Box vs Knife Pleats

[tripleblessed]

My impression is that Matt Newsome, perhaps based on a specific museum kilt, started making and selling 4-yard boxpleated kilts as a US-based historical re-creation. I'd never heard of such kilts until I learned about Matt and the Tartans Museum.

IIRC I was told years ago that Matt was taught by Bob Martin, who did box pleats based on his personal research. Matt left the the Tartan Museum to take a
position as a college chaplain, and we no longer see him at the Stone Mountain Games. His other obligations got him backlogged with kilts and he ceased taking new orders until catching up; I don't know where he stands at the moment.

I don't know if Bob Martin is still around or active with kilts, but both he and Matt published their writings, and those who have one of their kilts treasure them.
My understanding is that Bob recommended four yard box pleat kilts of heavyweight cloth; he and Matthew being based in the Carolinas were aware of the
warmth and weight of 8-yarders in the South. They provided a solution. Four yards for weight and cooler, 16oz. cloth for durability rather than more yards of lighter cloth.

That's all I've got, and I think it is at least loosely connected with reality.

[GG]

IIRC I was told years ago that Matt was taught by Bob Martin, who did box pleats based on his personal research. Matt left the the Tartan Museum to take a
position as a college chaplain, and we no longer see him at the Stone Mountain Games. His other obligations got him backlogged with kilts and he ceased taking new orders until catching up; I don't know where he stands at the moment.

Matt A.C. Newsome has got a new life, which may not include kilts, it seems:

https://medium.com/@macnewsome/about

https://www.catholic365.com/author/matthew-newsome/

[OC Richard]

Matt A.C. Newsome has got a new life, which may not include kilts, it seems:

https://medium.com/@macnewsome/about

https://www.catholic365.com/author/matthew-newsome/

Go Matt!!

Good for him, he seems to have plenty of irons in the fire.

[OC Richard]

Yes it seems due to the military continuing to add yardage to their kilts through the course of the 19th century more of each pleat's cloth would be hidden in a fold underneath.

I think that "box-knife pleat" name makes sense because the pleats look like box pleats on the surface but are sort of knife pleats (all the pleats overlapping in one direction) underneath.

[jsrnephdoc]

Matt A.C. Newsome has got a new life, which may not include kilts, it seems:

https://medium.com/@macnewsome/about

https://www.catholic365.com/author/matthew-newsome/

From his website, it looks as though he still sells lovely kilt pins from Margaret Morrison and also some gorgeous diced hose from House of Cheviot

[Bill Catherall]

From his website, it looks as though he still sells lovely kilt pins from Margaret Morrison and also some gorgeous diced hose from House of Cheviot

Matt's website is my website now. When he moved on from making kilts and selling kilt hose I bought his inventory and domain from him. New company name, but same web domain.

On the topic of box pleats, yes, there's a difference between the military box pleat and the wide box pleat. I find the 4-5 yard wide box pleat kilts quite comfortable. Light enough for hiking. Here's a photo of me at the summit of Mt St Helens in my Scott green weathered 5-yard box pleat kilt.

[jsrnephdoc]

Matt's website is my website now. When he moved on from making kilts and selling kilt hose I bought his inventory and domain from him. New company name, but same web domain.

Thanks for that. On Matt's religion-focused website there are links to his former life, some of which work, some of which don't. I think you've explained why.

Jim Robertson

[OC Richard]

As it happens, it looks like I'm going to take my first plunge in to boxpleated kilts.

For many years this image (early 1850s) has struck me as showing the ideal kilt pleats.

It's somewhere between the modern military boxpleated kilts with IMHO too many pleats, too much fabric, and the pleats too small and the Matt Newsome 4-yard boxpleated kilt with IMHO too few pleats, not enough fabric, and the pleats too big.



As it happens last Saturday I was out at the NorCal Celtic Festival (a Highland Games in fact) and I spotted a gent with a boxpleated kilt very much like that 79th Highlanders kilt above.

Turns out it's a local California maker. I'm sending him 3 yards of double-width heavyweight kilting cloth which IMHO will be perfect.

[PiperPadre]

I look forward to seeing how that turns out, Richard.

[figheadair]

As it happens, it looks like I'm going to take my first plunge in to boxpleated kilts.

For many years this image (early 1850s) has struck me as showing the ideal kilt pleats.

It's somewhere between the modern military boxpleated kilts with IMHO too many pleats, too much fabric, and the pleats too small and the Matt Newsome 4-yard boxpleated kilt with IMHO too few pleats, not enough fabric, and the pleats too big.

As it happens last Saturday I was out at the NorCal Celtic Festival (a Highland Games in fact) and I spotted a gent with a boxpleated kilt very much like that 79th Highlanders kilt above.

Turns out it's a local California maker. I'm sending him 3 yards of double-width heavyweight kilting cloth which IMHO will be perfect.

Richard, I'm sure that you will enjoy you box-pleated kilt. Connecting with another topic, I have a 5-yard one in Dalgiesh's wonderful F1 weight which is about an 18oz cloth that holds the pleats incredible well. Alas, they stopped weaving that soon after the firm was taken over. The tartan is Cameron of Erracht and the kilt was made by the late Bob Martin based one a 79th New York Highlanders' one from c.1860.