The OUTRAGEOUS Price of kilts!

[arrogcow]

In response to the idea that worsted wool has to be that expensive, I did a quick google search. I have been able to find non tartan suiting worsted wool (10-11 oz) for as little as $0.88 (that's 88 cents) per yard for wholesale prices, and the average price is about $10-15 retail. Yes setting up a complicated sett is more difficult than a solid (though I found non tartan plaid at these prices), but really 4-6 times harder? And yes some tartans are only woven in small, special order batches, but the 10-12 common tartans (BW, Royal Stewart etc.) have no excuse for the price you have to pay for them.

Again there are many people I have talked to that want kilts, but can't get around the price (and seem less interested in acrylic or PV for what ever reason). A significant price reduction due to fabric would get many more people into kilts causing more fabric to be needed.

Adam

[Perldog007]

I am in full agreement Alan. When I ordered from Steve at FK I thought I was getting a bargain for quality work. Especially considering Steve's engineering and military background.

Now that I have sat down and tried to assemble a kilt, I think the price is a steal. Sure it is alot of money for a guy who who is basically employed as a box lifter and hurler of ephitats, but I could go back to being the perldog (web coder) if I was consumed with desire for the cash.

Almost anybody could find a way to make more scratch if that was their obsession.

I think we need more kiltmakers, and more kilted folk to at least attempt to roll their own so we can appreciate them. After my disaster with a UK, this kilted lunatic will do all he can to support kiltmakers.

Also we have to be thankfull to the SWKs' and UKs' of the world. They do put people in kilts, and that is what it is all about. But Kiltmakers are a treasure.

There are other garments if you can't stand the price. But only a kilt gives you the kilted experience. And only a kiltmaker can give you the best experience.

I am saving for the day when I can order my tank in my family tartan ( a special run of course) . By then I may consider hand sewing it myself. If I do have it made, I will not complain about paying a quality price for a quality product.

[cavscout]

A few weeks back I went to a folk museum and got to see a lady setting up a manual loom to weave some cloth for a solid color garment. The time involved was incredible. She said the setup is the longest most tedious part of the entire process. To make this more economical, they have to setup the loom to be ready to weave several different projects one right after the other. This means that my Fraser Hunting tartan is loaded on to a loom after a order of MacDonald Dress and just before an order of Wallace. Then the loom can run from one order right into the next. Each string from the previous order is manually tied to a string in the following order and then wound around a spool (magazine) to be weaved as the spool is undone. I imagine this same manual process still continues today even though the shuttle is automated. There is still no way to simplify the time consuming and critical part of the setup.