it was more common for mills to offer the same tartan in multiple sett sizes. For example, if you look at this pattern book, you will note that they offer a 42nd tartan, and a "Small 42nd" tartan. Likewise they offer a Davidson and a "Small Davidson." The same is true with Glengarry and MacKenzie. They even offer three different sizes of the Rob Roy!

[figheadair]

In the nineteenth century it was more common for mills to offer the same tartan in multiple sett sizes. For example, if you look at this pattern book, you will note that they offer a 42nd tartan, and a "Small 42nd" tartan. Likewise they offer a Davidson and a "Small Davidson." The same is true with Glengarry and MacKenzie. They even offer three different sizes of the Rob Roy!

Of course as discussed elsewhere Matt what you have there is a Scott-Adie bound book of Wilsons' samples and it was the latter who, as 'the' C19th tartans weavers gave us so much of the nomenclature with which we are familiar today. Their 1819 Key Pattern Book includes the following specifications or sizes: Plaid sett, Kilt sett, Coarse kilt, Fine kilt, Small and Smallest although not all setts were woven in all these sizes and a majority of the terms refered to their military tartans albeit Small and Smallest 42nd etc seem to have been for the civilian market.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Of course as discussed elsewhere Matt what you have there is a Scott-Adie bound book of Wilsons' samples and it was the latter who, as 'the' C19th tartans weavers gave us so much of the nomenclature with which we are familiar today. Their 1819 Key Pattern Book includes the following specifications or sizes: Plaid sett, Kilt sett, Coarse kilt, Fine kilt, Small and Smallest although not all setts were woven in all these sizes and a majority of the terms refered to their military tartans albeit Small and Smallest 42nd etc seem to have been for the civilian market.

Yes, and I see that in the same Scott Adie book they have a "Smallest Prince Charles Edward."

It seems that whereas today we have our choice of color schemes (modern, ancient, weathered), our ancestors 150 years ago had their choice of sett size!

[NeightRG]

Strange - it was working last night. I just uploaded a version to Xmarks, so it should work now.

Thanks for for insight - guess I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled for larger setts when I'm looking for fabric.