The perfect kilt - if price is no object

[BCAC]

I know what I would want, but no clue who would make it for me. Weathered Davidson knife pleated, 8 yard, triple fringe, embossed brown leather straps, and weathered brass buckles.

Actually, I'm most impressed with Paul Henry's fringe work, Matt Newsome's attention to detail, and the quality of my USA Kilts... could I have a consortium of kiltmakers buikd my kilt?

The consortium is a good idea, but I think perhaps each and every one of the kiltmakers you named could do all the work to a very high standard.

I've no experience with Matt nor with USA Kilts but I can say that there is no possible way to make my Cunningham Hunting Ancient tank (made by the expert hands of Paul Henry) any better. It's simply not possible.

[tyger]

I reccomend Bonnie Heather for knife pleat, Matt Newsome for box. Get one of each,,,,not kidding you

[OC Richard]

The kilt I usually wear nowadays is just about as perfect as it can be: Strome fabric, handstitched, no loops, two straps, made to measure.

I do have a 'dream kilt' though: Cameron of Erracht in extra-heavy Army weight fabric, boxpleated to the yellow line, grass-green binding, Army style straps & buckles. I would prefer the mid-19th century style with approximately 1" wide pleats and hence somewhat less fabric than modern Army kilts.

[Spartan Tartan]

I am with Flyrod, except I want platinum buckles...

[Father Bill]

Already ordered from John at Keltoi! Hunting Sinclair Strome, box-pleated . . . .

[Joshua]

Now that I think about it, if price is no object, than instead of using Strome for my Weathered Davidson... having it in 20oz Tweed would be the order of the day.

And I think out of all the Kiltmakers that I've looked into, I think a two-buckle knife pleated tank from Keltoi (his "Stabilizer" option sounds good for my odd measurements, plus this kilt is heavily influenced by Woodsheal's Weathered Black Watch tank featured (here), with the features that I've already mentioned (but just to keep anyone from looking in the past, I'm going to repeat them).

Material:
Davidson Weathered in 20oz Tweed
Brown Leather Zoomorphic Embossed Straps
Weathered Brass Buckles
Extended-length horsehair-canvas liner with silk patch sewn in front for chafe protection (tweed is rough stuff!).

Construction:
Single belt-loop @ 6'o clock with leather reinforcement.
Two Buckle (no hip buckle)
As many yards as it takes to get over 30 pleats around my substantial posterior.

[Peter Crowe]

If price were no object I would have a military weight (18-21 oz) kilt in Muted Red Ross (custom weave), eight yards, pleated to the sett. As to a kiltmaker, I would want someone who could hand sew a kilt of the quality of my father's tank made by that kilt maker at Peter Henderson Ltd. in around 1971/72. I am sure some kilt makers still make kilts of that quality. I would have conventional straps and buckles of the same quality.

[Tobus]

It's always great hearing what people want in a 'dream kilt', but I think what I was more interested in (i.e. why I asked) was to see if there's any clear consensus on the top kilt-makers of our time. I do understand that different kilt-makers will specialize in different methods of construction or pleating types, so there's no single kilt-maker that will necessarily be the best at all of them.

But I was hoping to see if there was one person (or two or three) that emerged as the "best of the best" in kilt-making.

[davidg]

I was hoping to see if there was one person (or two or three) that emerged as the "best of the best" in kilt-making.

I think you're probably asking for the impossible. I've no wish to dismiss any of the kilt makers here but the truth is there are lots of excellent kilt makers around the world. I would be very happy ordering from any one of them

For me though, it's not a case of money being no object. I'm more interested in the time it takes because I'm impatient. My best of the best kilt maker would have made it yesterday in case I wanted to order it today!

[CMcG]

I don't yet own a true tank, so that would be my holy grail kilt:

- Custom Dalgliesh 18 oz weave of the Wilson of Bannockburn colours versions of my clan tartan (MacQuarrie).

- 8 yards, knife pleated to the sett, double fringe, black celtic knot embossed straps, silver buckles, silk lined

- Hand sewn by my fellow clansman Matt Newsome

I don't know if that is the "perfect" kilt, but I don't have anything of that weight, yardage, and calibre in my stable...