Pleat problem with my new leather Utilikilt

[tundramanq]

I like win wins. I get the kilt I wanted and they can figure out what happened so it doesn't happen again. My current theory is the sewing got a skew in it. Each pleat is a seperate leather panel. The panels are sewn together forming the back pleats. I think that this one pleats panel and the one outside of it got offset a little ( doesn't take much ) and created the forced curl. Not sure because this pleat is sewn to the pocket and under one of the apron snaps. A whole lot of elements come together in the frontal area of a Utilikilt to make it work. Part of the reason the Utilikilts are pricey is their complexity. I would consider making a traditional but never a Utilikilt or even a traditional with internal slash pockets. The dog ear pockets ( cargos) anyone can do. Ask any kilt maker. Many are copying he original Utilikilt with cargo pockets. I don't think anyone has made a decent copy of the Mocker or Survival with the slash front pockets.

[seanachie]

A whole lot of elements come together in the frontal area of a Utilikilt to make it work. Part of the reason the Utilikilts are pricey is their complexity. I would consider making a traditional but never a Utilikilt or even a traditional with internal slash pockets. The dog ear pockets ( cargos) anyone can do. Ask any kilt maker. Many are copying he original Utilikilt with cargo pockets. I don't think anyone has made a decent copy of the Mocker or Survival with the slash front pockets.

Since things have gone in your favor, I feel freer to make this comment now so it does not come across as salt in the wound. The complexity and skill is one reason I would recommend if you look at leather again you might correspond with Robert Pel at Rkilts. Each of his kilts is made individually and personalized to your individual measurements. I don't have a leather but I do have hemp Rkilt. I can also tell you that Robert's service is first rate. I had a small issue with belt loops that he jumped all over and corrected. He is also a gentleman in the true sense of the word. I do not know about slash pockets for a leather kilt, but he would be the man to ask.

[tundramanq]

I'll second that, Robert is great to work with - I have a British Tan R Kilt. There is a whole lot I like about his kilts. But it is a lot to ask to make a beltless reverse kinguesse pleat kilt with slash side pockets ( jean pockets ). It would be a pretty drastic redesign from the ground up. The pockets, in order to work well, are a lot more difficult to do than you would think. The apron side pockets option on the SportKilts trainwreaks the whole fit and lay of these velcro waist closure kilts. I asked Rocky at USAK about side pockets for the casual and he politely declined. I don't blame him it pretty much requires the narrower apron style. Not having cargo pockets makes for a much cleaner looking kilt, but without the slash pockets we are pretty much stuck with the sporrans again.

[seanachie]

AH...well if you are talking non leather doesn't Freedom Kilts offer the option? I am sure I have seen Steve wearing one. And agreed as to the pleating and design standard you are looking for. That British Tan is a fine looking kilt, enjoy it and your new UK in good health! My SK is best used and a great fit for laying at the couch at the end of the week and watching a movie with my wife and the dogs napping up against me. It does not get worn often beyond the front door.

[tundramanq]

AH...well if you are talking non leather doesn't Freedom Kilts offer the option? I am sure I have seen Steve wearing one. And agreed as to the pleating and design standard you are looking for. That British Tan is a fine looking kilt, enjoy it and your new UK in good health! My SK is best used and a great fit for laying at the couch at the end of the week and watching a movie with my wife and the dogs napping up against me. It does not get worn often beyond the front door.

I do highly recommend the $49 SK flannel comfy kilts for lounging in the winter. I have 4. Won't hold a pleat but who cares ( It also won't hold a wrinkle). I have sewn the outer knife edges and mine look good enough for runs to the store too. I sewed a blackwatch first as I was going blind trying to match the pleats for clothes pinning for the hang dry. Worked so good I did the rest.
I did check out the Freedom kilts but buttons are a real pain to do and undo and don't look as clean as snaps. I do like that they use more pleats ( ='s more waggle )

my dog, wife, avatar, boss ( she wears the virtual pants) and awesome back warmer in bed. Just wasting away --- to a ton add expert begger.

[Canuck]

I'll second that, Robert is great to work with - I have a British Tan R Kilt. There is a whole lot I like about his kilts. But it is a lot to ask to make a beltless reverse kinguesse pleat kilt with slash side pockets ( jean pockets ). It would be a pretty drastic redesign from the ground up. The pockets, in order to work well, are a lot more difficult to do than you would think. ...snip

My Mach V also comes in leather and also has available slash pockets. I have sold a number of this style of kilt.

[tundramanq]

Robert, you are dangling carrots.
You may go nuts if I start specing out a custom leather kilt:

Remember how low I have to wear them - on top of the hip bones ( not above, on top of).

Take the best of the leather R Kilt and the Utilikilt Mocker / Survival:

Narrow strapless apron - guessing snaps versus straps ( don't know if velcro can hold this heavy of a kilt ) , narrow apron ( your 11-12 inch - including the pair of apron pleats), allowing the pockets to be more to the front than back for easy entry.
Diagonal entry, deep front pockets - vertical is hard to use and horizontal looks bad and will gape from the weight of the leather - am guessing about 20 degrees from vertical - deep because we will be deleting the hip widening /pleat wrecking cargo pockets and angled toward the center so that the stuff in the pockets falls between my legs when sitting.

No rear pockets - ain't sitting on my wallet and they mess up the pleats
Am guessing this pocket entry would involve two or more of the 1.25 inch pleats. Did some measuring on my 33 inch waist kilt and the pockets look like they will be in the first and second pleats out from the 12" apron.

- Getting a headache yet? I am

2 3/4 inch belt loops for my 2.5 inch belts.

Robert - I know you can do it - with creativity breaks to recharge your marble bag... Hope your liver holds out

RABBLE - just droping the waist to hipbone level for my current RKilt - quite successfully - posed some interesting challenges and compromises. There are fast dimension changes from upper to lower hip that occur starting under my belt. And now I want to add the pockets to this area and remove the strap adjustability!

I now have my 6th Rocky casual on order and we are still playing with waist and hip sizing to minimize the tweeking I have to do to get these to drape right. Currently ordering these with a 34 waist and 39 inch hip and my actual hip is 36 just to get the dimensional rate of change up so the pleats will lay. Actual vertical distance from waist to hip here is only about 4 inches versus the normal 7 inches. The casuals need the full 7 inch sewdown for structural strength and stability.
The sewdown is the waist band.

[Canuck]

Chuck, all is doable. How deep are your pockets? It's gonna cost you

[tundramanq]

$1k ?
I tried this 32/37/21.5 R Kilt on for fit again am towards the upper chow hound limit - kilt shrank in the closet ( hot here ) - center hole is a tad snug.
Say 33/38/21.5 and $1100 ? Sucker is that comfy, even if I am on the borderline of sweating.
Am thinking brown - is it really as dark as the pictures on site? Almost black in the picture.

Just incase you forgot the changes - this is one notch out from center on all straps:

The lower half of the incision scar is visible here - bellybutton down to the buckle.
The higher lower strap works well on this one - it's right at the widest part of my hips.

****? What ****..

The only tweek I did on this one is shortening the crosslink under the apron 1/4 inch - had a wee out curl on the apron.

The Survival pocket - am guessing the pockets would be in the first two pleats off the apron with your wider aprons and finer pleats - on second thought maybe use just one pleat, I dont really think it can be done crossing between pleats - of course it is in the sewndown area? Am way out of my skill level here :

Not a picture of mine - the narrow belt just looks wrong on a kilt IMHO...