They say you should never buy a pig in a poke - my vintage eBay kilt.

**davidlpope** · 12th June 12, 06:36 AM

The Scottish Tartans Museum had a very nice exhibit featuring a very old MacDuff kilt. Photos here:

http://www.scottishtartans.org/macduff_kilt.htm

Interesting to note the different sett size and colors used in the Wilson's kilt.

**NeightRG** · 12th June 12, 09:18 PM

Thanks for the guesses, observations, and well-wishes. I guess we'll find out in a few days.
And thanks for the tartan ID, Rocky - I hadn't been able to tell what was blue, green, and black before.
We'll all get the scoop in a week or so.

**be da veva** · 13th June 12, 12:27 PM

To my eye, it doesn't look the MacDuff Red Modern tartan at all.

Then again, I'm not a pro...

**NeightRG** · 13th June 12, 12:47 PM

Be da veva - the tricky thing with old, faded wools is that the colors don't just fade or lighten - they often actually change color. Blues and greens can blacken, or often trade places, blacks can go yellow, reds can go brown or orange... All depends on the mill, the dyes they used at the time, and exactly want forces caused the fading. Looking at the basic layout of the sett, I'm feeling pretty safe with the MacDuff red.

**NeightRG** · 15th June 12, 12:27 PM

Well, it arrived today, and I'm pretty sure it's an early teen boy's kilt. Waist - 27", Hips - 32", Top to Bottom 24". By measuring the aprons, and the amount of fabric in one pleat, my math tells me it's made from about seven yards of fabric.
I'm taking a break from prepping it for pressing now. I did some spot cleaning, and fed the dry straps some Obenauf's leather preservative.
31 hand sewn pleats, machine sewn waistband. The faded look in the photo was just the photo - the colour of the tartan is great. Definitely MacDuff. Some moth holes, and a bit of loose stitching on the first pleat, and the edge of the under apron. Nothing out of a nightmare, but they're there.

I'm glad that I got it. It would never fit me, but it's still neat to see. Maybe someday I'll know somebody who wants a vintage kilt for their boy, and I can sell it to them. Who know's what I'll do with it...

I'll post some pictures after I'm done with the pressing.

**sydnie7** · 15th June 12, 01:19 PM

Have you checked to see that the pleats are cut out? If not, the fabric could be repurposed. . .

**NeightRG** · 15th June 12, 04:02 PM

The kilt's pressed - here's the promised photos.
Before -

After -

I noticed when I was pressing the pleats, that it's not pleated to the sett, exactly - it's pleated to a narrower version of the sett - can't blame them, for as many pleats as they squeezed into this little kilt.

You can see some of the moth holes here. I may try my hand at re-weaving them... I've darned enough socks that I'd be comfortable trying it.

The lining looks pretty nasty, but I'm sure it'd come out in a dry cleaning.

So I'm very happy with the purchase. I just wish there had been a tag in there somewhere. Any further thoughts on it's age?

**be da veva** · 15th June 12, 05:18 PM

I will bow out, I didn't read correctly Rocky's description of the image... Mac Duff tartan.... (Fuzzy image of tartan didn't fit...)
I agree about Mac Duff red Modern.

Will make a better effort at reading posts correctly from now on !!!