Ravenswood Leather kilt

[tundramanq]

I remember when I lived in Winslow and Holbrook AZ, BVD built a plant a few miles north of Winslow on the reservation, under the government system, to draw skill from the reservations and Winslow. It only lasted a few years.

You hit it right on the nose - true Quality Control can only be achieved in an in house facility that can reward the good workers well and get rid of the slobs.

I think Steve's problem is the small kilt market keeping Utilikilt too small to finance their own plant and too large to eyeball every detail of the process. If their employee rolls get too large govt regs get too oppressive to manage. Steve said this is why he has to keep his employee count down to the bare minimum.

[Clockwork]

If anything could turn me away from buying from UK, it's something like this. They could have patented their design features - the ones unique to them - without having to play games like this. A reputation can make a company, even without patents, as easily as it can break a company with patents. This, in combination with several other complaints about them I've come across, is enough to make me look elsewhere.

I'm sorry to hear about the issue with your Ravenswood kilt though. It must be aggravating to have to wait longer than expected only to find out you have to wait some more. They seem to have decent quality products along with a reputation to match; hopefully this is just an unusual instance.

Cheers,
-Jake.

[tundramanq]

Received version 2 of the Ravenswood kilt. I was apprehensive when I laid the kilt on the table from the box and the hem was about the same width as the waist. Hmm!
For the pictures, the waist is at about mid way on adjustment, gaps at the laces are both 1 1/8 inch for closed - great.
The not so great is that this kilt dosen't seem to taper from hip to waist.
You will see in the pictures that the lacing area is trying it's best to do this and is full out at the bottom. The laces are pretty loose here just enough to keep the pleat from standing at the laces.
On the front, the curved apron and bucking pleats are a result of the aprons being pulled apart. This kilt dosen't feel too snug in the hips but both aprons and the pocket pucker say otherwise.
I took it off right after to keep from mangling the leather and sent Ravenswood a polite email with what I said here and more info on it and kilts in general.
I then asked if they wanted to try again or give up.
Really seems that their kilt maker may have left and took the patterns. The sizing and snap issue with the first kilt and pictures on their site and elsewhere don't show this non taper issue. The workmanship, although good, isn't as good as the first kilt.

[TheOfficialBren]

Wow!!!
That really sucks, Chuck!!!

I'm sorry to hear that after almost A YEAR they STILL can't get it right. At almot $900 that thing should double as a set of pipes and play "Scots Wae Hae!"

I have never been into this style of kolt but can appreciate the workmanship that goes into them.

This, however, is unacceptable from a company. The first shipment was the wrong size and the snaps were reversed, and production was delayed and delayed and delayed, afterward, shipment was delayed (none of which is your fault). The second one sort of fits but is clearly manufactured incorrectly.

I would have got a refund after round one that is a LOT of money to spend. Obviously they don't care enough aout their customers and respect their hard-earned money to get it right the first time and ship within a REASONABLE time period.

Two thumbs WAY, WAY DOWN for Ravenswood.

I am absolutely flabbergasted by this!

Again, Chuck, I am so sorry that you were treated this way by a compqny. I know that you were really looking forward to this kilt.

[tundramanq]

They have a great reputation and I and others have been quite happy with their other stuff. I really think they took my order in good faith and then something happened. Like the kilt maker leaving. These modern style kilts are pretty complicated and to be prototyping in leather has to be hellishly expensive. I am feeling sorry for them. I know they will make this right with me. It's why I plainly gave them the option of giving up.
Without the know how, these kilts are rocket science. Every pleat is a seperate tapered leather panel that has to be cut precisely to pattern, the knife edge has to be sewn in and then must be sewn to the next panels accurately and correctly or the whole "house of cards" falls.

[TheOfficialBren]

Oic. Well goon on ya, mate, for your level head.


They do look like a nightmare to make.

I'm getting images of Barb and Rocky and Matt pounding their heads against their sewing tables and the Wizard of BC waving his magic wand and making another contemporary kilt appear. Lol!

[tundramanq]

Leather is a different beasty than woven cloth. Robert ( Canuck) hand picks his sides to get the most number of good kilt panels while avoiding the undesirable areas where the leather will look and/or act funny if used. This Tender Loving Care is really obvious in my RKilt! Maybe he is a leather whisperer.

[TheOfficialBren]

While this sort of kilt is not for me I have heard nothing bit good things about RKilts. The reputation is well-deserved based on Robert's reviews.

[Steve Ashton]

Further to the patent:

by Steven Jeffrey Villegas
Patent number 6,282,723
Sept. 4 2001

You can search for the full abstract of this patent through the US Patent and Trademark office.

If you read the full transcript carefully anyone who makes and sells a kilt, with what we call here Reverse Kingusse Pleating, in the US, could be in violation of this patent.

[tundramanq]

I am wondering that if the Reverse Kingusse Pleating isn't the key element of the patent, if presented with proof of pre- existance and use of the pleat style, Steven might be willing to amend and remove the feature from his patent. My direct correspondence with him as a customer with problems and/or ideas has led me to believe he is reasonable.

Here I would like Rocky to make me a custom Casual in the same material as a kilt I already have in reverse Kingusse pleat layout (all else being the same) just to answer the waggle and swish question between traditional knife pleat and Kingusse.
The aspect I like most about the reverse Kingusse is the ease of sweeping the pleats when sitting down, especially in an auto and avoiding the "rump" repleating. It works well with the twills and denims and am wondering about the PVs and wools.

The light weight (ripstop?) Desert Digital Camo material used in the Survival takes a rump press very well and incurres the steam iron job almost daily. It's stated as 100% cotton but it seems this fabric that is produced in the US is 50-65% nylon or poly with the balance being cotton.