Assistance needed in the identification of this tartan.

[davidlpope]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused.

Cameron Or Cameron of Erracht?

,

I thought this was Cameron as per Vestiarium Scoticum?



Gor blimey! Out of my depth again...

The tartan proposed as a match is Cameron of Erracht.

[English Bloke]

The tartan proposed as a match is Cameron of Erracht.

Or is, at least meant to be...

Thanks David. I see from Figheadair's subsequent post that the tartan may be unique (and possibly flawed technically) with regards exact colours and thread count but it did look like faded Erracht rather than Cameron (clan) to me.

I am reassured that I haven't got this tartan spotting all wrong.

I do like the concept of "I like the sett but I want to change the hue". I've considered commissioning a kilt length of Bruce Reproduction special weave along similar lines using the same thread count with different colours but I haven't got the readies right now. To do it would result in something completely unique as opposed to uncommon (as per my Bruce Hunting) and therefore would make it, specifically mine. A project for the future perhaps although I readily accept I've probably missed the point of clan tartans.

Anywhoo, on the off chance, I've bought my ticket for Friday AND Saturday night's lotteries so I'm ever optimistic. It's only a matter of time.

[Herr Doktor]

The colours are very odd, very muddy. Though not unattractive. It is pleated to the line and might be made up for a pipe band perhaps? Here is a photograph comparing the outside of the apron to the inside of the inner apron. Not much difference in colour so there goes out my UV damage theory.

Also I have added some detailed shots of the tartan for inspections.

These pictures were taken in full mid morning sunlight.

Thank you for your help with this curiosity.

[Herr Doktor]

Here are the others to go with the photographs in the previous posting, where ever it went. One may be a repetition as I can not check the previous post.

[davidlpope]

Wow. Not only are the colors used different from the normal Cameron of Erracht colors, but the warp and weft colors used in the "blue" field don't even match!

The pleats seem to me to be too wide to be a true military kilt. It's definitely a mystery of a kilt...

[English Bloke]

See... this is what the Kilt Police should be investigating. Anomilies such as this!

[Eck]

Just throwing this in as food for thought, Herr Doktor has indicated that the kilt is a 26" (rather slim) waist and that the colours in the folds match the colours on the outside which would tend to discount fading - it's a possiblility that the kilt has been washed instead of dry cleaned, hence the loss of particular dye colour and rather slim waist due to shrinkage? Just a thought.

[davidlpope]

Just throwing this in as food for thought, Herr Doktor has indicated that the kilt is a 26" (rather slim) waist and that the colours in the folds match the colours on the outside which would tend to discount fading - it's a possiblility that the kilt has been washed instead of dry cleaned, hence the loss of particular dye colour and rather slim waist due to shrinkage? Just a thought.

Not quite. If you look at the close-ups of the twill you see that there are actually two colors (purple and khaki brown) which combine to produce the "Hodden Gray" effect where the CoE tartan would have blue. This isn't the result of fading, bleaching, etc. It's a result of the weaving.

The selvedge and the colors make me think it's a Dalgliesh-produced tartan. Why doesn't someone in the UK ring Ken and ask if he's ever seen this fabric?

David

[figheadair]

Or is, at least meant to be...

Thanks David. I see from Figheadair's subsequent post that the tartan may be unique (and possibly flawed technically) with regards exact colours and thread count but it did look like faded Erracht rather than Cameron (clan) to me.

I am reassured that I haven't got this tartan spotting all wrong.

I do like the concept of "I like the sett but I want to change the hue". I've considered commissioning a kilt length of Bruce Reproduction special weave along similar lines using the same thread count with different colours but I haven't got the readies right now. To do it would result in something completely unique as opposed to uncommon (as per my Bruce Hunting) and therefore would make it, specifically mine. A project for the future perhaps although I readily accept I've probably missed the point of clan tartans.

Your last para raises an interesting conumdrum. We are all assuming that the tartan in the OP was intended to be Cameron of Erracht. Technically it is not and should not have been sold as such. So, either it was sold as CoE incorrectly or it's a different (and previously unknown) sett based on the Erracht but with a different name.

Similarly, if you commission a 'new' tartan based on the setting of Bruce Hunting then I would regard it as a separate tartan. Cf the 42nd variants: Gordon, Cheape, Murray etc., or the futher colour changes such as MacNab or MacLachlan.