Surprise with the US Air Force Reserve Pipe Band Tartan

[mookien]

Barb: Let me start by saying that is a beautiful kilt, and a superb picture of a kilt with accoutrement. It looks like a picture out of a fashion magazine. Great work! Unfortunately, we only get to see the models' (daughter and husband, I presume) pleats.

I am puzzled by the sett "problem", and if a problem even exists. On the Strathmore web pages they label the subject tartan "US Air Force (Not Official)". Does the parenthetical phrase refer to "unsanctioned by the Air Force" or "an unofficial sett" (ie different from that shown by the STA and SRT)? If the latter, then there does not appear to be a problem beyond possible misinterpretation. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

Not that it matters all that much, but I prefer the simplicity of Strathmore's sett and Carolyn's kilt. To my eyes the other appears a bit too busy.

John

[Barb T]

Barb: Let me start by saying that is a beautiful kilt, and a superb picture of a kilt with accoutrement. It looks like a picture out of a fashion magazine. Great work! Unfortunately, we only get to see the models' (daughter and husband, I presume) pleats.

I am puzzled by the sett "problem", and if a problem even exists. On the Strathmore web pages they label the subject tartan "US Air Force (Not Official)". Does the parenthetical phrase refer to "unsanctioned by the Air Force" or "an unofficial sett" (ie different from that shown by the STA and SRT)? If the latter, then there does not appear to be a problem beyond possible misinterpretation. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

Not that it matters all that much, but I prefer the simplicity of Strathmore's sett and Carolyn's kilt. To my eyes the other appears a bit too busy.

John

If you go to the Register of Scottish Tartans and type in "Air Force", you'll see all of the tartans that have "Air Force" in the name. The one listed as "US Air Force Reserve Pipe Band" (tartan 2437) has a commentary in the text about it being woven by Strathmore and adopted by the US Air Force Reserve Pipe Band, despite the fact that what Strathmore weaves does not match the sett of the one listed in the Register. There is another USAF tartan listed as US 2001 Air Force (tartan 4089) that is virtually identical to that woven by Strathmore, except that there's a _green_ stripe instead of a gold stripe. And if you actually look at the sett, it's specified as green even though it's a little hard to tell what the color is in the thumbnail.

So, it's a bit of a mystery....