largest sett of Modern MacDonald heavyweight?

[OC Richard]

It seems that our pipe band is going to get new kilts, and has decided upon the usual MacDonald, Modern Colours, heavyweight wool.

What the tartan experts here can help us with is, what mill should we go with? One thing we would like is a large sett size. Does anyone know the sett sizes of 16/17oz MacDonald Modern from the various big mills Dalgleish, Lochcarron, House of Edgar? Should we consider a mill other than those three?

We would probably buy a bolt; it's what pipe bands usually do, to ensure that all the present and future kilts will match in.

I found this photo showing a large-sett MacDonald and we like the look of it, especially the large sett size. (But the kilt in this photo is acrylic, I think, and we aren't going to get acrylic kilts.)



It would be extremely helpful for us, considering the large investment, to see photos of MacDonald Modern heavyweight wool kilts, and if possible a measurement of the sett size.

Thanks!! Richard

[KenB]

Have you checked Marton Mills and also Fraser & Kirkbright? They also weave MacDonald tartan.

[Riverkilt]

If I remember correctly the generic Macdonald is a tricky sett that's larger than most would see - but you probably know that better than I.

The Macdonald of the Isles Weathered Hunting tartan has a 9 inch sett.



Big, but probably not the tartan your band wants/uses.

[David Dubh]

Hi OCRichard I don't have a modern MacDonald kilt I do have the ancient MacDonald heavyweight from House of Edgar I measured it at 71/4 inche sett. I picked the mill based on the colour pallet that the mills used. I would suggest that you go for a custom weave so that you can select the colours and the sett size. I'm sure that some of our tartan experts will chime in with a specific mill with a large sett size. Good luck with your hunt, will you pleat to sett, stripe or as the Nova Scotia highlanders do the non stripe.
Slainte David

[RockyR]

If the band will be buying a bolt of cloth, why not have it custom woven to your exact desired sett size? Any mill can do that for you.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for the replies! 7 1/4" sounds like a decent sett size for a band.

Rocky that's a very interesting idea, and one which I hadn't thought about, that is, getting a bespoke tartan. Were we to do that, I would probably design a tartan for the band from scratch. I need to talk to "the guys" about this! Thanks!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I've worked with the standard MacDonald tartan from all three mills and I don't recall any one being significantly larger than the other. All were somewhere around 7.25" or 7.5" if memory serves. A swatch request from the mills would be a good idea.

However, I was also going to suggest what Rocky said -- order it woven with your desired sett size in mind, especially seeing as you are planning on getting an entire bolt.

[xman]

Great responses so far. FYI Geoffrey Tailor sells Clan Donald coth in a 9" sett if I'm not mistaken and House of Edgar's 13oz is about 7.5" which means if they keep their thread count the same the 16oz might be about 9" as well.

[OC Richard]

Great responses so far. FYI Geoffrey Tailor sells Clan Donald coth in a 9" sett if I'm not mistaken and House of Edgar's 13oz is about 7.5" which means if they keep their thread count the same the 16oz might be about 9" as well.

When you say Geoffrey Tailor sells it, do you mean the tartan they weave themselves? A 9" sett would be fantastic! Thanks.

[RockyR]

When you say Geoffrey Tailor sells it, do you mean the tartan they weave themselves? A 9" sett would be fantastic! Thanks.

It's their "Auld Reekie" line... 16 oz cloth that they weave on site in the Edinburra location and use it for some of their kilts (along with Lochcarron, HOE, etc). They don't wholesale it, so you'd be stuck using them as the kiltmaker ("Stuck" is a relative term as they've got a great reputation in their own right).