Shaw (Modern) Comparing Sett Sizes and Colour Pallates

[TheOfficialBren]

Soon I hope to order a new kilt in the Shaw (Modern) tartan.

I want a darker, richer pallate. Which mill uses the darkest dyes?

What are the approximate sett sizes from these mills?

I have scoured pretty much every mill's website (not every mill weaves our tartan). A lot of them have poor quality photographs or digital reproductions.

Swatches are okay for colour comparison but not good for comparing sett size in some cases.

Any photos from owners of garments in this tartan or from kiltmakers are in advance GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.

[davidlpope]

In my experience Strathmore modern colors are the darkest, next House of Edgar, then Lochcarron. Dalgliesh's modern colors are very dark, as well, but they're not always consistent.

Lochcarron seems to have the largest setts in their 16oz and 13oz fabrics, usually 6-9 inches. Strathmore's 13oz. fabric is about the same. HOE's setts are generally smaller, about 5-7 inches.

Swatches are the absolute best way to compare both color shades and sett size. I'd encourage you to order swatches for all the available fabrics. Rocky has the best online compilation of available tartans on the USA Kilts website. He'd also make a great kilt for you.

David

[TheOfficialBren]

Excellent! Thank you, David. I was under the impression that a swatch wouldn't reflect the entire sett. I must have been mistaken. I am okay with 13oz rather than 16 oz since I live in Southern California (some people say 16oz is fine but I heat up easily).

How dark are we talking about with regard to Strathmore? I have seen their digital swatches on their site but I wonder how close they are to the final woven fabric. I love the deep, dark, rich colours in the digital swatches on their website! I'm a sucker for more sombre timbres when it comes to our clan's tartan.

If anyone has photos of this tartan made into a kilt I would very much like to see it. I know that it isn't the most common tartan as we aren't as large as clans like MacDonald or Campbell or MacPherson, et al..obviously weavers reflect that in their inventory.


Thank you, gents!

[davidlpope]

Most mills send swatches which show a full sett. At the very least you can determine what the width of a half-sett is from the swatch and then multiply by two.

Strathmore colors are very, very dark. Their green, black, and blue are hard to distinguish from a distance. The digital images are pretty close, but it's probably a bit darker.



If you want a Shaw kilt that looks black with barely discernable red stripes from a distance, go with Strathmore.

[TheOfficialBren]

Excellent. Thank you, sir. I do, indeed, want a dark, dark kilt. If memory serves correctly that was a trend sometime during the Victorian period. I came across that tidbit and it got my wheels turning. I hadn't even thought about it until then.

[ThistleDown]

David gives good advice here, BREN. Look to the swatch as your best 'test' for colour, tone and sett size.