Ok, as this thread keeps generating interest, I think I'll chime in here with a few thoughts.

First, I am the designer of the original X Marks the Scot tartan. However, I don't pretend to retain any exclusive rights to the tartan. I did the design work pro bono, for the forum, and gave the tartan to Hank for him to use. When the forum was sold to Steve, the tartan went along with everything else.

Therefore, any official discussion of X Marks the Scot tartan variants really needs to be cleared with Steve Ashton, the forum owner.

As I am the original designer of the tartan, and a supporter of this forum, I'm more than happy to design variants of the tartan. However, Steve has not asked me to do so. Furthermore, Steve has created tartans himself (see the recent thread about his City of Victoria tartan) so he may very well like to design any X Marks tartan variants himself.

So I don't want to presume anything without speaking with Steve.

But I will offer these few opinions. First, if there is a demand for variations of the X Marks tartan, then I'm all for it. Why not? Whether that means simply a run of the original blue X Marks the Scot tartan in some alternate color scheme (an "ancient" or "weathered" version), or a completely new tartan (such as a Dress or Hunting version) is for someone else to decide.

Producing the same tartan in a different color scheme is as simple as altering the hues of the colors in the tartan. If we want a Hunting or Dress tartan, then we are talking about a new tartan design. If we do go that route, I would propose the following tartans.

First, here is a good image of the original X Marks the Scot tartan, for reference:


Now, here is what I would propose as an X Marks the Scot Dress tartan.


Lastly, here is my Hunting variation. A few notes about this first. A lot of people have made positive comments about the so-called "Hunting" tartan proposed by the original poster, which is essentially the standard X Marks tartan with black as the main color. A tartan created by substituting the main color of a tartan with black is not what one would normally consider a Hunting tartan. In fact, I can think of no examples. Generally, when a tartan is rendered with black as the main color, it is simply referred to as the "Black" so-and-so. A prime example would be Black Stewart.

If people like this black version of the X Marks tartan and want to see it in production, I have no problem with it, but I wouldn't call it "Hunting." I'd just call it the Black X Marks the Scot tartan.

A hunting tartan generally implies a tartan with a dominant green/blue color scheme, or sometimes mostly blue (MacLaine of Lochbuie Hunting, Earl of Inverness Hunting, etc.), or sometimes brown (Fraser Hunting). Generally the term "hunting" will describe a tartan in such a colors when the main tartan in question is a brighter color, such as red.

So, in fact, since the X Marks the Scot tartan is primarily blue to begin with, one wouldn't expect to see a "Hunting" version of it. However, if a hunting version is desired, I would think a version rendered in either greens or browns would be recommended. So this is the X Marks the Scot Hunting that I have come up with and would propose.


Lastly, just to reiterate, these are simply my proposed recommendations and nothing more. If Steve wants to adopt either of these as accepted forum tartans, that's great. But he may wish to create his own, or he may wish to not bother with variations of our tartan. Regardless, if the rabble here are serious about seeing a different variation of the tartan adopted and put into production, he really needs to be brought into the discussion.