Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

Perhaps a different Kilt Society firm, this one defo Pakistani, 8 yard kilts for 65 pounds etc etc

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/kilts

Now with their sporrans some are priced so that they could be by WE Scott, others priced indicating Pakistan.

Sadly the couple I clicked on didn't show the backs. It's the backs that are the best indicator of where they were made.

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/sporrans

[jsrnephdoc]

Perhaps a different Kilt Society firm, this one defo Pakistani, 8 yard kilts for 65 pounds etc etc

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/kilts

Now with their sporrans some are priced so that they could be by WE Scott, others priced indicating Pakistan.

Sadly the couple I clicked on didn't show the backs. It's the backs that are the best indicator of where they were made.

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/sporrans

The first link above takes me to a site where the £65 kilt is either a cotton utility kilt or polyviscose, but where woolen kilts priced similarly to those from other reputable makers come from known Scottish mills with trademarked fabric designations AND a statement that they have a head office and phone number in Edinburgh (but not a storefront).

That's not the same as proclaiming where and how they sew their fabric, of course…

[OC Richard]

The first link above takes me to a site...where woolen kilts priced similarly to those from other reputable makers come from known Scottish mills...

I saw the 8-yard wool kilt for 200 pounds, which wouldn't even cover the cost of four yards double width 13 ounce kilting cloth from Lochcarron, for example, at 64 pounds a yard.

So it would be over 250 pounds just for the cloth. Then you would have to pay the kiltmaker.

[jsrnephdoc]

I saw the 8-yard wool kilt for 200 pounds, which wouldn't even cover the cost of four yards double width 13 ounce kilting cloth from Lochcarron, for example, at 64 pounds a yard.

So it would be over 250 pounds just for the cloth. Then you would have to pay the kiltmaker.

EXCEPT that, if you follow the links to that item (in Douglas Weathered tartan), it's 8 yards of synthetic cloth. On the other hand, if you go back to the site and select, for example, https://kiltsociety.com/collections/...avyweight-wool, the pricing is more in line what one might expect from a kiltmaker in Scotland, although CERTAINLY less expensive than what one would pay at Kinloch Anderson, for example.

[OC Richard]

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/...avyweight-wool, the pricing is more in line what one might expect from a kiltmaker in Scotland, although CERTAINLY less expensive than what one would pay at Kinloch Anderson, for example.

Ah, thanks, I had missed that page.

What they don't say is whether the pleats are machine stitched or hand stitched.

[jsrnephdoc]

Ah, thanks, I had missed that page.

What they don't say is whether the pleats are machine stitched or hand stitched.

Never having attempted anything more complex with needle and thread than re-attaching a button, I'm in the dark about the actual differences in quality between one with hidden but machine-stitched pleats and one with hand-stitched pleats. I'm guessing that some of it relates primarily to tradition.

Next week my NYC son and I will visit USA Kilts. They make two different price-point types of 8 yd woolen kilts, one where the pleats are made using"top-stitching" (easier to do and visible to anyone who knows what to look for) vs. hidden stitching. In both instances, however, the stitching is done by machine. I wonder whether there really IS any difference in quality between a carefully made kilt made by someone who stitches the pleats by machine vs. someone who does it by hand, given that a well-operated machine is capable of incredibly uniform output, but I hope to find out. I have only one kilt made by hand, and I'll wear that for my visit and see what I learn.

I'm excited for my visit because the people at USA Kilts seem uniformly happy about their work (and that's evident in their emails and phone calls). On topic for the thread title, however, I'll ask them about the "puffy-faced-dog" dress sporrans they sell (SOMEONE else must like them, since they offer them for sale, but they also sell the "Ghillie Shirts" so maligned so often here.

[RGM1]

Never having attempted anything more complex with needle and thread than re-attaching a button, I'm in the dark about the actual differences in quality between one with hidden but machine-stitched pleats and one with hand-stitched pleats. I'm guessing that some of it relates primarily to tradition.

Next week my NYC son and I will visit USA Kilts. They make two different price-point types of 8 yd woolen kilts, one where the pleats are made using"top-stitching" (easier to do and visible to anyone who knows what to look for) vs. hidden stitching. In both instances, however, the stitching is done by machine. I wonder whether there really IS any difference in quality between a carefully made kilt made by someone who stitches the pleats by machine vs. someone who does it by hand, given that a well-operated machine is capable of incredibly uniform output, but I hope to find out. I have only one kilt made by hand, and I'll wear that for my visit and see what I learn.

I'm excited for my visit because the people at USA Kilts seem uniformly happy about their work (and that's evident in their emails and phone calls). On topic for the thread title, however, I'll ask them about the "puffy-faced-dog" dress sporrans they sell (SOMEONE else must like them, since they offer them for sale, but they also sell the "Ghillie Shirts" so maligned so often here.

Ask about their Premier style which they outsource to Scotland.

[jsrnephdoc]

Ah, thanks, I had missed that page.

What they don't say is whether the pleats are machine stitched or hand stitched.

What they DO say suggests they may be hand sewn:

A traditional 8 yard kilt, cut from pure wool, deeply pleated to sett and finished with elegant double fringing. A waistband finished with 100% cotton lining, fastened with three adjustable leather straps and belt loops to allow for additional accessories. A beautiful kilt, crafted to last a lifetime.
High quality materials are combined with traditional tailoring techniques to create your bespoke kilt. Our range offers crafted pieces, made to measure by experienced local tailors using your choice of cloth.

[jsrnephdoc]

I was closing browser tabs and discovered, just before "saying goodbye" to those from <kiltsociety.com>, THIS:

There's an American film comedy named The Runaway Bride, in which Julia Roberts escapes repetitively from the altar, once on horseback. Maybe this guy is the runaway groom, or maybe Scots just flaunt conventions as much as Americans do.

[OC Richard]

A traditional 8 yard kilt, cut from pure wool, deeply pleated to sett and finished with elegant double fringing. A beautiful kilt, crafted to last a lifetime.
High quality materials are combined with traditional tailoring techniques to create your bespoke kilt. Our range offers crafted pieces...

That reminds me of the AI descriptions I'm seeing on Ebay nowadays.

They give lots of icing but not much cake (flowery verbiage short on specifics).

With some not-quite-idiomatic English thrown in for good measure.