Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

https://kiltsociety.com/collections/...avyweight-wool, the pricing is more in line what one might expect from a kiltmaker in Scotland, although CERTAINLY less expensive than what one would pay at Kinloch Anderson, for example.

Ah, thanks, I had missed that page.

What they don't say is whether the pleats are machine stitched or hand stitched.

[jsrnephdoc]

Ah, thanks, I had missed that page.

What they don't say is whether the pleats are machine stitched or hand stitched.

Never having attempted anything more complex with needle and thread than re-attaching a button, I'm in the dark about the actual differences in quality between one with hidden but machine-stitched pleats and one with hand-stitched pleats. I'm guessing that some of it relates primarily to tradition.

Next week my NYC son and I will visit USA Kilts. They make two different price-point types of 8 yd woolen kilts, one where the pleats are made using"top-stitching" (easier to do and visible to anyone who knows what to look for) vs. hidden stitching. In both instances, however, the stitching is done by machine. I wonder whether there really IS any difference in quality between a carefully made kilt made by someone who stitches the pleats by machine vs. someone who does it by hand, given that a well-operated machine is capable of incredibly uniform output, but I hope to find out. I have only one kilt made by hand, and I'll wear that for my visit and see what I learn.

I'm excited for my visit because the people at USA Kilts seem uniformly happy about their work (and that's evident in their emails and phone calls). On topic for the thread title, however, I'll ask them about the "puffy-faced-dog" dress sporrans they sell (SOMEONE else must like them, since they offer them for sale, but they also sell the "Ghillie Shirts" so maligned so often here.

[RGM1]

Never having attempted anything more complex with needle and thread than re-attaching a button, I'm in the dark about the actual differences in quality between one with hidden but machine-stitched pleats and one with hand-stitched pleats. I'm guessing that some of it relates primarily to tradition.

Next week my NYC son and I will visit USA Kilts. They make two different price-point types of 8 yd woolen kilts, one where the pleats are made using"top-stitching" (easier to do and visible to anyone who knows what to look for) vs. hidden stitching. In both instances, however, the stitching is done by machine. I wonder whether there really IS any difference in quality between a carefully made kilt made by someone who stitches the pleats by machine vs. someone who does it by hand, given that a well-operated machine is capable of incredibly uniform output, but I hope to find out. I have only one kilt made by hand, and I'll wear that for my visit and see what I learn.

I'm excited for my visit because the people at USA Kilts seem uniformly happy about their work (and that's evident in their emails and phone calls). On topic for the thread title, however, I'll ask them about the "puffy-faced-dog" dress sporrans they sell (SOMEONE else must like them, since they offer them for sale, but they also sell the "Ghillie Shirts" so maligned so often here.

Ask about their Premier style which they outsource to Scotland.

[jsrnephdoc]

Ask about their Premier style which they outsource to Scotland.

Actually, on USA Kilts's website, they state plainly in their description of their "Premier" 8 yard kilts that they produce them themselves at their own shop. Here's the text of that:

Our reputation is built upon the beauty, comfort and durability of these premium kilts. In fact, we are known for over-building essential parts: Extra-strong embossed leather for the straps, Reinforced stitching on all stress points. Attention to every detail. And by making them here in the USA, we actually bring the cost to you down.

It's my understanding that the very first kilt they made for me WAS outsourced to Gaelic Themes, but only because they had too many orders of backlog to get it done on time. I never verified that, but on their monthly YouTube session they make it clear that the pleats on their own 8 yd premier kilts are machine stitched (but from the backside so that the stitches do not show).

But, checking on this on their website, I discovered something I'd not seen before, which is what they charge for one-off "custom" kilts when that includes custom tartan design and or weaving of a rare tartan. Makes me glad that there ARE > 40 varieties of "Robertson" fabric readily available! But I'm also confident that the elevated price ($1485) accurately reflects their cost to make such garments.

They've promised to give me a tour of their facility. Unfortunately, I'll be there on a "first Friday" (of the month), the day they do their You Tube live shows, so they'll likely be pretty busy.

[OC Richard]

Back to quality sporrans for less money!

Nicoll Brothers (a favourite maker of mine) black leather seal-fronted "semi dress" sporran for under 30 pounds

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39639376769...Bk9SR66k0a2_ZQ

There's a seller with two Nicoll Brothers musquash animal-mask sporrans up on Ebay at the same time.

Not super cheap but much less than such a sporran would cost new.

I would pay the extra money for the one with the much nicer face, it's 250 Pounds.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17697521364...Bk9SR4C98K2_ZQ

[OC Richard]

USA Kilts' description of their "Premier" 8 yard kilts:

Our reputation is built upon the beauty, comfort and durability of these premium kilts. In fact, we are known for over-building essential parts: Extra-strong embossed leather for the straps, Reinforced stitching on all stress points. Attention to every detail. And by making them here in the USA, we actually bring the cost to you down.

Interesting that they mention as a positive something that I dislike in their kilts, the super thick leather straps.

As soon as I received my USA Kilts kilt I switched them out for traditional leather straps. Scottish kilt makers have had a couple hundred years to figure out what thickness and suppleness of leather works best.

They don't mention there that their "Premier 8 yard kilts" have machine-sewn pleats, which I'm told they do.

It's my understanding that the very first kilt they made for me WAS outsourced to Gaelic Themes

It would be really nice to have both a Gaelic Themes kilt and a USA Kilts "Premier" kilt to hand simultaneously to do an in-depth side-by-side comparison.

I assume that both are "traditional kilts" in having a stabiliser and cut-out pleats.

What I'd like to see up close in particular are the stitched portions of the pleats.

[RGM1]

The stitching is invisible to my eyes.

[OC Richard]

The stitching is invisible to my eyes.

I think that USA Kilts "Premium", well as J Higgins, and Gaelic Themes/St Kilda Kilts all do the pleats the same way: each pleat is machine-stitched on the reverse (back side) then flipped over.

So there's no visible stitching; both sides of each pleat are seams.

Beyond that common point, there's a range of possible looks according to how straight, even, and consistent the pleats are sewn.

I've seen one Gaelic Themes/St Kilda Kilts kilt up close and the pleats were perfection: all exactly the same width and rate of taper, and each seam being dead-straight.

My J Higgins kilt not so much.

[jsrnephdoc]

Interesting that they mention as a positive something that I dislike in their kilts, the super thick leather straps.

As soon as I received my USA Kilts kilt I switched them out for traditional leather straps. Scottish kilt makers have had a couple hundred years to figure out what thickness and suppleness of leather works best.

(and)


It would be really nice to have both a Gaelic Themes kilt and a USA Kilts "Premier" kilt to hand simultaneously to do an in-depth side-by-side comparison.

I assume that both are "traditional kilts" in having a stabiliser and cut-out pleats.

What I'd like to see up close in particular are the stitched portions of the pleats.

I've not checked, but since you HAVE a kilt from USA Kilts, can you not provide at least some responses to your own rhetorical questions? Not intending to be snarky, just curious.

And, I've NEVER seen anyone from USA Kilts try to hide the fact that they machine-stitch their kilts.There is a former Canadian military (Seaforth Highlanders) guy online who's posted probably HUNDREDS of videos of his own kilt-making enterprise who's said some disparaging things about USA Kilts, but those have been disparaged themselves by VERY respected people here.

I have two 8 yard kilts from St. Kilda, both with machine-stitched pleats. The spokesperson for St Kilda with whom I occasionally chat online tells me that the main difference between their own machine-stitched 8 yd kilts and their hand-stitched products is the cost to make the latter, not the quality of the product. I also have a brand new example of Barb Tewksbury's handiwork. Barb advised me to have it pleated to the stripe, and I can recognize that, but as to the nature of the construction itself I'd be useless as a witness, except that NONE of those garments are particularly appreciative of being asked to cloak a shrinking body.

[OC Richard]

since you HAVE a kilt from USA Kilts, can you not provide at least some responses to your own rhetorical questions?

That's the thing, my USA Kilts kilt is their "5 yard semi-traditional" kilt which has a quite different construction to their "premiere 8 yard" kilt.

The kilt I have has top-stitched pleats and the pleats aren't cut out.

Yes if I had a USA Kilts "premiere" I could do a side-by-side with my J Higgins kilt. I think they're more or less the same beast, but without having seen a USA Kilts "premiere" kilt in person I couldn't say.

I've NEVER seen anyone from USA Kilts try to hide the fact that they machine-stitch their kilts.

And to keep the record straight I didn't say that they tried to hide that fact.

All I said was that this quoted paragraph was AI-like and "short on specifics".

A traditional 8 yard kilt, cut from pure wool, deeply pleated to sett and finished with elegant double fringing. A beautiful kilt, crafted to last a lifetime.
High quality materials are combined with traditional tailoring techniques to create your bespoke kilt. Our range offers crafted pieces...

The spokesperson for St Kilda tells me that the main difference between their own machine-stitched 8 yd kilts and their hand-stitched products is the cost to make the latter, not the quality of the product.

They're made using different methods. If according to a person's definition of quality the two methods are equal, then to these people the products are of equal quality. I suppose it comes down to how someone defines "quality".